Immigration policies were designed to benefit the ruling class from "summary" of A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn
Throughout American history, the ruling class has maintained its power and privilege through the manipulation of immigration policies. By controlling who is allowed to enter the country and under what conditions, the ruling class has been able to ensure a steady supply of cheap labor to exploit for their own benefit. From the very beginning, immigration policies were designed to serve the interests of the ruling elite. The Naturalization Act of 1790, for example, restricted citizenship to "free white persons" - excluding not only enslaved Africans and indigenous peoples, but also immigrants from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. This exclusionary policy served to reinforce the power of the ruling class by maintaining a racial hierarchy that privileged white Europeans over other groups. As the United States expanded and industrialized, immigration policies continued to be shaped by the needs of the ruling class. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, for instance, was passed in response to growing anti-Chinese sentiment among white workers who feared competition for jobs. Rather than challenge the economic system that pitted workers against each other, the ruling class chose to scapegoat Chinese immigrants and restrict their entry into the country. Similarly, the Immigration Act of 1924 established strict quotas based on national origin, effectively shutting out immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe while favoring those from Northern and Western Europe. This policy was driven by a desire to maintain a racially homogenous society that would be easier for the ruling class to control and exploit. Even in more recent times, immigration policies have continued to serve the interests of the ruling class. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, for example, granted amnesty to undocumented immigrants already in the country while simultaneously cracking down on future immigration through increased border enforcement. This two-faced approach allowed the ruling class to maintain a vulnerable underclass of workers while appearing to be compassionate and inclusive. In sum, immigration policies have always been designed to benefit the ruling class at the expense of marginalized groups. By controlling who is allowed to enter the country and under what conditions, the ruling class has been able to maintain their power and privilege while perpetuating systems of exploitation and oppression.
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