Immigration

Introduction

• Foreign-born pop. Nearly doubled between 1870-1900

• Many feared they would destroy American culture, instead, Americans adapted parts of immigrant culture

• Came for economic opportunity and religious freedom

• Melting pot-Caucasian immigrants of all different nationalities blended to create a single culture

Who and Where From?

• Up to 1870s-Protestants from N. & W. Europe

• 1840s and 1850s-German & Irish Catholics• 1870s-S. & E. Europe (new immigrants)

• New immigrants-in contrast to “old”, were often unskilled, poor, Catholic or Jewish and more likely to live in cities

Why leave home?

• Push factors-those that compel people to leave their homesex. Wars, political revolutions, religious persecution

• Pull factors-those that draw people to a new placeex. Economic opportunity, employment, land, religious and political freedom

• Tough decision to leave home and family, hard and costly journey with an uncertain end, difficulties of learning a new language and adjusting to a foreign culture

What did others think?

First Stop

• Ships had to port at processing stations where immigrant officials decided who could stay

• 1st and 2nd class passengers could enter immediately w/o a processing station

• Most arrived in New York Harbor and were processed at Ellis Island: 3rd class passengers (steerage) were sent there, where legal, intelligence and medical inspections were conducted

• Approx. 3-5 hr process if all in order• Only about 2% were denied entry• 1892-1954: over 12 million immigrants entered through

Ellis Island• First to enter: Annie More (15 yr old Irish girl)-Any more?• Other ports: Boston, Philly, Baltimore, Savannah, Miami,

New Orleans, San Fran (Asian)-Angel Island

Castle Garden, NY

Ellis Island Images-then and now: Interactiveshttp://americanhistory.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=americanhistory&cdn=education&tm=22&gps=230_368_1276_615&f=00&tt=14&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.historychannel.com/ellisisland/index2.html

Arrival at Ellis Island-video:http://www.history.com/videos/arrival-at-ellis-island

Ellis Island-detention:http://www.history.com/videos/immigrants-detained-at-ellis-

island

Opportunities

• Americanization programs-volunteer institutions known as settlement houses ran programs, helping newcomers learn English and adopt American dress and diet

• Cities, near factories/work• Ethnic communities-maintain customs

Settlement house in Chicago

Ethnic Enclaves

Challenges

• Nativism-belief that native-born white Americans were superior to these newcomers (discrimination)

• Competition for jobs=resentment• Religious and cultural differences=suspicions• Prejudices with doubtful scientific evidence tried to link

physical characteristics to criminal tendencies or lower intellect

• Extreme hostility toward Chinese laborers led to Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)-prohibited immigration by Chinese laborers, limited civil rights of those already in the U.S., and forbade naturalization of Chinese residents already in the U.S.

“Preamble. Whereas, in the opinion of the Government of the United States the coming of Chinese laborers to this country endangers the good order of certain localities within the territory thereof”

New European immigration as a threat

Chinese immigration

Chinese immigration

Changing the Face of America

• Fuel industrial growth“When I arrived as an immigrant, I

thought the streets were paved with gold, but they weren’t, they weren’t paved at all, I was expected to pave them.”

• Participate in politics• Traditions a part of American culture• Dev. effective ranching techniques for SW• Build the railroads (Chinese labor-

Transcontinental RR)• Become active in labor unions