How did quota laws effect immigration in the US

When limitations (quotas) are imposed on certain people, fewer of those certain people may immigrate to the U.S. Quotas are and have been imposed for a variety of reasons, from nationality to family status, etc.

http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/how-united-states-immigration-system-works-fact-sheet

Quota laws had a significant impact on immigration in the United States. To understand this, let's first explore what quota laws were and how they operated.

1. What were quota laws?
Quota laws were a series of immigration policies implemented by the U.S. government in the early 20th century. The most notable of these laws was the Immigration Act of 1924, also known as the Johnson-Reed Act. Quota laws established specific numerical limits on the number of immigrants allowed to enter the United States from different countries.

2. How did quota laws work?
The primary mechanism of the quota laws was the establishment of a quota system based on nationality. The system assigned each nationality a specific percentage or quota based on the ethnic composition of the U.S. population according to the 1890 census. Initially, the quotas favored immigrants from Northern and Western Europe, as they constituted a majority of the U.S. population at that time. Later amendments expanded the quotas to include other regions such as Asia and the Middle East.

3. What was the impact of quota laws on immigration?
The quota laws had several effects on immigration to the United States:

a. Restricting immigration: Quota laws were designed to reduce immigration from certain regions and countries deemed undesirable or too different from the established American population. By implementing numerical limits, the laws effectively restricted the number of immigrants from specific regions, particularly those outside Northern and Western Europe.

b. Shifting immigration patterns: The quota laws led to a significant shift in the demographic makeup of immigrants entering the United States. For instance, before the introduction of quota laws, Southern and Eastern European immigrants had constituted a significant portion of new arrivals. However, after the implementation of the quotas, immigration from these regions dramatically declined.

c. Promoting a specific immigration profile: The quota laws aimed to maintain the existing ethnic and cultural composition of the United States by favoring immigrants from certain countries. This reinforced the dominance of Northern and Western European immigrants in the overall immigration population.

d. Negative impact on diversity: The quota laws were criticized for their discriminatory nature and their impact on the diversity of the immigrant population. They heavily favored immigrants from certain countries, while limiting the opportunities for others. These laws were seen as contributing to racial and ethnic inequality within the U.S. immigration system.

In summary, quota laws significantly influenced immigration in the United States by restricting immigration from certain regions, changing the demographic composition of the immigrant population, favoring certain nationalities, and impacting the overall diversity of immigrants entering the country.