prior to the 1950s emigration from taiwan (roc) (then called formosa) was negligible. in 1949, the chinese communist party took control of mainland china, and 2 million refugees, predominantly from the republic of china (roc) nationalist government, military, and business community, fled to taiwan. since the 1950s, because of the cold war, the united states continued to recognize the kuomintang-led roc as the sole legitimate government of all of china from 1949 until 1979. as a result, immigration from taiwan was counted under within the same quota for both mainland china and taiwan. however, because the people's republic of china (prc) banned emigration to the united states until 1977, this quota for immigrants from china was almost exclusively filled by immigrants from taiwan. after the national origins system was relaxed and repealed by the immigration and nationality act of 1952 and 1965, many taiwanese people came to the united states, forming the first wave of taiwanese immigration. their entry into the united states was facilitated by the immigration and nationality act of 1965, which created a system in which persons with professional skills and family ties in the united states were given preferential status, regardless of the nation of origin.