Perhaps you’ve heard someone use the phrase red tape, as in “This process requires too much red tape.” The origin of this phrase dates back to 1736 when people used red tape to bind together legal documents. Today, the phrase means “an overly complicated official process.”
As you might imagine, something as difficult as immigrating to another country requires a great deal of “red tape.” What makes the process even more complicated is that the types of documents required to cross the border into the U.S. have changed numerous times over the years.
In the next chapter of Esperanza Rising, Esperanza and her mother will be required to present their immigration papers for approval. If anything is missing or not written correctly, they will be refused entry into the United States. What kinds of documents were part of their papers? Read or listen to this article to learn what was required of immigrants in the 1930s.
From Mexico to America
If you were a Mexican citizen who wanted to immigrate to
America in 1930, what would you need to do? Besides
packing a few belongings and saying goodbye to everyone
you know, you would also need to get your “papers” in
order. Then, once you reached the border, you would have
to get those papers approved by immigration officials.
It was a difficult, uncertain, and often nerve-wracking
process.
In 1930, the most important immigration document was a
Declaration of Intention—or “First Papers,” as
some called it. This document declared that the person
who signed it had decided to become a United States’
citizen. Besides the immigrant’s place of birth, age,
date of arrival, and location of arrival in the U.S.,
First Papers included a pledge to support the American
government. Immigrants were also required to present
medical certificates saying that they were in good
health, along with a visa—a document
issued by the country they were leaving. A visa included
information about an immigrant’s birth, their parents
and/or children, a previous address, and a photograph.
All documents had to be correctly filled out and signed
to be approved.
Once immigrants reached the United States' border, their
documents had to be reviewed and approved by immigration
officials. Beginning in 1924, the number of immigrants
allowed into the country was strictly limited, and extra
screening procedures were added. For instance,
immigrants had to prove that they could read. They also
had to pay a fee, called a “head tax.” While these
requirements applied mainly to European immigrants,
immigrants from Mexico were more closely screened, too.
And many were turned back at the border.
The Great Depression, which lasted from 1929 to 1939,
led to even greater restrictions on immigration. This
economic downturn forced many U.S. citizens to search
for work far from home, and the government decided that
the last thing the country needed was more workers from
other countries. In addition to these restrictions,
immigration officials could also turn down an immigrant
at any time, for any reason. By 1930, immigrants to the
United States had many obstacles to overcome before they
were allowed into the U.S.
Question
According to the article, even if a person had all their paperwork in order, why might they still be refused entry into the U.S.?
