Voting and Civil Rights 1917 through 1964

1917

“Immigration Act of 1917 [also known as the Literacy Act or the Asiatic Barred Zone Act] once again banned a long list of individuals from entering the country. However, new provisions banned illiterate persons over the age of 16 from entering. Implementing a literacy test as a means to gain entry into the US. In addition, the law established the Asiatic Barred Zone, which excluded immigrants from specific geographic regions in Asia and the Pacific Islands from migrating to the United States under any circumstances. The Asiatic-Barred Zone fed the Chinese hysteria and further excluded migrants from India, the Middle East, and the Philippines.” (Jeremiah Jaggers, 6-7)

1920

19th Amendment was adopted and stated that “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex” officially giving women the right to vote.

1924

The Indian Citizenship Act, “an all-inclusive act, was passed by Congress granting citizenship to all Native Americans born in the US. The privileges of citizenship, however, were largely governed by state law, and the right to vote was often denied to Native Americans in the early 20th century.”

1924

The Immigration Act of 1924 limited the number of immigrants allowed entry into the United States through a national origins quota. The quota provided immigration visas to 2% of the total number of people of each nationality in the United States as of the 1890 national census. It completely excluded immigrants from Asia. The law was primarily aimed at “further restricting immigration of Southern Europeans and Eastern Europeans. In addition, it severely restricted the immigration of Africans and outright banned the immigration of Arabs and Asians. According to the U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian the purpose of the act was to preserve the ideal of American homogeneity. But though the Act aimed at preserving American racial homogeneity, it set no limits on immigration from Latin American countries.”

1942

The Chinese Exclusion Act is repealed, allowing Chinese migration for the first time since 1882 and some Chinese immigrants residing in the country become naturalized citizens. Set a quota basis limiting number of people for future entry into the U.S.

1964

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended segregation in public places and Title VII prohibited employment discrimination based on sex, race, color, religion, or national origin.