"Evan Fishman" <ebf2001@comcast.net> wrote

Were there any quotas in existence which would have limited emigration to
the US around 1912?

I'm not aware of any quotas in existence before the Immigration Act of 1924
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_immigration_legislation).

There must have been some other influencing factor at that time, since two
of my uncles first went to live in Buenos Aires before they arrived in the
US in December, 1911. However, the rest of the family came directly >from
Romania in January, 1921.

Perhaps it was easier or less expensive to go that route. Baron Hirsch's
Jewish Colonization Association had established several settlements in
Argentina by then. According to the Wikipedia article, "between 1906 and
1912, some 13,000 Jews immigrated to Argentina every year"
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_of_Argentina).

-David Oseas

Researching:
HYMAN/HEYMAN/HEIMOWITS/CHAJMOVITS: Zemplen-Dobra, Hungary > New York
KLEIN: Satoraljaujhely (Ujhely), Hungary > New York > Los Angeles
OSEAS/OSIAS/OSIASI/OZIAS: Iasi, Romania > Chicago > Milwaukee > Los Angeles
SCHECHTER: Odessa, Ukraine > New York
SHERMAN: Russia/Romania > New York > Los Angeles
WICHMAN: Syczkowo (Bobruisk), Belarus > Milwaukee > Los Angeles