What was America's 'Open Door' immigration policy?

During the 19th and early 20th centuries America mostly operated an ‘Open Door’ policy to immigration.

• ‘Open Door’ allowed unlimited immigration into the US.
• The assimilation of immigrants from many countries became referred to as the Melting Pot.
• Until the mid-1800s, most immigrants were Europeans from Britain, Germany, and Scandinavia.
• These early migrants became known as WASPs – White Anglo-Saxon Protestants.

By the late 1800s/early 1900s concerns were being raised about the scale of migration into the US. From the late 1800s, a series of immigration acts were passed to limit migration.

• Migrants from China, Japan and other Asian nations faced limits to the number of people allowed into the US.
• American citizens with dual nationality – referred to as 'hyphenated Americans' – were treated with suspicion.
• On the outbreak of WWI, hundreds of thousands of German-Americans were arrested

The United States of America is a nation which has been built on immigration.

In 1908, British writer Israel Zangwill published his play, The Melting Pot. In the play, Zangwill imagined America as a pot where people from all over the world arrived to form a new identity. The Melting Pot

This idea was later embraced by America’s leaders, such as former president, Woodrow Wilson, who said in 1915:

America is like a huge melting pot. We will mix the races together to create a new person – an American

America operated an Open Door policy. This meant that there were virtually no restrictions on immigration.

The first immigrant group to settle in America from the late 17th and early 18th centuries came from northern Europe, especially from Britain, Germany, and Scandinavia. These ‘old immigrants’ are often referred to as White Anglo-Saxon Protestants, or WASPs.

The American Dream, that anyone could succeed and prosper, coupled with the improvements in transportation also encouraged many to make the journey to the USA.

America initially had an Open Door immigration policy. This meant that immigration was positively encouraged as it enabled the nation to develop and prosper.

Between 1836 and 1914, around 30 million Europeans migrated to the United States, often escaping poverty and drawn by the promise of greater opportunities and a better life in America.

However, during this period there were measures taken to impose some restrictions on migration. Most of these measures were aimed at Chinese and Asian migrants.

These series of acts were designed to limit the migration of large numbers of Chinese migrants.

During the late 1800s, Chinese workers had been encouraged as they provided a cheap labour force to build large scale infrastructure such as railways.

Chinese immigrants mostly settled in California. Over time, tensions grew between Chinese migrants and the existing residents of the state due to competition for jobs.

The acts sought to ease these tensions by restricting the numbers of Chinese migrants allowed into the US.

The Dillingham Commission was set up by President Theodore Roosevelt and led by the Republican senator, William P. Dillingham.

Over several years, the commission examined the impact of immigration to the US. It recommended restrictions on immigration and expressed a preference for migrants from northern and western Europe over migrants from eastern Europe and Asia.

The Gentleman’s Agreement was an informal arrangement between the governments of the United States and Japan.

During 1907, there had been a series race riots along the western areas of America where Chinese and Japanese migrants settled in large numbers.

Under the agreement, Japan agreed to limit the number of Japanese migrants leaving Japan. In return, the US agreed not to impose restrictions on Japanese migrants already living in America.

The 1917 Immigration Act placed further restrictions on migrants from the Asia-Pacific region.

The act imposed a literacy test on migrants before they allowed into the US. This effectively provided a practical barrier to many potential immigrants settling in America as most would not have spoken or been literate in English.

During the nineteenth century, America adopted a policy of isolationism – they would remain neutral in foreign wars and would focus on maintaining trade links.

This policy was briefly abandoned when America entered WWI on the side of the Allies in 1917.

America’s entry into World War One led to increasing suspicion and hostility towards immigrants from other nations. Those who were of German descent were most affected as America was at war with the nation.

At the time, there were 8 million German-Americans living in the United States. They had several restrictions placed upon them. They were not allowed to own firearms, and their names, personal details and fingerprints had to be kept on a register.

480,000 German-born people were placed on the register, and around 6,000 were arrested as a threat to America.

German-Americans were not the only ones targeted. Anyone with dual nationality was put under scrutiny and their loyalties were questioned. They were referred to as hyphenated Americans.

Any man who carries a hyphen about him, carries a dagger that he is ready to plunge into the vitals of this Republic when he gets ready
– President Wilson

This led to a narrowing of what it meant to be an American and what the American values were. Americans were expected to speak English and show patriotism towards America.

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, America operated an ‘Open Door’ policy on immigration.

• ‘Open Door’ allowed unlimited immigration into the US.
• The assimilation of immigrants into American society became referred to as the Melting Pot.
• Until the mid-1800s, most immigrants were Europeans from Britain, Germany, and Scandinavia.
• These early migrants became known as WASPs – White Anglo-Saxon Protestants.

By the late 1800s/early 1900s concerns were being raised about the scale of migration into the US. From the late 1800s, a series immigration of acts were passed to limit migration.

• Migrants from China, Japan and other Asian nations faced limits to the number of people allowed into the US.
• American citizens with dual nationality – referred to as 'hyphenated Americans' – were treated with suspicion.
• On the outbreak of WWI, hundreds of thousands of German-Americans were arrested