Summary
Along with the Repeal of Chinese exclusion in 1943, the Luce-Celler Act further undermined Asian exclusion and emphasized foreign relations over racial discrimination by extending naturalization rights and immigration quotas to other key U.S. allies in Asia, the Philippines and India. The Philippines gained independence from the United States in 1946 as did India from Great Britain.
Source
AN ACT To authorize the admission into the United States of persons of races indigenous to India, and persons of races indigenous to the Philippine Islands, to make them racially eligible for naturalization, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House o f Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled . . . .
“SEC. 303 (a) The right to become a naturalized citizen under the provisions of this Act shall extend only to–
“(1) white persons, persons of African nativity or descent, and persons who are descendants of races indigenous to the continents of North or South America or adjacent islands and Filipino persons or persons of Filipino descent;
“(2) persons who possess, either singly or in combination, a preponderance of blood of one or more of the classes specified in clause (1);
“(3) Chinese persons and persons of Chinese descent, and persons of races indigenous to India; and
“(4) persons who possess, either singly or in combination, a preponderance of blood of one or more of the classes specified in clause (3) or, either singly or in combination, as much as one-half blood of those classes and some additional blood of one of the classes specified in clause (1) . . . .
Approved July 2, 1946
