CLASS DISCUSSION
What is immigration? Immigration is the movement of people from one country or region to another in order to make a new home.
What is an immigrant? An immigrant is a person who moves from one country or region to another in order to make a new home.
Changing Patterns of Immigration The old immigrants 10 million immigrants came between 1800 and 1900. Known as the old immigrants, they came from Northern and Western Europe. Most were Protestant Christians, and their cultures were similar to the original settlers. They came to have a voice in their government, to escape political turmoil, for religious freedom, or fleeing poverty and starvation. Most immigrants came for economic opportunity, attracted to the open farm land in the United States. Chinese immigrants had been lured by the gold rush and jobs building railroads. The new immigrants From 1880 to 1910, a new wave brought 18 million people to America. Most came from Southern and Eastern Europe. They were Roman Catholics, Orthodox Christians and Jews. Arabs, Armenians, and French Canadians came as well. Smaller numbers came from East Asia. Severe immigration laws reduced Chinese immigration, but 90,000 people of Chinese descent lived in the U.S. by 1900. Japanese immigrants arrived by way of Hawaii. The makeup of the American population had changed. By 1910 about 1 in 12 Americans were foreign-born.
Immigrants In 1860 the resident population of the U.S. was 31.5 million people. Between 1865 and 1920, close to 30 million additional people entered the country. These people were fleeing crop failures, land and job shortages, rising taxes and famine. Some were also escaping religious or political persecution. Klassen family leaving the Ukraine for the U.S.
1820-30 1831-40 1841-50 1851-60 1861-70 1871-80 1881-90 1891-00 1901-10 1911-20 1921-30 1931-40 1941-50 1951-60 1961-70 1971-80 1981-90 1991-00 Immigration to the United States 1820-2000 Immigration to US 1820-2000 10,000,000 9,000,000 8,000,000 7,000,000 6,000,000 5,000,000 4,000,000 3,000,000 2,000,000 1,000,000 0 Period Total 1820-30 151,824 1831-40 599,125 1841-50 1,713,251 1851-60 2,598,214 1861-70 2,314,824 1871-80 2,812,191 1881-90 5,246,613 1891-00 3,687,564 1901-10 8,795,386 1911-20 5,735,811 1921-30 4,107,209 1931-40 528,431 1941-50 1,035,039 1951-60 2,515,479 1961-70 3,321,677 1971-80 4,493,314 1981-90 7,338,062 1991-00 9,095,417 This chart and table show the number of immigrants that came to the United States from 1820-2000. What three time periods experienced the highest number of immigrants? Source of data: Immigration and Naturalization Service, US Department of Justice
ANGEL ISLAND Chinese 1848 Gold Mountain Central Pacific RR
Angel Mountain During the 1870s, an economic downturn resulted in serious unemployment problems, and led to politically motivated outcries against Asian immigrants who would work for low wages In reaction to states starting to pass immigration laws, in 1882 the federal government asserted its authority to control immigration and passed the first immigration law, barring lunatics and felons from entering the country. Later in 1882, the second immigration law barred Chinese, with a few narrow exceptions 1,000,000 from 1910-1940
ELLIS ISLAND The Immigrant Experience The Golden Door
The Island Ellis Island served as the portal for a majority of new immigrants from 1892 till it closed in 1954. More than 12 million immigrants were processed here.
Baggage Room The arriving immigrants checked most of their heaviest baggage in the first-floor baggage room before heading to the great hall for processing by U.S. Immigrations Inspectors.
As the immigrants walked up the staircase, U.S. Public Health Officials watched them for signs of a number of illnesses. Stairs of Separation
The Great Hall
The Great Hall cont. Also known as the Registry Room, this is where millions of immigrants were processed for admission to the United States. After waiting in line for hours, an interview with the inspector would determine the applicants future.
Medical Exams The Inspector would take about 7 seconds to determine if the immigrant had any infectious diseases. Some would be sent back and some detained in quarantine. Only two percent of the arriving immigrants were excluded from entry.
Cafeteria Here immigrants were served their first taste of America. They were often introduced to new dishes such as ice cream.
Dormitories Immigrants that were detained for medical or other reasons stayed in these rooms, tightly packed with rows of bunk beds.
The Kissing Post After immigrants were approved for admission, they would walk down the stairs to meet their loved ones. This area became known as the kissing post.
Final Destination
Final Destination cont. Only one third of the immigrants who came to the United States through Ellis Island stayed in New York City. Most scattered across the country. Immigrants were given tags to pin to their hats or coats. The tags showed railroad conductors what lines the immigrants were traveling and what connections to make to reach their destinations.
