Why was it important to know whether an immigrant could read and write?

First off if an immigrant also known as a "Alien" to the country because they know nothing about the u.s. would need to know how to do these things in order to become a citizen of the United States. If they are illiterate they cannot pass the test therefore kicked out of the country.

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Parrain Parrain · Answer 2 · 2021-09-23T13:14:55+02:00

It was important because the United States was trying to improve itself by acquiring skilled labor.

In the 19th and 20th century, there were certain requirements of immigrants before they could be allowed into the United States such as:

they had to be physically fit
they had to be mentally fit
they had to have good morals

Another requirement that was important was that of literacy. The United States was a young nation and was trying to make its mark on the planet. For that reason, she needed skilled labor.

Skilled labor would improve industry and develop the United States. We can therefore conclude that the immigration officers wanted to know if a person was literate so that they would be more willing to welcome them.

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