Open Hearts, Closed Doors: Immigration Reform and the Waning of Mainline Protestantism

Mainline Protestants played a significant role in fostering cultural diversity in America and pushing for new immigration laws after the 1924 Immigration Act, resulting in the reshaping of the US cultural and religious landscape. Their activism led to the abolition of the quota system but also helped to end over three centuries of white Protestant dominance.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 288 pages
\n Publication date: 22 June 2021
\n Publisher: New York University Press
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The twentieth century saw a complex and multifaceted response from mainline Protestant denominations to the arrival of immigrants and refugees in the United States. This essay explores the largely overlooked role that liberal Protestants played in fostering cultural diversity and advocating for new immigration laws in the forty years following the passage of the restrictive Immigration Act of 1924.

Mainline Protestants contributed to the national debate over immigration policy and joined the charge for immigration reform, advocating for a more diverse pool of newcomers. They were successful in their efforts, and in 1965, the quota system based on race and national origin was abolished. However, their activism had unintended consequences, as the liberal immigration policies they supported helped to end over three centuries of white Protestant dominance in American society.

In response to these unintended consequences, mainline Protestants underwent a reassessment of their mission. They rolled back more strident forms of xenophobia, substantially altering the face of mainline Protestantism and laying the foundations for their responses to today's immigration debates.

This essay is not just a historical portrait but also a timely reminder of the power of religious influence in political matters. It highlights the complex and multifaceted ways in which mainline Protestants have responded to the challenges of immigration and the importance of understanding their role in shaping the cultural and religious landscape of the United States.

\n Weight: 604g\n
Dimension: 160 x 237 x 28 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781479803545\n \n