How Your Family Passed the Immigration Literacy Test: Peek at the Coming Literacy Test

Stephen Miller is not an immigration-restriction genius: He is simply using a playbook from the 1880s-1920s. The Trump administration has already signaled that it wants to rewrite immigration to admit only people who pass a literacy test. We had this policy in 1917 though it was ended by 1965.

The main effect of the policy is that it deterred immigration. Mostly, only literate people came after to the U.S. after 1917. That sounds good until you consider the success of immigrants before 1917— many of whom came to the U.S. as illiterate.

By the way, as of 1917 many Americans were probably incapable of passing the literacy test, though I speculate here.

Here is a brief but fascinating excerpt from a study done over 1922-1924:

“The illiteracy test clause of the Burnett-Smith Immigration Act of February 5, 1917, went into effect on May 5, 1917. Under the provisions of this act, all aliens over sixteen years of age, physically capable of reading who cannot read the English language or some other language or dialect, are excluded from admission to the United States.”

Now note how “racial group” was equated to nationality. That is where U.S. policy is heading: Americans are a race. Norwegians are a race. Haitians are a race. And so forth

“It will be seen that among the eleven racial groups having a smaller percentage debarred than the average for all races during the two years, four represent the new immigration, namely, the Finnish, the Spanish, the Portuguese, and the Hebrews. Of the races showing proportions debarred above 1.1 per cent, the French is the only one from northwestern Europe; while all the others (Mexicans excepted) are from southern and southwestem Europe. The races showing the highest percentages debarred on account of illiteracy are the Lithuanian, the Polish, the Bulgarian, Servian, and Montenegrin, and the Syrian. The Turkish shows the highest percentages debarred during the two years; however, it should be observed that this percentage is based upon a small number admitted. It is interesting to note that of the races showing the barred for the two years, the Polish, the Bulgarian, Servian and Montenegrin, and the Syrian show smaller percentages debarred on account of illiteracy in 1918-19 than in 1917-18.”

Obviously, some people prefer this policy. I would point out that the combination of tariffs from Smooth-Hawley and the severe immigration restrictions in the 1920s led to the worldwide collapse of the economy— the Great Depression.