Alien Fiancées and Fiancés Act of 1946
The Alien Fiancées and Fiancés Act of 1946 was a significant piece of U.S. legislation that allowed foreign fiancées of American servicemen to immigrate to the United States without being subject to existing immigration quotas. Enacted on June 29, 1946, this act followed the War Brides Act of 1945, which had already facilitated the entry of foreign spouses and children of American soldiers. The legislation particularly benefited nearly 45,000 foreign-born women, primarily from European countries like Great Britain, France, and Italy, as well as women from Asian countries, including China, Japan, and the Philippines, who faced stricter immigration limitations.
The act aimed to reunite military couples after World War II, reflecting the cultural shifts and personal needs of the time. However, it also included stipulations that could lead to deportation for those who did not marry their American sponsors. Originally set to expire on July 1, 1947, the act was extended to December 31, 1948, allowing those with pending applications additional time to immigrate. This legislation highlights the complexities of post-war immigration policies and their impact on diverse communities in the United States.
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Subject Terms
Alien Fiancées and Fiancés Act of 1946
The Law: Federal legislation permitting American servicemen to bring their foreign-born fiancés into the United States
Date: Enacted on June 29, 1946
Also known as: G.I. Fiancées Act
Significance:An extension of another piece of post-World War II legislation, the War Brides Act of 1945, the Fiancées Act granted the fiancés of American servicemen a special exemption from previously established immigration quotas that allowed them to enter the United States.
Following the War Brides Act of 1945, which allowed foreign spouses and children of American servicemen to enter the United States without regard to previously established immigration quotas, the U.S. Congress passed the Fiancées Act on June 29, 1946, extending immigration exemption to foreign women engaged to marry American soldiers.
In 1946, nearly 45,000 foreign-born women entered the United States under the provisions of this act. However, foreign-born fiancés who did not marry the American men who sponsored them after arriving in America were subject to deportation. Most women who immigrated in this manner were of European origin, from nations such as Great Britain, France, and Italy. However, many women of Asian origin also entered the United States under the provisions of this act, including large numbers of Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino women who would have been otherwise unable to immigrate due to strict quotas on Asian immigration. The act was scheduled to expire on July 1, 1947, but was extended to December 31, 1948, after which those with pending applications were allowed five months to enter the United States.
Bibliography
Bankston, Carl L., and Danielle Antoinette Hidalgo, eds. Immigration in U.S. History. 2 vols. Pasadena, Calif.: Salem Press, 2006.
Hutchinson, E. P. Legislative History of American Immigration Policy, 1789-1965. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1981.
Lowe, Lisa. Immigrant Acts: On Asian American Cultural Politics. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 1994.