There was an increasing tension about the growing ethnic groups in the United Sates. This “Race Problem” came about long before World War 1 and became a major concern during the war. Foner explains the national feeling towards the race problem quite clearly. People did not want to be assosciated with immigrants. The book Dictionary of Races of Peoples shows how certain races actually have particular characteristics. In 1907, congress had decreed that any American woman who married an alien would lose her citizenship. This discouraged the mixing of white woman. People really believed that without native white woman, the country would fail. Foner’s coverage is complete in this aspect.
1. When would congress repeal the law where an American woman would lose citzenship if she married an alien?
2. When would this anti-immigrant sentiment fade away?
The passage of the Married Women’s Independent Citizenry Act of 1922(also known as the Cable Act)made some women’s citizenship independent of marriage. However, there were still some categories of women who were affected. However, with further legislation as far back as 1940′s, the citizenship of wives are now absolutely independent of their husbands and could no longer be ended by reason of marriage. Women were also now allowed to apply to gain their lost citizenship back.
The anti-immigrant sentiment came from the influx of new immigrants and the low birthrate of native white women, which was starting to threaten the foundations of American civilization. With studies of mental characteristics of different races, the sentiment flourished. Once the nation becomes undivided due to racial and ethnic issues and when the country has a higher birthrate of local white women, then the anti-immigrant sentiment should start to fade away. American women will no longer feel threatened by the immigrants and there will be no inequalities in terms of economic power as well.