Immigration and Ethnic tension in American Society
Why choose USA? Push Factors To escape famine To escape from poverty Lack of economic opportunity To escape persecution To escape military service Pull Factors Lots of economic opportunities available USA looking for factory workers no skill or literacy required. The prospect of a better life The American Dream Possibilities not only for themselves bur for the future of their children
Who were the immigrants? Before 1870 immigrants were mainly from Northern and Western Europe. (WASP s) This group helped to shape the USA. However, demands for cheaper labour encouraged new immigrants from poorer areas of southern and western Europe were tempted to the US. By 1910, 70% of immigrants to the US were made up of new immigrants. These groups were perceived to be culturally different from traditional immigrants and were greeted with a great deal of mistrust.
Why were the new immigrants resented?(nativism) There was a large number of immigrants, particularly prior to WW1. American WASP s considered themselves to be racially superior to the newcomers. The WASP s feared the religious beliefs of the newcomers, believed that immigrants would try to have larger families and ultimately out number them. Fear that the new immigrants would work for longer hours for less money in poorer conditions Concern that immigrants would turn respectable American into slums. Belief that new immigrants were lazy, could not earn an honest living and would turn to crime.
The situation after WW1 America was disillusioned after WW1. In only 12 months, 120,000 soldiers were killed. America wanted to distance itself from Europe and developed a policy of isolationism. There was a widespread distrust of Hyphenated Americans. Fear of communism gripped America after the Russian Revolution in 1917 Many of the new social developments were associated with the new immigrants; music, psychology, film and feminism.
The Reality Religious beliefs made the majority of new immigrants committed to the same values as WASP s; hard work, self-reliance, church and family. Employers exploited the poverty of new immigrants and blamed them for strike breaking, shifting the focus from their own cruel and inefficient management. The new immigrants were the only people willing to live in the inner city slums which had been drained of resources.
The following quote is from a senator in 1921 explaining why he felt there should be more restrictions placed on America s immigrant intake: The steamship companies haul them over to America, and as soon as they step off the decks of their ships the problem of the steamship companies is settled, but our problem has begun- bolshevism, red archery, black-handers and kidnappers, challenging the authority and integrity of our flag Thousands come here who never take the oath to support our constitution and to become citizens of the United Sates. They pay allegiance to some other country while they live upon the substance of our own. They fill places that belong to the loyal wage-earning citizens of America They are of no service whatever to our people. They constitute a menace and a danger to us every day
Legislation Immigration Act 1917 men over 16 who could not read were forbidden from entry. Tests were in English so many even if they could read in their own language would not be able to read English. Emergency Immigration Act of 1921 This was a quota law 3% of the foreign born of any nationality as shown in 1910 census. 1924 Also a quota law, similar to 1921 but was now 2% based on 1890 census. 1929 law introduced to limit immigrants to a total of 150,000 per year. Northern and Western Europe were allocated 85% of the overall total.
Contrast before and after WW1 1881-1890 5,245,000 1923 522,000 1891 1900 3,689,000 1924 706,896 1901 1910 8,796,000 1927 335,000 1911-1920 5,736,000 1930 241,000 1918 110,610 1931 97,139 1921 805,000 1933 23,068