Signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on October 3, 1965, the Immigration Act of 1965 was a

Signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on October 3, 1965, the Immigration Act of 1965 was a significant milestone in American immigration history.

The passage of this act abolished the quota system established by the Immigration Act of 1924, which had prohibited Asian immigrants, limited Latin American immigrants, and set up strict immigration quotas for European countries. The Immigration Act of 1965 also eliminated the formally racial character of immigration to the United States by distinguishing between hemispheres of origin, rather than discriminating on the basis of ethnicity or race.

On November 19, join us as we explore the complicated issues of immigration throughout history and in the modern era in our next National Conversation on Rights and Justice–Immigration: Barriers and Access. Learn more and register at archivesfoundation.org/attend

Image: “Photograph of President Lyndon B. Johnson Signing the Immigration Act,” 10/3/1965.

Learn more about the Immigration Act of 1965.