While many immigrants settled in the East, the Homestead Act enticed a large percentage to the Great Plains, an unfamiliar land that had until then been under tribal control. The land they were able to claim was many times larger than the small farms they had in their home countries. Immigrants were crucial to the settlement of the Great Plains in general, and North Dakota in particular. In 1870, thirty-four percent of the settlers in Dakota Territory were foreign-born. By 1915, nearly eighty percent of North Dakotans were either immigrants or the children of immigrants.
Not everyone welcomed the newcomers. The Immigration Restriction League was founded in Boston in 1894. The organization promoted legislation that would tighten regulations on immigration. The League objected to what they considered to be lower-class immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe. In 1909, the National Association of American Manufacturers said they welcomed immigrants “of a desirable quality.”
As the United States inched toward entering World War One, xenophobia reached new heights. Congress passed a bill restricting immigration, but President Wilson vetoed it. On this date in 1917, Congress overrode his veto and passed the bill. Americans were especially suspicious of Asian immigrants. The Immigration Act required a literacy test for immigrants. It also barred Asian immigrants, except for those from countries with special agreements with the United States, like the Philippines.
North Dakota has always been attractive to newcomers. In 1890, forty-seven percent of North Dakotans were born outside the country. That was the highest percentage of immigrants in any state. A visit to old church graveyards is an eye-opener to just how crucial immigration has always been to North Dakota. Headstones with German, Norwegian, Russian, Swedish, and Ukrainian names are very common.
Immigrants remain an integral part of North Dakota life. Immigrants make up five percent of the state’s population and thirteen percent of the agricultural workforce. Popular annual ethnic events like the Deuce of August, Syttende Mai, and Norsk Høstfest continue to celebrate the immigrant heritage of the state.
Dakota Datebook written by Dr. Carole Butcher
Sources:
- Grand Forks Herald. “Immigrants make up a growing share of North Dakota’s new residents.” www.grandforksherald.com Accessed 1/13/2026.
- State-Line Herald. “Kirby Succeeds Van Cleeve.” North Lemmon ND. 5/21/1909. Page 5.
- North Dakota Monitor. “North Dakota’s Immigrant Past and Present.” https://northdakotamonitor.com/2024/11/01/north-dakotas-immigrant-past-and-present-a-call-for-compassionate-immigration-reform/Accessed 1/12/2026.
- FWD. “North Dakota Stronger.” https://www.fwd.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/2025-North-Dakota-Fact-Sheet-.pdfAccessed 1/12/2026.
- North Dakota Commerce. “ND Foreign-Born Residents, Then/Now.” https://www.nd.gov/sites/www/files/documents/News%20and%20Events/Census%202020/Census%20Newsletter-Foreign-born%20residents%20Then%20and%20Now%20Jun%202019%20(3).pdfAccessed 1/13/2026.
- History. “Immigration Act Passed Over Wilson’s Veto.” https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/february-5/immigration-act-passed-over-wilsons-veto Accessed 1/13/2026.
