G.I. Babies and Immigration Law
1950-1965
In the late years of the Korean War and in the years immediately following, a number of children known as “G.I. Babies” were born. These G.I. babies were children of American soldiers who had had relations with Korean women while stationed in Korea. They were generally not accepted in Korea because Korean lineage goes by the father’s bloodline; these children were seen as bastards, and often considered orphans. Due to the discrimination these G.I. babies faced, many attempted to escape to America with their mothers, where they expected to be more accepted. However, at this time many restrictive immigration laws still existed as a result of large waves of immigrants within the previous century that continued, albeit in smaller numbers. The G.I. babies were not seen as U.S. citizens because of their having been born on Korean soil, and so were prevented from entering into the U.S. Many of the mothers were permitted to enter due to the War Brides Act of 1946, which permitted the spouses of military personnel to enter the U.S. The McCarran-Walter Act of 1952 allowed Asians to immigrate in small numbers, giving preference to students and skilled professionals. This allowed for many of the G.I. babies to immigrate into the U.S. The largest number of Korean immigrants came into the U.S. following the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which focused on both the skills of the immigrants and their family relationships with U.S. citizens.