Library Guides: SOWK 4118 Historical U.S. Immigration Policy: Home: Historical Overviews and Chronologies

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Introduction

This research guide is designed to help students find books, articles, and primary source material in support of the historical immigration policy assignment. Please also check the SOWK 4118 History of Social Welfare and Social Work research guide for additional sources.

Historical Overviews and Chronologies

To identify immigration-related legislation that was proposed or enacted during your time period, begin by consulting a historical overview or a chronology. These sources will discuss key acts, amendments, events, and figures that you can then use as keywords when searching the library catalog and databases.

U.S. Immigration: A Reference Handbook
Online & Main Stacks
JV 6483.L46 2004
Part of the Contemporary World Issues series, this reference book provides a historical overview of immigration policy after 1965, including key laws and court cases, short descriptions of people, discussion of domestic policy and global issues, relevant organizations, and selected books, government reports, and websites. Be sure to also check the Chronology (1740-2002).
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Online & Main Stacks
JV 6483.L46 2004
Part of the Contemporary World Issues series, this reference book provides a historical overview of immigration policy after 1965, including key laws and court cases, short descriptions of people, discussion of domestic policy and global issues, relevant organizations, and selected books, government reports, and websites. Be sure to also check the Chronology (1740-2002).
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Laws and Issues: A Documentary History
Online & Hampden Stacks
KF 4818.U25 1999
This collection of primary source documents related to immigration law and policy contains sections from major laws, presidential proclamations, Supreme Court decisions, selected district court cases, congressional statements, position materials from political parties and organizational advocates, and some articles from the foreign-language press. The introduction provides a historical overview and is followed by a chronology of significant dates, 1700 to 1996.
A Companion to American Immigration
Main Stacks
JV 6465.C74 2006
This companion features signed, scholarly essays grouped under "Policy and Politics," "Ethnicity, Race, and Nation," "Population and Society," "Economy and Society," and "Culture and Community" categories. The first chapter, "A Nation of Immigrants and a Gatekeeping Nation" presents a valuable overview of immigration law and policy history to 2001.
Immigration to the United States, 1789-1930: Timeline
A timeline of key dates and landmarks up into the early twentieth century. Part of the Harvard Open Collections program, the timeline is one component to this special collection of digitized, historical materials related to U.S. immigration, including texts and manuscripts, maps, and photographs. The collection may be searched or browsed by form/genre, notable people, or topics.
Executive Summary: U.S. Immigration: A Legislative History
A Population Resource Center of Washignton DC (prcdc.org) document that outlines legislative history and "the parallel rise and fall in numbers and changing ethnic makeup" from 1790 through 2004.
Rethinking the Last 200 Years of U.S. Immigration Policy
Article by Aristide Zolberg, New School University, 2006, and available on the Migration Policy Institute website.