Fellow Explores a History of Deportation

Today's heated debates over immigration policy are eerily reminiscent of arguments espoused more than a century ago. Wilson Center Fellow Deirdre Moloney's research delving into the history of immigration to the United States is very much relevant to current policy debates.

While in residence at the Wilson Center, Moloney is writing a book on U.S. deportation policy from 1882 until the post-World War II era. From an economic standpoint, "workers increase economic growth so we need immigration," Moloney told Centerpoint. "But in times of economic downturn, immigration causes tension and there are certainly parallels between the early 20th century, the 1930s, and now."

Moloney's story begins in 1882, the year the first federal Immigration Act passed, providing a framework for federally regulated immigration. Another pivotal event that year was passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act, which drastically reduced immigration from China. Both pieces of legislation changed the nature of citizenship in the United States.

In 1911, the Dillingham Commission recommended to the Senate that some nationalities be restricted, particularly southern and eastern Europeans. Asian nationalities were the first to be excluded while quota acts in 1921 and 1924 further reduced emigration from Europe.

Certain groups became either detained or turned away if they were considered likely to become a public charge (LPC). This provision was added to the immigration law in 1891. Before 1930, LPC was used against women who were considered economic dependents, and in the 1930s it was used against Mexican men, viewed as taking jobs from U.S. citizens.

LPC also affected European Jews who, after government persecution impoverished them, were not considered economically independent. One organization that successfully represented their appeals was the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society,whose thorough archives proved helpful to Moloney's research.

Moloney also is utilizing records from the National Archives and from other immigrant advocacy groups. She said, "These records show not just how the state enforced immigration but also dialogues about immigration and immigrant rights and how they fit into the larger conversation about democracy."

One recurring theme in her research is family reunification, which "has been one of the most effective and compelling reasons that immigrants and immigrant advocates used to prevent deportation," Moloney said. In 1965, the Hart-Celler Act had an enormous impact on family reunification. While annual country quotas still existed, national-origin quotas were abolished. "Hart-Celler addressed previous racial disparities in the law," she said, during a time when the civil rights movement was progressing, truly enhancing the multicultural makeup of this country.

In addition, the Hart-Celler Act created provisions that led to greater family reunification. "The argument was that the family unit was essential to democracy" and so once immigrants got settled, they could invite first-degree relatives to join them in America.

Moloney herself is an immigrant. Born in Italy to Irish parents, she arrived in America at age 3. "I grew up thinking about acculturation and how to negotiate between the traditions of one's country of origin with those in America."