Men of the New Immigration Commission posing for picture LCCN2014684548

The United States Immigration Commission (also known as the Dillingham Commission after its chairman, Republican

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

William P. Dillingham William Paul Dillingham (December 12, 1843July 12, 1923) was an American attorney and politician from the state of Vermont. A Republican and the son of Congressman and Governor Paul Dillingham, William P. Dillingham served as governor from 1888 ...

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...

) was a bipartisan

special committee A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly. A committee is not itself considered to be a form of assembly. Usually, the assembly sends matters into a committee as a way to explore them more ...

formed in February 1907 by the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...

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and Speaker of the House of Representatives, to study the origins and consequences of recent

immigration to the United States Immigration has been a major source of population growth and cultural change throughout much of the history of the United States. In absolute numbers, the United States has a larger immigrant population than any other country in the worl ...

.Dillingham, W.P., 'Immigrants in Industries (in Twenty-Five Parts)', ''Reports of the Immigration Commission,'' Senate Document no. 633, 61st Congress, 2nd Session, 25 (Government Printing Office, 1911), p. 2. This was in response to increasing political concerns about the effects of immigration in the

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and its brief was to report on the social, economic and moral state of the nation. During its time in action the Commission employed a staff of more than 300 people for over 3 years, spent better than a million dollars and accumulated mass data. It was a joint committee composed of members of both the House and Senate. The Commission published its findings in 1911, concluding that immigration from

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and

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was a serious threat to American society and culture and should be greatly reduced in the future, as well as continued restrictions on immigration from China, Korea, and Japan. The report highly influenced public opinion around the introduction of legislation to limit immigration and can be seen to have played an integral part in the adoption of the 1921 Emergency Quota Act and subsequent Johnson Reed Act of 1924.

Background

In 1800, the American population was about 5 million, by 1914, migration had led to a further 50 million people in the country. The Population had amassed to a total of 77 million, 14 years earlier, in 1900. Historically, immigration policy had been based on economic arguments, but new research suggests

eugenics Eugenics ( ; ) is a fringe set of beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter human gene pools by excluding people and groups judged to be inferior o ...

as influencing public opinion on admission criteria. This change towards racial scientific theory was evident in the success of Madison Grant's works which argued that the old immigrant races were in danger of being overtaken by inferior races, particularly Southern and Eastern Europeans. Similarly, the work of Sir Francis Galton on advocating for Eugenics found heightened interest and readership during the late 1800s, reflecting the growth of racial pseudo-science based ideas amongst the American public at the time. Modern historians have continued to argue that eugenic ideology supported immigration policy. However, Benton-Cohen's recent work highlights the importance of economics within the Commission members thinking, in particular when referring to commission member Jenks, arguing that it predates eugenics. In addition to this, pressure from labour leaders such as

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Samuel Gompers of the

American Federation of Labour The American Federation of Labor (A.F. of L.) was a national federation of labor unions in the United States that continues today as the AFL-CIO. It was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions eager to provide mutual ...

to acknowledge the perceived negative effect of immigration on the American born workforce helped influenced the formation of the Dillingham Commission. Nonetheless, this fails to acknowledge that the immigration debate had been around for decades as well as early ideas of racial distinctions and these factors continued to influence commission members as much as economic ones. Historian Robert, F. Zeidel situated the Commission within the Progressive Era, with nativism as the motivation for the legal enforcement of immigration in this period. But before World War One, most restrictions were exclusively directed to the Asian population, without classification of races; factors such as income and education came first. Immigration Acts had previously banned prostitutes, convicts, the insane, and those with serious illness or disability. Nativism changed this through moving toward a racial hierarchy which pitted the superior natives of the United States against the 'inferior' immigrants. T Roosevelt

The Commission's Investigations

Tension between nativists on one side of the debate (who wanted more restriction of immigration) and those that wished to reform existing rules and immigration systems which promoted the inclusion of 'good' immigrants in American society, played a part in the Dillingham Commission's investigation. The Commission was dedicated to taking an empirical approach, with plans to visit

