| Immigration Act Of 1965 |
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An annual limitation of 170,000 visas was established for immigrants from Eastern Hemisphere countries with no more than 20,000 per country. By 1968, the annual limitation from the Western Hemisphere was set at 120,000 immigrants, with visas available on a First-come, First-served basis. In the Democratic controlled Congress, the House Of Representatives voted 326 to 69 in favor of the act while the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 76 to 18. President Lyndon Johnson signed the legislation into law. LEGACY Many people feel that this act dramatically changed the face of American society by making it a multicultural nation. Prior to the act the United States was primarily a nation comprised of white Europeans and African Americans. Since the implementation of the law the relative proportion of the white population has been in steady decline. Hispanics have replaced African Americans as the largest racial minority in the U.S. Increasing numbers of Asian immigrants began arriving after the INS Act raised the number of immigrants allowed set by the Magnuson Act , renewing Asian communities that had nearly died out. The major source of immigration to the United States since 1965 has shifted from Europe to Latin America and Asia , reversing the trend since the founding of the nation. According to the Immigration And Naturalization Service (INS), Europe accounted for 50 percent of U.S. immigration during the decade fiscal years 1955 to 1964, followed by North America at 35 percent, and Asia at eight percent. In fiscal year 1988, Asia was highest at 41 percent, followed by North America at 39 percent, and Europe at 10 percent. In order, the countries exceeding 20,000 immigrants in fiscal year 1988 were Mexico , the Philippines , Haiti , Korea , India , mainland China , the Dominican Republic , Vietnam , and Jamaica . SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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