Why Free white immigrants to the US were allowed to become citizens according to .?

Free white immigrants to the U.S. were allowed to become citizens primarily due to the Naturalization Act of 1790, which stipulated that only "free white persons" could be naturalized as citizens. This act reflected the prevailing racial and social attitudes of the time, prioritizing European immigrants and excluding other racial groups from citizenship rights. The rationale behind this policy was rooted in notions of democracy and the belief that white immigrants were more likely to assimilate into American society and uphold its values. As a result, citizenship was closely tied to race and ethnicity in the early years of the republic.