Final answer:
Following the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, family reunification became the primary basis for immigration to the United States, marking a significant change from previous policies that favored European immigrants, and leading to increased immigration from Asian and Latin American countries. The correct answer is option d) Immigrants from Latin America were given preferential treatm
Step-by-step explanation:
Prior to the immigration legislation of 1965, European immigrants were favored. Following this legislation, family reunification became the primary basis for immigration. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, also known as the Hart-Celler Act, reversed discriminatory policies that had favored immigrants from northern and western Europe. It abolished the earlier quota system based on national origins introduced by the Emergency Immigration Act of 1921 and the National Origins Act of 1924, which had set limits favoring immigrants from these regions over those from eastern and southern Europe and barring most Asian immigration.
The 1965 Act was a significant reform that eliminated the old quotas and established a system prioritizing family reunification and immigrants with desirable skills. The new policy also brought to an end the almost total ban on Asian migration that had been in place under the earlier laws. Additionally, the law removed the policies that were largely discriminatory against immigrants from non-European countries, leading to increased immigration from Asian and Latin American countries in the subsequent decades.
Alongside family reunification and skilled immigrants, the Act also included provisions for accepting refugees from Communist nations, adding another dimension to U.S. immigration policy. This resulted in a significant number of immigrants from Southeast Asia, particularly after conflicts such as the Vietnam War which led to the Refugee Act of 1980 that provided asylum for Vietnamese refugees and other political refugees.