Fresh Air

The Law That Kept 2 Generations Of Immigrants Out Of The U.S.

05.08.2019 - By NPRPlay

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Journalist Daniel Okrent says that the eugenics movement — a junk science that stemmed from the belief that certain races and ethnicities were morally and genetically superior to others — informed the Immigration Act of 1924, which restricted entrance to the U.S. Jews, Italians, Greeks and other Eastern Europeans were targeted. Okrent talks about the parallel between the xenophobia of the early 20th century and President Trump's hard-line stance today. His book is 'The Guarded Gate.'

Also, critic John Powers shares an appreciation of HBO's Veep, as the series comes to a close.

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