Now What: War Brides

Q. My aunt arrived in the United States July 1, 1948, aboard the USS General Taylor. In the Manifest of Alien Passengers for that ship, the immigration inspector notes that she is “Admitted under Act of Dec. 28, 1945 ‘PL 271’” What does this notation mean?

A. This is the 1945 War Brides Act, which allowed spouses and adopted children of US military personnel to enter the United States after World War II. The law exempted such “war brides” and children from the Immigration Act of 1924’s quotas on European immigration and ban on Asian immigration.

Later, the Alien Fiancées and Fiancés Act of 1946 and the Soldier Brides Acts of 1946 and 1947 extended and amended the War Brides Act. These authorized the admission of fiancées into the country for three months as nonimmigrant temporary visitors, provided they were otherwise eligible and had a bona fide intent to marry. To learn more about war brides of World War II, see the American War Bride Experience website.

From the January 2012 issue of Family Tree Magazine

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