Magnuson Act facts for kids
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| Long title | An Act to repeal the Chinese Exclusion Acts, to establish quotas, and for other purposes. |
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| Acronyms (colloquial) | CERA |
| Nicknames | Chinese Exclusion Repeal Act of 1943 |
| Enacted by | the 78th United States Congress |
| Effective | December 17, 1943 |
| Citations | |
| Public law | Pub.L. 78-199 |
| Statutes at Large | 57 Stat. 600 |
| Codification | |
| Acts repealed | Chinese Exclusion Act |
| Titles amended | 8 U.S.C.: Aliens and Nationality |
| U.S.C. sections amended | 8 U.S.C. ch. 7 §§ 262-297 & 299 |
| Legislative history | |
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The Chinese Exclusion Repeal Act of 1943, also known as the Magnuson Act, was an important immigration law in the United States. It was signed into law on December 17, 1943. This act was proposed by U.S. Representative Warren G. Magnuson from Washington.
This law allowed people from China to immigrate to the U.S. for the first time since the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. It also let some Chinese immigrants who were already living in the country become naturalized citizens. This means they could become full U.S. citizens.
Contents
What Was the Magnuson Act?
The Magnuson Act was a big step because it was the first law since 1870 to ease rules about race and nationality for immigration in the U.S. It helped pave the way for later laws in the 1960s that removed all race-based immigration rules.
Why Was This Law Passed?
The Magnuson Act was passed on December 17, 1943. This was two years after the Republic of China became an official ally of the United States during World War II. The U.S. and China were fighting together against common enemies. Passing this act helped strengthen the friendship between the two countries during the war.
What Did the Act Change?
Before this act, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 had completely stopped Chinese people from immigrating to the U.S. The Magnuson Act changed this. It allowed Chinese immigration to start again. It also gave Chinese immigrants already in the U.S. the chance to become citizens.
Limitations of the Act
Even though the Magnuson Act was a positive change, it still had many limits. It allowed only a small number of Chinese immigrants into the country each year. This was called an annual quota.
The Quota System Explained
The quota for Chinese immigrants was set at only 105 new entry visas per year. This number was supposed to be based on the Immigration Act of 1924. That act set immigration from certain countries at 2% of the number of people from that country already living in the U.S. in 1890.
However, the number 105 for Chinese immigrants was very low. Based on official numbers, the quota should have been around 2,150 people per year. This shows that the number of Chinese immigrants allowed was much lower compared to immigrants from other countries.
Also, in many states, Chinese Americans were still not allowed to own property. This was true even for U.S. citizens of Chinese descent. This unfair rule continued until the Magnuson Act was fully replaced by a new law in 1965.
Later Changes to Immigration Laws
Chinese immigration numbers slowly increased after the Magnuson Act. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 removed some direct racial barriers. Later, the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 completely got rid of the old quota system based on national origins. This made immigration laws much fairer for everyone.
