National origins provision of immigration law

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 1796380105

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-196168

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: National origins provision of immigration law

Place of publication:: Washington

Publisher:: Gov. Pr. Off.

Year of publication:: 1929

Scope:: III, 171 S

Digitisation:: 2022

Collection:: Economics Books

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Chapter

Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Statement of Frances H. Kinnicutt, immigration restriction league, and allied patriotic society, New York City

Collection:: Economics Books

[70 NATIONAL ORIGINS PROVISION OF IMMIGRATION LAW “Doctor Hin. That is true. “Senator CoreLanp. In 1850 did they go back further than the immediate parents? . “ Doctor Hin. It did not go back as far as that; simply their own birthplace, whether foreign born, and in what countries. . “ Senator CorELAND., When did they begin to ask anything about the parents? “ Doctor HinL. They made a beginning in 1880, but, ag I stated a while ago, that was not a complete classification. The first complete classification made of parents was in 1890. “ Senator SuipsTrEAD. Then until 1850 there was nothing to show ‘except Ly assuming from the names? “Doctor HILL. Well, we have the figures, you know. “ Senator SuipsTEAD. Were there any other immigration figures other than those required by the Government to be filed by the officers of incoming ships with the immigration officers, the number of passengers, and that the passengers tanded were accredited to the flag carried by the ship? “Doctor HrLL. I think you are right about that. I am not familiar with the immigration regulations of those days. “ Senator SHrpsTEAD. So, if the ship eame in carrying passengers from all over Europe, assume she had 1,000 passengers, the officer would file with the immigration department a manifest showing that 1,000 came here, and that German ship and immigration officials would accredit those immigrants to (Germany; is that right? * Senator Reep. I doubt whether there was any ship of that capacity at that time, * Senator SHipsTEAD. Of course, the figures 1 assumed merely for the purpose of illustration. For instance, an English ship coming in nuder the English flag, carrying passengers from all over Burone, the passengers would be accredited to England “ Senator Winns. The way they handled ships in those days that woukl not be a bad guess, beeause they did not have tramp vessels gathering up carvo. A ship was laden and went to a certain port. * Senator Reep. Your conclusions upon that were checked, were they iio, oy. statistics of emigrants from various countries? “Doctor Hit. So far as we could get them.” In Doctor LIS last report he says: “In order to utilize the available data to best advantage in the determina- tion of national origin it was necessary first of all to determine what proportion of the white population of the United States in 1920 was derived trom the white population present in the United States when the fitst census was taken in 1790.” Suppose that it were possible to determine what percentage of the popula- tion of 1920 was descended from the population prior to 1790, what beuring could that have on the national origins of the population of 1920 unless we had some definite immigration and census records informing us on what was the national origins of the population prior to 17907 On page 2 of Doctor Hill's last report we learn— “The national origin of the original native or colonial stock is assumed to be the same as that of the 1790 population. In its preliminary report, submitted in 1026, the quota committee accepted the classification of 1790 population by nationalities as given in A Century of Population Growth, a work published 0y the Bureau of the Census in 1909, It was admitted. however, that there was a ‘considerable element of uncertainty’ in a classification based as that was upon the names of heads of families.” On page 4 of the last report and the one now pending we find that oue nf the experts explains the method of determining the national otig ns of the population of 1790. This shows plainly that the committee of experts’ report is based on A Century of Population Growth, which again is based ou the census of 1790, and the only excuse for basing the quotus on the census of 1790 and the only scientific thing about it ix that they determine the national origin of the population of 1790 by tracing or by guessing the national origin of the indiv.dual, using his name ax a basis. This method was cons dered so unscientific at the time of the passage of the immigration act that the (on- sress specifically prohibited this method from being used. Therefore, up until 1890, we find there was no complete classification made of the national origins of the parents of the American population by ‘he Census Bureau. This is an admission of Doctor 1Lill in the hearings con- lucted by your committee. It seems to me. therefore. that the record sas well

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