Guarding the Golden Door: American Immigration Policy and Immigrants Since 1882

Front Cover
Macmillan, 2005 M01 12 - 328 pages
"Arguably the most useful for general readers. Clearly written, reasonably lean and on the whole, balanced in its assessments, it is an excellent primer." --Los Angeles Times

The federal government's efforts to pick and choose among the multitude of immigrants seeking to enter the United States began with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Conceived in ignorance and falsely presented to the public, it had undreamt of consequences, and this pattern has been rarely deviated from since. As renowned historian Roger Daniels shows in this brilliant new work, America's inconsistent, often illogical, and always cumbersome immigration policy has profoundly affected our recent past.

Immigration policy in Daniels' skilled hands shows Americans at their best and worst, from the nativist violence that forced Theodore Roosevelt's 1907 "gentlemen's agreement" with Japan to the generous refugee policies adopted after World War Two and throughout the Cold War. And in a conclusion drawn from today's headlines, Daniels makes clear how far ignorance, partisan politics, and unintended consequences have overtaken immigration policy during the current administration's War on Terror.

Irreverent, deeply informed, and authoritative, Guarding the Golden Door presents an unforgettable interpretation of modern American history.

From inside the book

Contents

The Beginnings of Immigration Restriction 18821917
3
The Triumph of the Old Nativism
27
No New Deal for Immigration
59
The Barriers Begin to Drop
85
19461950
99
The Cold War and Immigration
113
Changing Patterns in a Changing World 19652001
147
Latinos
175
Cubans Southeast Asians
205
Myths and Realities
219
Struggles over Immigration Policy
232
Immigration After 911
261
Notes
269
Bibliography
301
Index
317
Copyright

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

About the author (2005)

Historian Roger Daniels has written numerous books, mostly on immigration history and Japanese-American internment during World War II. He was past president of the Society for Historians of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era and the Immigration History Society. He served as a consultant to the Presidential Commission on the Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians and on the planning committee for the Immigration Museum on Ellis Island. He has also worked with the National Park Service on historic sites and as a historical consultant for many television programs. As a Fulbright Professor he taught at five universities in Europe and two universities in Canada. His last position was at the University of Cincinnati. Even in retirement, he continues to write, edit, and guest lecture.

Bibliographic information