Cable Act
Encyclopedia
The Cable Act of 1922 is a United States federal law that reversed former immigration laws regarding marriage, also known as the Married Women's Citizenship Act or the Women's Citizenship Act. Previously, a woman lost her U.S citizenship if she married a foreign man, since she assumed the citizenship of her husband—a law that did not apply to men who married foreign women.
The law is named for Ohio representative John L. Cable
, who proposed the legislation.
Former immigration laws prior to 1922 did not make reference to the alien husband's race. However, The Cable Act of 1922 guaranteed independent female citizenship only to women who were married to "alien[s] eligible to naturalization". At the time of the law's passage, Asian aliens were not considered to be racially eligible for U.S. citizenship. As such, the Cable Act only partially reversed previous policies, granting independent female citizenship only to women who married non-Asians. The Cable Act effectively revoked the U.S. citizenship of any woman who married an Asian alien.
The Cable Act had additional limitations: A woman could keep her US citizenship if she stayed within the United States, however, if she married a foreigner and lived on foreign soil, for as much as two years, she could still lose her right to U.S. nationality.
The Cable Act was amended in 1931, allowing females to retain their citizenship, even after marrying "aliens ineligible for U.S. citizenship". In 1936, the Cable Act was repealed.
The law is named for Ohio representative John L. Cable
John L. Cable
John Levi Cable was a U.S. Representative from Ohio and a great-grandson of Joseph Cable.Born in Lima, Ohio, Cable attended public school. He received his undergraduate education from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. Later he earned an LL.B. in 1906, and from the law department of George...
, who proposed the legislation.
Former immigration laws prior to 1922 did not make reference to the alien husband's race. However, The Cable Act of 1922 guaranteed independent female citizenship only to women who were married to "alien[s] eligible to naturalization". At the time of the law's passage, Asian aliens were not considered to be racially eligible for U.S. citizenship. As such, the Cable Act only partially reversed previous policies, granting independent female citizenship only to women who married non-Asians. The Cable Act effectively revoked the U.S. citizenship of any woman who married an Asian alien.
The Cable Act had additional limitations: A woman could keep her US citizenship if she stayed within the United States, however, if she married a foreigner and lived on foreign soil, for as much as two years, she could still lose her right to U.S. nationality.
The Cable Act was amended in 1931, allowing females to retain their citizenship, even after marrying "aliens ineligible for U.S. citizenship". In 1936, the Cable Act was repealed.