U.S. Senate Committee on Immigration Bill Files

Collection Overview

Date Range: 1939-1946
Geographical Coverage: Washington, D.C.
Language(s): English (47), Uncategorized (4)
Number of Items: 51
Item Types: Correspondence (30), Newspaper Clipping (6), Press Release (2), Publication (2), Uncategorized (11)
Collection Creator: U.S. Senate Committee on Immigration

Browse items in this collection
About the Collection

Collection Description
Records documenting the U.S. Senate Committee on Immigration’s consideration of legislation to lower restrictions on immigration and naturalization of Indian nationals. These efforts ultimately culminated in the passage of the Luce-Celler Act of 1946, which allowed 100 Indians to immigrate to the U.S. annually and permitted existing Indian nationals in America to become naturalized citizens.

This collection relates to four bills considered by the Committee. One bill, S. 1595, was considered in 1943 and 1944. Three bills were considered in 1945 and 1946: S.236, S.331, and S. 505. Bill files primarily consist of correspondence, publications, news articles, and other materials sent by individuals and advocacy groups supporting immigration and naturalization of Indians; a small minority of letters protest such legislation. Also included are the text of the bills, legislative analysis by the Attorney General, and transcripts and reports of related congressional hearings.

Biographical History
The U.S. Senate Committee on Immigration was established on December 12, 1889, during the great wave of southern European and Asian immigration to the United States in the late 19th century. Prior to the establishment of the committee, bills, resolutions, and petitions relating to immigration were referred to either the Committee on Commerce or the Committee on Foreign Relations. The Immigration Committee met during each Congress until it was terminated January 2, 1947, when its functions were transferred to the Judiciary Committee under the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946.

For more information on the Luce-Celler Act, see this article by SAADA contributor Grace Pusey.

Browse items in this collection
Related Materials

Collection Themes: Citizenship & Voting (14), Uncategorized (37)

Browse items in this collection
Administrative Information

Access & Use: Items in this SAADA collection are open for research. Items may not be sold or redistributed, copied or distributed as a photograph, electronic file, or any other media without express written consent from the copyright holder and the South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA). The user is responsible for all issues of copyright.

Browse items in this collection