The Immigration Act of 1917 was one of the most sweeping and controversial immigration laws in American history. Passed over President Woodrow Wilson’s veto, it imposed a literacy test, expanded the list of “undesirable” immigrants, and created the Asiatic Barred Zone, effectively shutting out most of Asia from immigration to the U.S.

This episode looks at the political battles, the rising tide of nativism, and the long-term impact of the law on American immigration policy. How did fear, war, and shifting national identity shape this legislation?

And what lessons does it hold for today?