President Franklin D. Roosevelt promoted a "good neighbor" policy that sought better relations with Mexico. In 1935 a federal judge ruled that three Mexican immigrants were ineligible for citizenship because they were not white, as required by federal law. Mexico protested, and Roosevelt decided to circumvent the decision and make sure the federal government treated Hispanics as white. The State Department, the Census Bureau, the Labor Department, and other government agencies therefore made sure to uniformly classify people of Mexican descent as white. This policy encouraged the League of United Latin American Citizens in its quest to minimize discrimination by asserting their whiteness. COUNT 5
QSN1 What country did President Frankiln Roosevelt have a good neighbor policy for in hopes of a better relationship? ANS1 Mexico QSN2 In what year did a federal judge say that three immigrants from Mexico were not eligible to be citizens because of their race? ANS2 1935 QSN3 What US President wanted to treat Hispanic people as white by the federal government? ANS3 Roosevelt QSN4 People of what descent were classified as white by the federal government at the suggestion of President Roosevelt? ANS4 Mexican QSN5 In 1935, what race was a person required to be to become a United States citizen? ANS5 white