Shikha Dalmia on America's Open-Borders Roots
For the first half of its existence, America had virtually open borders. That stopped in the late 19th century, when the first major restrictions were introduced to stem the tide of incoming Asians. The country then slammed its doors shut around 1925 after anti-immigration animus, which had always bubbled beneath the surface, boiled over in the form of quotas based on national origins, among other things. For the first time, federal bureaucrats inserted themselves between willing American employers and willing foreign workers. Ever since then, every time the country has opened its door to one set of immigrants, it has rebuffed another. Shikha Dalmia says it's time for America to rediscover its open-borders roots.