The 1924 Immigration Act favored immigrants from northern and western Europe primarily because of the belief in eugenics and the desire to maintain the ethnic and cultural hegemony of the United States. This act aimed to limit immigration from primarily Eastern and Southern European countries, as well as from non-European countries, by implementing a quota system based on nationality. The underlying idea was to favor immigrants who were considered racially and culturally similar to the dominant Anglo-Saxon population of the United States. This legislation reflected the prevailing sentiments of nativism and xenophobia that were prevalent during that era.
