"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free”. A faded shadow of Americas past. The United States of America, a country founded by immigrants now-a-days does not want immigrants. The golden gates of opportunity were closed promptly in 1921 with the “Emergency Quota Act”, which was meant to be temporary legislation after a massive increase of immigrants from Europe. The legislation was actually the key turning point in the USA’s history of immigration . This was when America had decided that it did no longer want free wanted to accept ‘our’ “tired”, ‘our’ “poor”, ‘our’ “huddled masses yearning to breathe free”. There are many reasons for the country that was once hungry for immigrants suddenly limiting the numbers of people that could enter it. These reasons vary from economic and cultural all the way to racial.
Some historians would argue that the single biggest reason for the sudden change in attitudes by the government towards immigrants was the fear of a communist revolution. The early 20th century was a time of political instability. WW1 had left Europe in ruins. The Tsar was dead and Russia flew a red flag with a hammer and sickle imprinted in yellow. The working classes of the early 20th century were revolting against their mainly monarchic governments. Another example of this would be the German Revolution of 1918-1919 led by Rosa Luxembourg. America, a deeply capitalist country, not only hated this, but feared a similar domestic revolution. A revolution that would destroy “the American way of life”. This irrational fear boiled over in 1919-1920 in what is known as “the first great scare”. This was a period where the American populace actually believed that a communist revolution was just on the brink of happening. Xenophobia followed this as all eastern europeans were stereotyped as communists and Anarchists. Anarchism was hated just as much if not more than communism in the 'states. Anarchists and communists were treated like second rate citizens. This peaked during the Palmer Raids of late 1919 to early 1920. Throughout these politically fueled raids, thousands of people were arrested (roughly 2000 without warrent) and 556 people were deported. Palmer himself mainly used this as a publicicty stunt in an aim to boost his ambition to become the president. Hatred for far left minded people was so strong that even the President, Woodrow Wilson, said this in 1916; "Such creatures of passion, disloyalty and anarchy must be crushed out". This was obviously a very strong reason for the changes in immigration which began in 1921 as it was a matter of national security in a sense. Some historians may argue that this is the biggest, most important factor in the devolpment of the immigration laws.
However, reasons such as racism and prejiduce so played a big part. The early 20th century was plagued by racists, particularry in the southern states of America. At this point in time, Racial 'Sciences' were not taboo and a lot of people believed in the exsistance of superior races. The original immigrants to North America (pilgrims) were white, anglo saxon and protestant. As time went on and such things as the potato blight affected europeans (mainly irish) many people, left their goverments that failed to protect their people and feed them appropialty. The "new" immigrants were Southern and Centeral europeans, catholics, jews and people from the orthodox church. All of these were viewed as "unclean" or "inferior to the typical white, anglosaxon. "Irish Need Not Apply" was an infomous sign located at places of work, ultimatly telling the Irish they weren't wanted. Asians suffered badly aswell at the hands of the public. Infact, an asian exclusion act was brought up and passed which completely cut immigration too and from the far east. This is just blatant racism.
The "natives" were also awfully scared the new immigrants would take their jobs, as the new citizens were poor and would work as almost anything, strikebreaking if they could and undercutting american competition by working for less pay. Naturally, those already in jobs were fustrated as they wanted to maintain their lifestyles without accepting wage cuts. The newly americanised immigrants werent used to that.
In conclusion there are many reasons for the limitations on immigration set up in America in the early 20th century, but fear of communist revolution is not the most imporrant reason.