Audiobook

Selected Articles on Restriction of Immigration

Edith M. Phelps

In the years following World War I, immigration was a hot topic in the United States. The number of immigrants arriving each year had surged, and many came from East Asian or Southern European cultures that seemed alien to Americans of Northern European descent. Political parties began drafting legislation to further restrict immigration. Yet opposition to immigration was not universal; many people continued to support more open borders. This issue—and some of the arguments on both sides—will sound familiar to readers today, almost anywhere in the world. One notable difference, however, lies in the media through which the debate was conducted. Today, discussions unfold largely through podcasts, television news, and social media. In the early twentieth century, by contrast, people relied almost entirely on print for mass communication, informing themselves through major newspapers and national magazines. This concise 1920 book summarizes the debate over immigration restriction and presents reprints of articles offering a range of arguments and analyses. - Summary by Ted Lienhart