Which of these best explains why the 1924
Immigration Act favored immigrants from northern and western Europe?
The act used the 1920 census to determine national quotas.
The act used the 1890 census to determine national quotas.
The act required all immigrants to be fluent in English.
The act required all immigrants to be Protestants.
The act used the 1890 census to determine national quotas.
The correct answer is "The act used the 1890 census to determine national quotas."
The best explanation for why the 1924 Immigration Act favored immigrants from northern and western Europe is that the act used the 1890 census to determine national quotas.
To understand why the 1924 Immigration Act gave preference to immigrants from northern and western Europe, it is important to know what the act relied on to determine national quotas. The act established a system of national origins quotas, which limited the number of immigrants that could enter the United States based on their country of origin.
One important factor in determining these national quotas was the census data used as a reference. The act itself specified that the 1890 census would be used to establish these quotas. By using an older census, which predated large waves of immigration from southern and eastern Europe, the 1924 Act essentially favored immigrants from northern and western Europe over those from other regions.
The use of the 1890 census as a basis for national quotas had the effect of significantly reducing the number of immigrants from southern and eastern European countries, where the majority of immigrants came from at that time. Conversely, immigrants from countries in northern and western Europe faced less restrictive quotas as there had been significant migration from these regions prior to 1890.
So, out of the given options, the explanation that the act relied on the 1890 census to determine national quotas best explains why immigrants from northern and western Europe were favored under the 1924 Immigration Act.