Which groups were most restricted by the Immigration Act of 1924?

• A. Northern and Western Europeans
• B. Southern and Eastern Europeans and Asians
• C. Canadians
• D. Latin Americans

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is how the 1924 Immigration Act used a national origins quota to shape who could enter the United States, with clear favoritism toward some groups and tight limits on others. The law set annual limits and a formula based on a small percentage of each country’s population in the U.S. from a prior census, which disproportionately favored Northern and Western European groups because they were already well represented in the country. It also created an explicit restriction on Asians through the Asiatic Barred Zone, effectively banning most immigration from that region. This combination meant Southern and Eastern Europeans and Asians faced the strictest limits, making them the groups most restricted by the act. By contrast, Canadians and Latin Americans faced far fewer barriers due to the Western Hemisphere exemption, and Northern and Western Europeans benefited from the quotas rather than being restricted.