Bruce Mohler
Courtesy of ACUA

The NCWC's objection to the 1924 Johnson-Reed Immigration Bill did not end with the formal protest of the general principles underlying the bill (see NCWC Protest to Congress). The Director of the Bureau of Immigration, Bruce Mohler, sent a separate letter to the House Committee on Immigration, which contained a point-by-point analysis of the bill and suggested changes to the wording, changes that would make it less restrictive and less exclusionary. Several of Mohler's suggested changes to the language of the bill were incorporated in the final 1924 Immigration Act that was passed by Congress (read the full text of the Act here.)

Letter from Mohler to the House Committee on Immigration and Naturalization

Questions:

As you read the document, reflect on the following questions:

• What are some of the reasons that Mohler believes the proposed policy is "un-American"?
• What criteria does he suggest should be used instead to guide immigrant selection?
• Why is Mohler concerned about the language used to define "ministers of religion" in the Act? How does he think "ministers of religion" should be defined instead?