Limits to Japanese Immigration; US Enters WWI

Overview

• Early 1900s: US government imposes stricter immigration laws.
• Legislation targeted Japanese immigrants, limiting entry and citizenship.

Key Legislation and Agreements

Naturalization Act of 1906

• Effective: September 27, 1906.
• Requirements:
  • Immigrants must learn English to be naturalized.
  • Federal government sole authority for naturalization.
  • Creation of Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization.
• Pre-1906: Naturalization by states, leading to inconsistent standards.
• Post-1906: Applications go through the Bureau, requiring English literacy and allegiance oath.

Gentlemen's Agreement (1907-1908)

• Informal agreement between the US and Japan.
• Limited immigration to the continental US while desegregating San Francisco schools.
• Triggered by anti-Japanese sentiments in California.
• Japan agreed to limit passports to laborers, allowing only family-based immigration, starting Yobiyose Jidai.

US Enters World War I

Events Leading to US Entry

• April 6, 1917: US officially joins WWI.
• German aggression, including unrestricted submarine warfare, influenced US decision.
• President Woodrow Wilson's war message emphasized democracy and small nations' rights.
• Congress declared war four days after Wilson's message.

Impact on Japanese Americans

• Draft included promises of citizenship for aliens serving in US Armed Forces.
• Many Issei volunteered, creating an all-Japanese unit in Hawaii.
• Post-war, promises of citizenship were not upheld.

Landmark Case

Ozawa vs. United States

• Takao Ozawa, a Japanese immigrant, sought US citizenship.
• Lived in the US for over 20 years, met all non-racial citizenship requirements.
• Legal struggle ended on November 13, 1922, with Supreme Court ruling Ozawa racially ineligible for citizenship.
• Nationality Acts limited citizenship to free white persons or those of African descent.

Consequences

• The Ozawa decision closed citizenship paths for Issei.
• Justified later policies like the Immigration Act of 1924, barring further Japanese immigration.

Significant Events (1906-1922)

• 1906: Naturalization Act requires English fluency.
• 1908: Gentlemen's Agreement limits Japanese immigration.
• Apr 6, 1917: US enters WWI.
• 1922: Supreme Court decision in Ozawa case.

Images and References

• Photos from Hawaii State Archives and U.S. Department of Justice.

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Contact Information

• Nisei Veterans Legacy
• Address: 2454 S. Beretania Street, Suite 302, Honolulu, HI 96826, USA
• Phone: 808.942.0881
• Email: [email protected]

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