Petition for Naturalization for Maria Garcia
6/10/1940
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Immigrants from Mexico, and the rest of the Western Hemisphere, were not subject to the annual numerical quotas imposed by the Immigration Act of 1924 (also known as the Johnson–Reed Act or the National Origins Act of 1924). But the act also made visas—a package of documentation including a photograph—required of all travelers. The result was that crossing the Mexico–U.S. border became more difficult and expensive.
Maria Zamora de Garcia was born in La Colorada, Mexico, in 1900. She first entered the United States in 1918 without registering and without paying the required $8 head tax, presumably because she came with her husband who was a Mexican government official and she and her family would have been classified as non-immigrants.
After the 1924 law made crossing the border more complicated, she wanted to document her status and that of her Mexican-born child. So on July 22, 1924, she went to Nogales, Arizona, crossed into Mexico, and visited the U.S. Consulate there to obtain a visa and pay the head tax. Maria walked back through the gate into the United States (arriving “On Foot”) and was admitted as a lawful, permanent resident alien.
In 1940, Maria Garcia became a U.S. citizen. She did not have to file a declaration of intention or wait the usual five years as her second husband, Nicolas Blas Garcia, was a United States citizen who was born in Texas.
Maria Zamora de Garcia was born in La Colorada, Mexico, in 1900. She first entered the United States in 1918 without registering and without paying the required $8 head tax, presumably because she came with her husband who was a Mexican government official and she and her family would have been classified as non-immigrants.
After the 1924 law made crossing the border more complicated, she wanted to document her status and that of her Mexican-born child. So on July 22, 1924, she went to Nogales, Arizona, crossed into Mexico, and visited the U.S. Consulate there to obtain a visa and pay the head tax. Maria walked back through the gate into the United States (arriving “On Foot”) and was admitted as a lawful, permanent resident alien.
In 1940, Maria Garcia became a U.S. citizen. She did not have to file a declaration of intention or wait the usual five years as her second husband, Nicolas Blas Garcia, was a United States citizen who was born in Texas.
This primary source comes from the Records of the District Courts of the United States.
National Archives Identifier: 6341120
Full Citation: Petition for Naturalization for Maria Garcia; 6/10/1940; Petition Number 75878; Petitions for Naturalization, 1887 - 1991; Records of the District Courts of the United States, Record Group 21; National Archives at Riverside, Perris, CA. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/petition-naturalization-maria-garcia, September 11, 2024]Activities that use this document
- Immigration to America: Stories and Travels
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