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Texas Annexation
The Texas Annexation is where the US annexed a large section of Texas as US land. This was the major cause of the Mexican-American War. Source: http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/resources/archives/two/texannex.htm -
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Mexican-American War
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Sutters Mill Gold Find
James Marshall discovers gold at Sutters Mill and starts the Gold Rush. Many people from Mexico traveled to California to take their chances at finding gold. Source: http://museumca.org/goldrush/fever05.html
http://museumca.org/goldrush/fever09.html -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican-American War and granted the United States most of the areas of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Nevada and Utah. Current residents of this area were allowed to either go to Mexico or stay put and become full citizens of the United States. Source: http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=26 -
Knownothing Party Founded
The Knownothing Party was created in opposition to and due to fear of Catholic immigrants. It was founded in 1852 in New York City with the goal of becoming a national organization. It pushed to limit immigration, specificially Catholic immigrants. Source: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08677a.htm -
Gadsden Purchase
The US, through the Gadsden Purchase, acquired the remaining sections of present day Arizona and New Mexico from Mexico for $10 Million. Source: http://www.gadsdenpurchase.com/ -
Page Act of 1875
Federal government outlines that immigration is a federal government responsibility. Passes the Page Act of 1875 which limited immigration of Asain individuals who were brought to the US by force, came to provide contract labor, considered an "undesireable", convict of source country or a woman who would prostitute. Source: http://library.uwb.edu/guides/usimmigration/1875_page_law.html -
Chinese Exclusion Act
As a result of anti-Chinese sentiment this act put a limit on the number of Chinese individuals who were allowed to immigrate to the US per year. Also made it illegal for Chinese individuals to own land or businesses. This was the climax of over thirty years of increasing racism towards Chinese people. Source: http://sun.menloschool.org/~mbrody/ushistory/angel/exclusion_act/ -
Geary Act
The Geary Act extended the terms put forth by the Chinese Exclusion Act for another 10 years. Source: http://library.uwb.edu/guides/usimmigration/1892_geary_act.html -
Immigration Restriction League Formed
Immigration Restriction League formed as an anti-immigration group in 1894. This group pushed for increased legislation regarding incoming immigrants including a literacy requirement to limit who could immigrate to the US. Source: http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/immigration/restrictionleague.html -
Chinese Exclusion Extension Act
This act indefinitely extended the Chinese Exclusion Act. Source: http://www.cetel.org/1904_extension.html -
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Dillingham Commission
The United States Senate and House of Representitives created the Dillingham Commission in response to political concern regarding immigration. This commission went forth and studied the origins and consequences of the increase in immigration to the United States. The results of the investigation were that immigrants from southern and eastern Europe were a threat to American society and culture and reading/writing tests are good. Source: http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/immigration/dillingham.html -
1921 Emergency Quota Law
This act put a limit on the number of immigrants from various countries at 3% of the total number of foreign-born persons from that country living in the US as recorded by the 1910 Census. Source: http://library.uwb.edu/guides/usimmigration/1921_emergency_quota_law.html -
Johnson-Reed Act
This Immigration Act reduced the number of immigrants from 3% set forth by the Emergency Quota Act to 2%. It prohibited immigration from the MIddle East, East Asian and India. Source: http://history.state.gov/milestones/1921-1936/ImmigrationAct -
Magnuson Act
This act allowed Chinese immigreation again and permitted some who had already been living in the US to become naturalized citizens. However, it did not open up ownership rights of property or business to Chinese individuals Source: http://www.jacl.org/public_policy/documents/An%20Unnoticed%20Struggle.pdf -
McCarran Internal Security Act 1950
This act banned the immigration of those who were communist. Source: http://public.csusm.edu/MichelleWhite/ -
McCarran-Walter Act
This act removed the racial restrictions on immigration but put into place restrictions to individuals who were unlawful, immoral, diseased, politically radical, etc. It allowed for Asain immigrants who weren't enemies in WWII such as China not not enemies such as Japan. Immigrants are expected to assimilate into US society and culture leaving their own behind. Source: http://library.uwb.edu/guides/usimmigration/1952_immigration_and_nationality_act.html -
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Operation Wetback
An operation put into place by the Immigration and Naturalization Service targeting Hispanics. The focus was to find as many undocumented immigrants and deport them, often including their American-born children even though their children are US citizens. Source: http://www.pbs.org/kpbs/theborder/history/timeline/20.html -
Hart-Celler Act
Major overhall of the immigration policy in the United States. Removed the National Origins Formula that was integrated into the 1921, 1924 and 1952 immigration acts. Did put a limit on visas per year at 170,000 not including relatives of US citizens and other special immigrants. Source: http://library.uwb.edu/guides/usimmigration/1965_immigration_and_nationality_act.html -
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986
This act made it illegal to knowling hire or recruit undocumented immigrants. However it granted amnesty to certain seasonal agricultral workers and undocumented immigrants who entered the US before 1 Jan 1982 and have resided in the US continuously since that date. ~3 million immigrants were granted amnesty. Source: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d099:SN01200:@@@L&summ2=m&|TOM:/bss/d099query.html -
CA Proposition 227
This peice of legislation required all school instruction to be taught in English and to eliminate bilingual classes "in most cases". Written, funded and pushed through by Ron Unz. Source: http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_Proposition_227,_the_%22English_in_Public_Schools%22_Initiative_%281998%29 -
AZ Proposition 203
This proposition requires school to have instruction in English only. This is an even more hard version of the English Only inititive that was passed in California. Source: http://www.languagepolicy.net/archives/az-unz.htm -
AZ SB1070
This law, among other things, requires local law enforcement to check the immigration status of someone who is arrested or detained if there is reasonable suspicion they are and undocumented immigrant. This piece of legislation is extremely controversial and is seen as being extremely racist towards Latinos. Source: http://www.aclu.org/arizonas-sb-1070