The National Origins Act, a key piece of United States immigration legislation, was enacted in 1924. It severely restricted immigration by establishing a system of national quotas that discriminated against immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe, as well as effectively excluding immigrants from Asia. These quotas were based on the 1890 census, which favored immigrants from Northern and Western European countries, reflecting nativist sentiments prevalent at the time. This discriminatory policy aimed to preserve the existing ethnic and cultural composition of the nation.
This act had profound and long-lasting consequences. It significantly altered the demographics of the United States, reducing the flow of immigrants from certain regions while favoring others. It reflected and reinforced existing prejudices and anxieties about the changing racial and ethnic makeup of the country. The Act also served as a powerful symbol of the nativist movement, highlighting the desire to maintain a perceived American identity rooted in Northern and Western European heritage. It shaped immigration policy for decades and is often cited in discussions about race, ethnicity, and immigration in American history.