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, and places most associated with immigration to the US, which would then be used to inform states across America on which immigration would be most suited for the needs of America, and where.Thomas, V., 'Immigrants, Progressives, and Exclusion Politics: The Dilligham Commission, 1900-1927', ''The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society'' 103(4) (2005), p. 810 This sort of classification was not new to the Commission, with racial classification remaining popular from the turn of the century, into the 20th and beyond, scientifically informing the nativist rhetoric of the time. Data collected by the Commission did not support racial preconceptions, when taking to account the success of immigrants and their level of assimilation, but recommendations were made, nonetheless. In the words of the report, "The former (immigrants) were from the most progressive sections of

and assimilated quickly... On the other hand, the new immigrants have come from the less progressive countries of Europe and congregated separately from native Americans and the older immigrants to such an extent that assimilation has been slow". In reaching this conclusion the Commission made distinctions between 'old ' and more recent 'new' immigrants. The report favoured 'old' immigrants from

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north ...

and

Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...

and opposed 'new' immigrants from Eastern and

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and

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

. The Commission was highly influential due to it being based on 'scientific research'. However, the Commission did not hold any public hearings or cross-examine witnesses, also choosing not to use "information from census reports, state bureaus of labor and statistics or other agencies". The Commission used its own investigators to present their personal findings. This led investigators to form racial distinctions between different groups of immigrants, as evidenced by way of example by the reports description of Polish immigrants: "In their physical inheritance they resemble the ' Eastern' or ' Slavic' race more than that of

North-Western Europe Northwestern Europe, or Northwest Europe, is a loosely defined subregion of Europe, overlapping Northern and Western Europe. The region can be defined both geographically and ethnographically. Geographic definitions Geographically, Northw ...

". When referring to Russian immigrants, they described them as 'clannish', which shared community through 'gangs' as reason for non-assimilation. When considering educational standards applicable to immigrants, only 2 out of 26 questions on an assessment form related to student achievements and failed to take into account economic differences, when reaching conclusions on literacy levels. The Commission's investigation stated that 'the ability to speak English is a matter of great importance, for it increases industrial efficiency and assists in the process of assimilation nd showsthe degree of assimilation which has taken place'.

The Commission's Recommendations

The commission recommended that any future legislation should follow a set of principles, as follows: * Immigrants should be considered with quality and quantity as stipulation for the process of

assimilation Assimilation may refer to: Culture * Cultural assimilation, the process whereby a minority group gradually adapts to the customs and attitudes of the prevailing culture and customs ** Language shift, also known as language assimilation, the prog ...

.Dillingham, W. P., et al., ''Brief Statement of the Conclusions and Recommendations of the Immigration Commission: With Views of the Minority'' (1911), p.37. * Legislation must consider businesses and the economy, for the well-being of all Americans. * Health of a country is not shown by total investment, products produced, or trade, unless there is corresponding opportunity to citizens requiring ‘employment for material, mental and moral development’. * Development of business may be done through a lower standard of living of the wage earners. A slower expansion of industry allowing for the mixing of incoming labour supply with Americans, is preferred. Rapid expansion can result in laborers of low standard emigrating to the

. Thus, the standard of wages and conditions of employment would be negatively affected for all workers. The Commission agreed that: * Those with convictions for serious crimes within the first 5 years after arrival were to be deported. * The President should appoint commissioners, who can make arrangements with other countries for copies of police records. Only once documents which prove zero convictions are produced, can a person be admitted to the US. * Immigrant seamen to be considered under existing laws. * An Immigrant that ‘becomes a public charge within three years’ of arrival should be deported.Dillingham, W. P., et al., ''Brief Statement of the Conclusions and Recommendations of the Immigration Commission: With Views of the Minority'' (1911), p.38. * All previous recommendations should be enforced regularly, enacted by congress, specifically regarding women being imported for immoral purpose. * A statute should be enacted which provides the enforcement of law by government officials on vessels carrying passengers at sea, for the protection of the immigrants. Sending officials to the lower decks of ships, disguised as immigrants, should be allowed to continue, under the Bureau. * Boards of inquiry should be appointed for the purpose of judicial review of appeals and other matters. It was also agreed that immigrants should be protected from exploitation. States were recommended to push regulations onto immigrant banks and employment was also targeted for regulation, to ensure stability. Immigrants that convinced others to send money overseas, thereby encouraging non-assimilation, were recommended deported. Finally, it was also recommended that information about opportunities for agricultural purposes be made available by states that desire more settlers, in order to attract immigrants that were willing to help with this need. The Commission also agreed that: * Necessity to import labour for new industries, to be reviewed by the Secretary of Commerce and Labour , when required and should determine the conditions of such labour.Dillingham, W. P., et al., ''Brief Statement of the Conclusions and Recommendations of the Immigration Commission: With Views of the Minority'' (1911), p.39. * Policy that excludes Chinese labourers should be extended to East Indians, with assistance from the

