Asian American History After 1965 Immigration Act

Essay 1: Asian American history after 1965 Immigration Act

Changes

1. Abolished national origins quotas of 1924

1. New era of mass immigration
2. Different volume and ethnic makeup

1. 1910’s: 5,736,000 -> 1980’s: 7,338,000
2. 80% came from Asian and Latin America

1. Preference categories based on family reunification and professional skills

1. 7 preference categories

1. Unmarried children under 21 years of age;
2. Spouses and unmarried children of permanent residents;
3. Married children over 21 years of age and their spouses and children of U.S. citizens;
4. Siblings and their spouses and children of U.S. citizens;
5. Professionals, scientists, and artists of “exceptional quality”;
6. Workers in occupations with labor shortages;
7. Political refugees.

1. Imposed cap on western hemisphere immigration

Effects

1. Increasingly diverse and transnational Asian population growth

1. Japan no longer 50% since 1924
2. China, Philippines, India, Korea, Vietnam, Laos. Cambodia, Pakistan, Bangladesh

1. Widespread involvement in civil rights and politics

1. Women’s liberation, LGBT, Vietnam War
2. Self – identified Asian Americans promoting multiethnic alliance and action

1. No longer undifferentiated “Orientals”
2. Common historical and contemporary experiences

1. Demanded fuller inclusion and recognition
2. Formed enduring and significant institutions and organizations that address specific AA issues and inequalities

1. Asian American Political Alliance 1968

1. Unify all Asian ethnic and political groups
2. Fought against US white patriarchy
3. Interracial solidarity

1. Asian Americans for Actions

1. Racial restructuring of US society

1. Politics, education, health care, and intermarriage
2. Greater diversity in educational background and professional skills
3. Rise of Asian American middle and higher class

• many Asian Americans took full advantage of the family reunification preferences of the 1965 Act to bring over spouses, children, siblings, and parents.
• Asian immigration produced significant and unanticipated increases in the Asian American population beginning in the late 1960s.
• eliminated nationality criteria for immigration and turned it into a system based primarily on family reunification and needed skills

• The government was not expecting a large number of Asians to immigrate since they made up such a small number of the population prior to 1965

• Also led to the creation of many political and social activist groups in which Asian Americans of diverse ethnic backgrounds came together to push for more equality in the U.S. past immigration policies
• Model minority stereotype

• Erika Lee: originated in 1950s as embodiment of conservative family values and anticommunism
• Used against civil rights movement in 1960s
• Narrative ignored continued income, housing, and employment discrimination

What did the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act do? (aka Hart-Celler Act)

• Abolished the “national origins” quota
• Created a labor certification program
• Imposed a ceiling on western hemisphere immigration
• Introduced a new preference system for immigration

The new preference system established 7 preference categories

1. Unmarried children under 21 years of age;
2. Spouses and unmarried children of permanent residents;
3. Professionals, scientists, and artists of “exceptional quality”;
4. Married children over 21 years of age and their spouses and children of U.S. citizens;
5. Siblings and their spouses and children of U.S. citizens;
6. Workers in occupations with labor shortages;
7. Political refugees.

Essay 2: Gender 

-Talk about how norms shifted in Asian culture?

-When Chinese first Immigrated- It was mostly men - Explain why? Something around the lines… Men worked and women took care of the family

-Picture Brides - some woman started working.

-During World War II, Women were becoming activist, participating (maybe even before?)