Which policy sought to limit immigration by discriminating against certain ethnic groups as part of early 20th-century restrictions?

• A. Gentlemen's Agreement with Japan (1907–08)
• B. Chinese Exclusion Act
• C. Immigration Act of 1924
• D. Tariff Act of 1913

Answer: (A)

Discriminatory immigration controls in this period often used targeted actions to curb entry by specific ethnic groups. The policy in question fits this pattern by directly aiming at limiting a particular group's immigration through a diplomatic agreement rather than a broad statute.

The Gentlemen’s Agreement with Japan (1907–08) is the best example here. It was an informal understanding between the United States and Japan in which Japan would limit the emigration of its nationals to the United States in exchange for the removal of strict segregation policies that had been affecting Japanese students in San Francisco. Although not a formal law, it functioned as a policy tool that singled out a single ethnic group—Japanese people—for restrictive treatment, reflecting the era’s anti-Asian sentiment and the use of policy to manage immigration flows.

The other options involve different forms of restricting immigration but don’t fit the same targeted policy emphasis as clearly. The Chinese Exclusion Act, while a foundational example of anti-Chinese immigration, dates from the 1880s rather than the early 20th century. The Immigration Act of 1924 enacted broad nationality quotas that discriminated by region and ethnicity across a wide range of groups, not through an agreement aimed at a specific group. The Tariff Act of 1913 dealt with tariff policy, not immigration.