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. Japanese and Korean immigration should continue to be questioned. * Abundant unskilled labour is damaging, therefore: Satisfactory amounts of labour were recommended excluded from the existing labour force. Furthermore, immigrants that came with no intention of becoming American citizens and plans of residence, were recommended for deportation by the relevant authority. Those to be excluded were described as 'least desirable', in reference to habits or personal qualities known to relevant authorities. The restriction of immigrants was to be determined considering: * Those unable to read or write. * Quotas for each race, every year, by percentage. * Unskilled workers accompanied by wives and families. * Limits on the number of arrivals at ports. * Increasing the required amount of money on such persons at the port. * Increase of the head tax. * Reducing the head tax of male immigrants that are skilled and with families. Finally, they determined that reading and writing should be tested through literacy tests, as the best way to eliminate the inclusion of undesired citizens in American society. The Commission recommended that further restrictions be placed on unskilled immigrants with a literacy test to prove they would be of a sufficient educational standard to assimilate into American society. This led to the proposed bills for the new literacy test which were passed by Congress but vetoed first by

William Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected p ...

in 1913 and subsequently

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

in 1915 (and again in 1917). Henry Cabot Lodge c1916

The Commission's Legacy and Impact

Benton-Cohen described the commission as 'one of the first federal agencies to employ women in professional positions', because the Commission employed around 200 women.Cannato, V.J., 'Inventing The Immigration Policy:The Dillingham Commission and its Legacy', ''American Historical Review''. 124(3) (2019), p. 1022. The Commission came during a period in which women were offered very little opportunity to climb the professional ladder, and this even extended to college-educated women. Women were therefore able to have an impact on 'reform efforts', in regards to immigration, particularly focusing on 'sex trafficking, as well as the economic conditions of immigrant laborers'. The Commission's recommendations had a substantial impact on American immigration policy. The recommendations eventually led to the introduction of literacy tests (in 1917 Congress overrode the second veto by Woodrow Wilson), the Emergency Quota Act of 1921 and Johnson Reed Act of 1924. It therefore placed immigration policy firmly in the hands of the federal government, as opposed to the previous state level of enforcement. Immigration from China, Korea and Japan continued to be restricted leading to the Immigration Act of 1917 which denied entry for immigrants from Eastern Asia and the Pacific islands. The literacy test and head tax that came with this act were ineffective, preventing just 1,500 immigrants annually, from entering the country between 1918 and 1921. Following these results, a quota system designed to prevent immigration, based on nationality was enacted ( The Emergency Quota Act of 1921), which meant that 3% of the amount of a particular nationality in a 1910 census, were to be permitted entry.

Nativists Nativism is the political policy of promoting or protecting the interests of native or indigenous inhabitants over those of immigrants, including the support of immigration-restriction measures. In scholarly studies, ''nativism'' is a standa ...

were not satisfied by the results, culminating in the

Johnson-Reed Act The Immigration Act of 1924, or Johnson–Reed Act, including the Asian Exclusion Act and National Origins Act (), was a United States federal law that prevented immigration from Asia and set quotas on the number of immigrants from the Eastern ...

of 1924, which would limit Europeans to 150,000 a year, zero Japanese immigrants, and 2% of every other nationality's population in the 1890 census. Immigration in America declined much more significantly after this Act was enforced, in 1929:Young, J. G. (2017). "Making America 1920 Again? Nativism and US Immigration, Past and Present". ''Journal on Migration and Human Security''. 5(1): p. 224 European immigration to the United States, 1921-1930 * 1921- approximately 800,000 * 1924 - approximately 700,000 * 1925-28 - approximately 300,000 per annum * 1930 - less than 150,000

