America’s love-hate relationship with immigrants

FIRST ERA

The ‘free white persons’ and Asian ‘coolies’

Poor and unskilled immigrants from Northern Europe and Asia poured into the United States in the mid-1800s. Most of the European immigrants were German and Irish, and under the law they were considered “free white persons” able to achieve citizenship.

Citizenship wasn’t an option for the growing numbers of Chinese and Asian immigrants settling on the West Coast. A cheap source of labor for mines, farms and railways, the Chinese were called “coolies.” The word originally meant “unskilled laborer,” but became a slur hurled at workers who labored for low wages or came to the U.S. as indentured laborers. Chinese women were largely assumed to be prostitutes.

In Los Angeles, the backlash against Asians culminated in 1871 with the Chinese Massacre. A mob of more than 500 white men killed at least 18 Chinese men and boys near downtown. No one was ever convicted of the killings.

The growing animus against Asians across the country led to discriminatory laws that would remain on the books for decades.

“[The Chinese] strengthened our nation’s infrastructure, only to be prosecuted when their labor was seen as competition and when the dirtiest work was done" — Rep. Mike Honda (D-San Jose), during debate in 2012 before the passage of House Resolution 683 expressing regret for the treatment of Chinese migrants

During the next wave of immigration, from the late 1800s to the 1920s, immigration laws continued to target Asians, but also tried to discourage immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe.

Roger Waldinger, a UCLA distinguished professor of sociology, said the laws passed during this era "set a low limit on total immigration from the Eastern Hemisphere and virtually stopped migration from Asia."

The poor, the sick and those espousing certain political beliefs were barred from entry into the U.S. under other new laws. Laws discouraging immigration from Southern Europe — mainly from Italy — reflected widespread anti-Catholic sentiment. Italians were frequent targets of abuse and one of the most infamous mass lynchings in U.S. history occurred in New Orleans, where 11 Italians were attacked and killed by a mob in 1891.

After World War I, immigration decreased dramatically with the passage of more restrictive legislation. Permanent residency status grants went from 1.2 million in 1914 to a little more than 110,000 in 1918.

The immigration control system in place today began to take shape with passage of the Hart-Celler Act in 1965, which eliminated the quota system based on national origin.

Reflecting larger, global conditions, later laws addressed refugees, border security or illegal immigration. The most far-reaching legislation was the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, a law that, depending on the point of view, is hailed as groundbreaking or denounced as a huge mistake. In addition to immigration laws passed by Congress, two executive actions by President Obama also prompted praise and criticism.

President Trump, who made cracking down on illegal immigration a centerpiece of his campaign, has stepped up deportation efforts and continues to call for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

In a series of executive actions, Trump has also tried to temporarily halt refugee resettlement and bar travel from six Muslim-majority countries. The motivation driving these efforts, Trump says, is national security.

Trump’s executive actions continue to be challenged in the courts, and how those cases will be resolved is anybody’s guess.

But one thing is certain. The nation’s demographics will continue to change and immigration, no doubt, will remain part of the national conversation.

According to Pew Research Center studies, in less than 40 years, there will be no ethnic majority group in the U.S., and by 2065, Asians are projected to become the largest immigrant group.