Worker shortages and economic growth in the United States in the first two decades of the 1900s prompted a growing number of migrants from Mexico and Central America. Most sought to work for a time and then return to their home countries. Companies in the United States encouraged temporary workers (also known as “guest workers”) because they were often willing to take less pay than U.S. citizens and could be made to work longer hours in worse conditions. The U.S. government also supported Mexican guest workers. For example, in 1924, the government restricted immigration from most countries by imposing a quota system that allowed only a certain number of immigrants from foreign nations. Mexico was specifically exempted from the quotas. However, Mexican Americans and Hispanic migrants faced a range of social and economic discrimination.