Commission members

Commission reports

In 1911, the Dillingham Commission issued a 41-volume report containing statistical overviews and other analyses of topics related to immigrant occupations, living conditions, education, legislation (at the state as well as the federal level), and social and cultural organizations. A planned 42nd volume, an index of the other 41 volumes, was never issued.Reports of the Immigration Commission. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1911 *Volumes 1-2: Abstracts of Reports of The Immigration Commission, with Conclusions and Recommendations and Views of the Minority
Vol. 1Vol. 2
*Volume 3: Frederick Croxton
Statistical Review of Immigration, 1820-1910. Distribution of Immigrants, 1850-1900
*Volume 4
Emigration Conditions in Europe
*Volume 5: Daniel Folkmar, assisted by Elnora Folkmar
Dictionary of Races or People
*Volumes 6-7: W. Jett Lauck. Immigrants in Industries: Bituminous Coal Mining. Vol. 6 (pt. 1) Vol. 7 (pt. 2) *Volumes 8-9: W. Jett Lauck. Immigrants in Industries: Iron and Steel Manufacturing. Vol. 9 part 2 *Volume 10: W. Jett Lauck. Immigrants in Industries: Cotton Goods Manufacturing in the North Atlantic States (pt. 3); Woolen and Worsted Goods Manufacturing (pt. 4) *Volume 11: Immigrants in Industries
Silk Goods and Manufacturing and Dyeing (pt. 5); Clothing Manufacturing (pt. 6); Collar, Cuff, and Shirt Manufacturing (pt. 7)
*Volume 12: W. Jett Lauck. Immigrants in Industries: Leather Manufacturingbr>(pt. 8)
Boot and Shoe Manufacturin
(pt. 9)
Glove Manufacturin
(pt. 10)
*Volume 13: W. Jett Lauck. Immigrants in Industries: Slaughtering and Meat Packing. (pt. 11) *Volume 14: W. Jett Lauck. Immigrants in Industries: Glass Manufacturing; Agricultural Implement and Vehicle Manufacturing (pt. 12) *Volume 15: W. Jett Lauck. Immigrants in Industries: Cigar and Tobacco Manufacturing (pt. 14); Furniture Manufacturing (pt 15); Sugar Refining (pt. 16) *Volume 16: W. Jett Lauck. Immigrants in Industries: Copper Mining and Smelting (pt. 17); Iron Ore Mining (pt. 18); Anthracite Coal Mining (pt. 19); Oil Refining (pt. 20). *Volumes 17-18: W. Jett Lauck. Immigrants in Industries: Diversified Industries.Washington: G.P.O., 1911. Vol. 17 ( vol. 1, pt. 21) Vol 18 (vol. 2, pt. 22) *Volumes 19-20: W. Jett Lauck. Immigrants in Industries: Summary Report on Immigrants in Manufacturing and Mining. Vol. 19 (vol. 1) Vol. 20 (vol. 2) *Volume 21-22: Alexander Cance. Immigrants in Industries: Recent Immigrants in Agriculture. Vol. 21 (pt 24, vol. I) Vol. 22 (pt. 24, vol. II) *Volumes 23-25:

Harry A. Millis Harry Alvin Millis (May 14, 1873 – June 25, 1948) was an American civil servant, economist, and educator and who was prominent in the first four decades of the 20th century. He was a prominent educator,"Dr. H.A. Millis Dies," ''New York Times,. ...

. Immigrants in Industries: Japanese and Other Immigrant Races in the Pacific Coast and Rocky Mountain States. Vol. 23 (pt 25, vol. I) Vol 24, (pt. 25, vol. II) Vol. 25 (pt 25, vol III) *Volumes 26-27: Emanuel A. Goldenweiser. Immigrants in Cities: A Study of the Population of Selected Districts in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Milwaukee
Vol. 26Vol. 27
*Volume 28: Joseph Hill
Occupations of the First and Second Generations of Immigrants in the United States; Fecundity of Immigrant Women
*Volumes 29-33: The Children of Immigrants in Schools
Vol. 29Vol. 30Vol. 31Vol. 32
*Volumes 34-35: Immigrants as Charity Seekers
Vol. 34Vol. 35
*Volume 36: Leslie Hayford
Immigration and Crime
*Volume 37
Steerage Conditions, Importation and Harboring of Women for Immoral Purposes, Immigrant Homes and Aid Societies, Immigrant Banks
*Volume 38: Franz Boas
Changes in Bodily Form of Descendants of Immigrants
*Volume 39
Immigration Legislation
*Volume 40
The Immigration Situation in other Countries: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil
*Volume 41
Statements and Recommendations Submitted by Societies and Organizations Interested in the Subject of Immigration

References

External links

{{commons category, United States Congress Joint Immigration Commission
Online copies of report volumes; free to download

Harvard University online copies of 400,000+ pages from 2,200+ books, pamphlets, and magazines, and 9,600+ pages from manuscript and archival collections
Dillingham Commission's Ranking of Immigrant Groups Affected U.S. Policy for Decades
- NPR interview History of immigration to the United States

Immigration Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, ...