--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In May 1925, President Calvin Coolidge…" description: "\"“In May 1925, President Calvin Coolidge signed the National Origins Act into law. The new law effectively closed the United States to most Jewish immig..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9da/phyllis-goldstein-7858_american-people_in-may-1925-president-calvin-coolidge-si_796647.jpg" --- # In May 1925, President Calvin Coolidge signed the National… ![“In May 1925, President Calvin Coolidge signed the National Origins Act into law. The new law effectively closed the United States to most Jewish immigrants. During the debate, Coolidge told the American people, Restricted immigration is not an offensive but purely a defensive action…. We cast no…” quote by Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9da/phyllis-goldstein-7858_american-people_in-may-1925-president-calvin-coolidge-si_796647.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9da/phyllis-goldstein-7858_american-people_in-may-1925-president-calvin-coolidge-si_796647.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9da/phyllis-goldstein-7858_american-people_in-may-1925-president-calvin-coolidge-si_796647.jpg) > ““In May 1925, President Calvin Coolidge signed the National Origins Act into law. The new law effectively closed the United States to most Jewish immigrants. During the debate, Coolidge told the American people, Restricted immigration is not an offensive but purely a defensive action…. We cast no aspersions on any race or creed, but we must remember that every object of our institutions of society and government will fail unless America be kept American.”” [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The policy aimed to preserve a perceived national identity by restricting immigration, reflecting xenophobic attitudes of the era. **In simple terms:** Immigration restrictions to protect identity. Key Takeaway Beware of exclusionary policies. Themes immigration nationalism xenophobia Mood critical reflective Type historical political When to use this quote - legislative debates - immigration reform - civil rights advocacy Key Concepts policy making social exclusion Questions to Reflect On - What are the moral costs of restricting immigration? - How do we balance security with openness? A Different Perspective Such restrictions often ignore humanitarian values. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) [Immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration/) ## Related quotes > [“After Harding's death, the taciturn vice president, Calvin Coolidge, moved into the White House. In contrast to his predecessor's political cronyism and outgoing style,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-henretta/after-harding-s-death-the-taciturn-vice-president-calvin-coolidge/) James A. Henretta > [“It reminded me of what President Calvin Coolidge had said: brains, talent, and education would not make you successful. “Persistence and determination alone are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darius-brasher/it-reminded-me-of-what-president-calvin-coolidge-had-said-brains/) Darius Brasher > [On being told of the death of former President Calvin Coolidge: How could they tell?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/on-being-told-of-the-death-of-former-president-calvin-coolidge-how/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [“On July 1, President Calvin Coolidge signed the measure into law. 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Genius will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michal-stawicki/nothing-in-this-world-can-take-the-place-of-persistence-talent-will/) Michal Stawicki > [Some of the offers that have come to me would never have come if I had not been President. That means these people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/some-of-the-offers-that-have-come-to-me-would-never-have-come-if-i/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [The first time I ever came to Washington was to visit Calvin Coolidge in the White House with my father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-dellinger/the-first-time-i-ever-came-to-washington-was-to-visit-calvin-coolidge/) [David Dellinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-dellinger/) ## More by Phyllis Goldstein > [“As accusations spread, so did the false belief that Jews routinely engaged in the practice of ritual murder. An accusation made repeatedly tends to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/as-accusations-spread-so-did-the-false-belief-that-jews-routinely/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“Still, by the end of the thirteenth century, most European Jews were forced to wear badges or distinguishing clothing. The aim was to humiliate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/still-by-the-end-of-the-thirteenth-century-most-european-jews-were/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“Mendelssohn’s books on philosophy and literature were hailed throughout Europe. He was described as “exceptional”—an “un-Jewish Jew,” one of a kind, a genius.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/mendelssohn-s-books-on-philosophy-and-literature-were-hailed/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“135 years later, in 586 BCE, the Babylonians conquered Judea, the southern kingdom. They destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem and forced thousands of Jews…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/135-years-later-in-586-bce-the-babylonians-conquered-judea-the/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“In Arab nations, many people opposed Zionism because they believed that the UN had no right to establish a Jewish state on what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/in-arab-nations-many-people-opposed-zionism-because-they-believed/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“After the Black Death in the mid-1300s, the persecution of Jews intensified, and many Jews in Europe moved farther east. Some left because life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/after-the-black-death-in-the-mid-1300s-the-persecution-of-jews/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“Many Jews in the Byzantine Empire welcomed the Persians. 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After all, the new gods had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/when-one-group-defeated-another-the-newly-conquered-people-were/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“Antisemitism did not begin in Germany, or anywhere else, in 1918; Jews had been regarded as dangerous outsiders for centuries, and anti-Jewish feeling usually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/antisemitism-did-not-begin-in-germany-or-anywhere-else-in-1918-jews/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“I first heard of antisemitism only later, when my father told me how Oswald Mosley had fomented riots in the thirties by marching his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/i-first-heard-of-antisemitism-only-later-when-my-father-told-me-how/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) [Explore all 86 Phyllis Goldstein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) ## More American people quotes > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-as-much-as-government-can-do-and-must-do-it-is-ultimately-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Given a choice between two bald political candidates, the American people will vote for the less bald of the two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-gold/given-a-choice-between-two-bald-political-candidates-the-american/) Victor Gold > [When the American people saw the LA riots and crowds of Blacks cheering O.J. 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D. Hayworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-hayworth/) > [Hillary Clinton truly is sincere, but she has to connect more with the American people in terms of what she believes in and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/hillary-clinton-truly-is-sincere-but-she-has-to-connect-more-with-the/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) > [The American people are incredibly generous and even playful when you open yourself up and feed the media beast until it goes away satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krystal-ball/the-american-people-are-incredibly-generous-and-even-playful-when-you/) [Krystal Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krystal-ball/) [Browse all 2,233 American people quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In May 1925, President Calvin Coolidge signed the National Origins Act into law. 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