1870 naturalization act established a color bar for citizenship

The Naturalization Act of 1870

Lawmakers grew concerned that the language of the 14th Amendment, which extended citizenship to “all persons born or naturalized” in the US, was overly broad. The Naturalization Act of 1870 clarified that the path to citizenship applied only to people who came from Africa or were of African descent. In particular, naturalization and citizenship rights were still denied to Native Americans, Asians, and other non-White immigrants.