5 Xenophobia & Legislation

Xenophobia in America

Xenophobia (noun) is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as a “dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries.”

The United States has a long history of xenophobia, not just within the social conscience, but within the policies and legislation the U.S. has passed since the nation’s inception. Even though the first settlers and everyone thereafter were likewise “immigrants” or from immigrant families, the U.S. has continuously changed who is “acceptable by law” and who are vilified as a “vagrant class.” The most dangerous and harmful stereotypes against black, indigenous people of color (BIPOC) are based in racism and xenophobia.

Watch this video for a historic overview.

a Brief History of U.S. immigration Legislation

• Nationality Act of 1790: “…limited access to U.S. citizenship to white immigrants … people from Western Europe—who had resided in the U.S. at least two years and their children under 21 years of age … granted citizenship to [white] children born abroad to [white] U.S. citizens.”
• Chinese Exclusion Act 1882: “…an absolute 10-year ban on Chinese laborers immigrating to the U.S. … the first time federal law proscribed entry of an ethnic working group on the premise that it endangered the good order of certain localities.”
  • In 1882, Congress established its first deportation provision under law. (Oxford Research Encyclopedia)
• Immigration Act of 1917: “…required all immigrants aged 16 years and older to demonstrate they could read. However, Congress exempted from this new literacy requirement all those seeking admission to the U.S. to avoid religious persecution.”
• Immigration Act of 1924 “…limited the number of immigrants allowed entry into the U.S. through a national origins quota. The quota provided immigration visas to 2% of the total number of people of each nationality in the U.S. as of the 1890 national census. It completely excluded immigrants from Asia.“
• The Displaced Persons Act of 1948: “…the first specific refugee act passed by Congress, aimed to address the nearly 7 million displaced persons in Europe as a result of World War II. The act allowed refugees to enter the U.S. within the constraints of the existing quota system. The law required that admitted displaced persons find a place to live in the U.S. and a job that would not replace a worker already in the country … Expired in 1952.”
  • In February 1942, Executive Order 9066 that led to 112,000 Japanese Americans being forcibly interned in concentrated camps across the U.S.
  • Tule Lake, CA was the last internment camp to close in March 1946. (Britannica) 
  • Internment officially ended with Executive Order 9742 on June 25, 1946.
• Refugee Relief Act of 1953: “…authorized nearly 200,000 special non-quota immigrant visas for refugees and escapees from communist countries. The U.S. issued these visas between 1953 – 1956. Chinese refugees received 2,000 visas under this program, at a time when the annual immigrant quota for China was 105 [persons].”
• Immigration & Nationality Act of 1965: “…a legal framework that prioritized highly skilled immigrants and opened the door for people with family already living in the U.S. …The law capped the number of annual visas at 290,000, which included a restriction of 20,000 visas per country per year. … the law created new opportunities for immigrants from Asian nations to join relatives in America.”
  • The term “Asian American” is coined in 1968.
• Immigration Act of 1975: “…responding to the refugee crisis, Congress passed the Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act, setting aside $405 million for a 2-year evacuation and resettlement program to assist refugees from South Vietnam and Cambodia … amended the law to clear the way for thousands of refugees from Laos.”
  • In 1988, the Civil Liberties Act granted reparations of $20,000 to surviving Japanese Americans (or their descendants) illegally detained in internment camps during WWII.
• Refugee Act of 1980: “…created a uniform and comprehensive policy to proactively address refugee admissions by: removing the geographic and ideological limits on the definition of refugee that had been introduced by the 1965 Amendments to the INA; provided the first statutory basis for asylum; and increased the number of refugees who could be admitted annually. The new law formally adopted the United Nations’ definition.”
• Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) of 1997: “…certain Nicaraguans and Cubans who had fled their home countries and lived in the U.S. without permanent resident status could become lawful permanent residents, provided they had resided in the U.S. continuously and met other admissibility requirements. The act also allowed certain individuals from Guatemala, El Salvador, and former Soviet bloc countries to have their deportations suspended and removals cancelled.”

Directions: Read 1 article to learn more.

McNeil, Taylor. “The Long History of Xenophobia in America.” Tufts Now, now.tufts.edu, 24 Sept. 2020.

Kamasaki, Charles. “U.S. Immigration Policy: A Classic, Unappreciated Example of Structural Racism.” Brookings.edu, 26 March 2021.

Discuss & Reflect:

1. What groups of people were mentioned in the article?
2. How were these groups affected by legislation?
3. How were these groups characterized by propaganda and media?
4. How has the legislation changed to include these groups of people today?
5. What are the challenges these groups still face today, if any?