After They Closed the Gates
Jewish Illegal Immigration to the United States, 1921-1965
In 1921 and 1924, the United States passed laws to sharply reduce the influx of immigrants into the country. By allocating only small quotas to the nations of southern and eastern Europe, and banning almost all immigration from Asia, the new laws were supposed to stem the tide of foreigners considered especially inferior and dangerous. However, immigrants continued to come, sailing into the port of New York with fake passports, or from Cuba to Florida, hidden in the holds of boats loaded with contraband liquor. Jews, one of the main targets of the quota laws, figured prominently in the new international underworld of illegal immigration. However, they ultimately managed to escape permanent association with the identity of the "illegal alien" in a way that other groups, such as Mexicans, thus far, have not. In "After They Closed the Gates", Libby Garland tells the untold stories of the Jewish migrants and smugglers involved in that underworld, showing how such stories contributed to growing national anxieties about illegal immigration. Garland also helps us understand how Jews were linked to, and then unlinked from, the specter of illegal immigration. By tracing this complex history, Garland offers compelling insights into the contingent nature of citizenship, belonging, and Americanness.
About the Author
Libby Garlandis assistant professor of history at Kingsborough Community College, The City University of New York
Reviews
"Between the two world wars, tens of thousands of Jews entered the United States illegally. 'After They Closed the Gates' brings to light the history of illegal Jewish immigration, a phenomenon hidden from view for decades. With analytical rigor Libby Garland's breakthrough study presents a fascinating counterhistory of the immigrant saga" – Tony Michels, University of Wisconsin
"The illegal arrival of Jewish immigrants in the United States after 1924 was a phenomenon that had been erased from both Jewish and American collective memory until Libby Garland's astounding book brought it back to light. Impeccably researched and beautifully written, 'After They Closed the Gates' offers an engaging view into a world of fake identities and clandestine border crossings, as well as into the complex legal process through which American Jews responded to the regime of immigration restriction. Garland not only challenges the traditional narrative of Jewish arrival in America, but also causes us to look at the entire history of illegal immigration in a new and critical way" – Eric L. Goldstein, Emory University
"In charting the rise and fall of Jewish 'illegal aliens' in U. S. history, Libby Garland also explores in absorbing detail the real-life effects of immigration law on the many migrants it targets. 'After They Closed the Gates' is a marvelous, important, and timely book" – Thomas A. Guglielmo, George Washington University
"Garland's groundbreaking research upends much of what we think we know about immigration and the American-Jewish experience. 'After They Closed the Gates' brings together a wealth of archival material from an extraordinary range of sources, creating a narrative that offers fresh and profound insight into both the history of both illegal immigration and Jewish responses to immigration restriction. A must-read for anyone who wishes to deepen their understanding of American-Jewish history, and a timely contribution to contemporary debates over 'border security'" – Marni Davis, Georgia State University
"Meticulously researched and provocatively argued, Garland reveals the previously unexplored arena of Jewish illegal immigration to the U. S. after the Quota Acts of the 1920s. She introduces us to the complicated world of Jewish migrant 'lawbreakers' traveling under false documents, in circuitous routes, or through surreptitious entry, Jewish and Gentile smugglers trying to make money out of misfortune, and Jewish lawyers and aid organizations walking a fine line between supporting coethnics in need and drawing anti-immigrant ire that questioned their essential Americanness. A masterful, path-breaking work of fine scholarship" – George Sanchez, University of Southern California
