U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Mexico document giving young Gabriela Puentes passage into the country in 1918.
Context
A year earlier the Immigration Act of 1917 was passed by Congress, the first major law to restrict immigration to the United States. The act was passed during World War I, when national security concerns made it easier for Congress to restrict immigration. It was intended to keep out “undesirable” immigrants, such as those from Asia, Mexico, and the Mediterranean.
The act had several provisions, including:
- Literacy test: Required immigrants over 16 to demonstrate basic reading comprehension in any language
- Increased tax: New immigrants paid an additional $8 tax
- Asiatic Barred Zone: Prohibited immigration from most of Asia, including India, with some exceptions for U.S. territories
- Discretion for immigration officials: Gave immigration officials more authority to decide who to exclude
- Exemptions: Allowed entry for professionals, students, and their families, as well as people fleeing persecution
In 1918 U.S. President Woodrow Wilson expressed to Mexican President Venustiano Carranza his desire to translate into action his friendly sentiments for Mexico and that President Carranza had appeared greatly pleased and said that he thought intercourse both personal and commercial between the two countries should be normalized and the restraints now being put upon commerce and communication removed so far as possible. (https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1918/d590)