1820-1880 Main Sources of Immigration In this period of time almost 10.2 million immigrants came to the United States The main countries the immigrants came from were in Northern and Western Europe
1820-1880 Main Sources of Immigration The three main countries that immigrants came from in 1820-1880 Germany 3.0 million
1820-1880 Main Sources of Immigration The three main countries that immigrants came from in 1820-1880 Ireland 2.8 million
1820-1880 Main Sources of Immigration The three main countries that immigrants came from in 1820-1880 United Kingdom 1.9 million
1881-1920 Main Sources of Immigration In this period of time almost 23.5 million immigrants came to the United States The main countries the immigrants came from were in Southern and Eastern Europe
1881-1920 Main Sources of Immigration Italy 4.0 million
1881-1920 Main Sources of Immigration Austria Hungary 4.0 million (Austria and Hungary are now separate countries. The maps below show each of them) Austria Hungary
The three main countries that immigrants came from in 1881-1920 Soviet Union 4.0 million The Union of the Soviet Social Social Republics (Soviet Union) was formed in 1917 and ended in 1991. The 15 states of the Soviet Union are now each their own country which are shown on this map. They are Russia, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldava.
Foreign Born Population, Top Countries of Origin 1920 Foreign Born Population, Top Countries of Origin 1920 14 12 12.1 11.6 10 10.1 8 8.2 8.2 8.2 7.5 6 4 4.5 4.1 3.5 2 0 Germany Italy Soviet Union Poland Canada Great Britain Ireland Sweden Austria Mexico Percentage of foreign born population from each country Source of data: Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce
Foreign Born Population, Top Countries of Origin 1960 Foreign Born Population, Top Countries of Origin 1960 14 12.9 12 10 10.2 9.8 8 7.9 7.7 7.1 6 5.9 4 3.5 3.1 2.5 2 0 Italy Germany Canada Great Britain Poland Soviet Union Mexico Ireland Austria Hungary Percentage of foreign born population from each country Source of data: Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce
Foreign Born Population, Top Countries of Origin 2000 Foreign Born Population, Top Countries of Origin 2000 30 27.6 25 20 15 10 5 4.3 3.8 3.5 3.4 3 2.7 2.5 2.4 2.4 0 Mexico Phillippines China and Hong Kong India Cuba Vietnam San Salvador Korea Dominican Republic Canada Percentage of foreign born population from each country Source of data: Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce
Immigration 1820-1996 Top Ten Countries of Last Residence Philippines 3% Hungary 4% Austria 4% Germany 18% Germany Soviet Union, former 9% Canada 11% Mexico 13% Mexico Italy United Kingdom Ireland Canada Soviet Union, former Austria Ireland 12% United Kingdom 13% Italy 13% Hungary Philippines Source of data: Immigration and Naturalization Service, US Department of Justice
Immigration 1981-1996 Top 10 Countries of Birth Cuba 3% Jamaica 4% El Salvador 5% Korea 6% India 6% Dominican Republic 7% China 7% Vietnam 9% Philippines 11% Mexico 42% Mexico Philippines Vietnam China Dominican Republic India Korea El Salvador Jamaica Cuba Source of data: Immigration and Naturalization Service, US Department of Justice
Cities The arrival of large numbers of immigrants radically changed the face of the nation s cities. Before the Civil War, cities were compact. Between 1865 and 1900 the percentage of Americans living in the cities doubled. Cities grew upward. Prior to the Civil War, buildings were built only to five stories.
Cities cont. Noise, traffic jams, slums, air pollution, and sanitation and health problems became commonplace. Mass transit, in the form of trolleys, cable cars, and subways, was built, and skyscrapers began to dominate city skylines. New communities, known as suburbs, began to be built just beyond the city. Commuters, those who lived in the suburbs and traveled in and out of the city for work, began to increase in number. memory.loc.gov
Urban Living Conditions Immigrants often lived in buildings abandoned by middle-class residents and converted into multifamily units. These tenements soon became identified as slums. Many families would cram into spaces only meant for a few. Many immigrants tended to settle with others from the same country creating the ethnic neighborhoods and sections that can still be found in many big cities today.
Urban Living Conditions cont. Outside the tenements, raw sewage and garbage littered the streets. Contagious diseases raged in such conditions. Babies were especially susceptible. In NYC, in one district of tenements, six out of ten babies died before their first birthday.
Tenement Housing Tenement housing in New York City.
A typical tenement house on the corner of Ontario and Monroe streets in Toledo, Ohio.
Nativism and the Chinese Exclusion Act
Nativism Policy of favoring native-born people over immigrants
1840s-1850s: Rise in Nativism Increased immigration Anti-Catholicism Fear of job competition The Pope s Dream: This cartoon references anti-catholic attitudes common in the 19 th century that Catholics were anti-democratic and loyal primarily to the Pope.
1850s: Know-Nothing Party formed Supported white, native-born Protestants for public office A nativist cartoon depicting the Irish and the Germans stealing the ballot box while Americans fight at the polls Flag of the Know-Nothing Party
1850s-1880s: Rise in Chinese immigration 300,000 came for work Results: racism and discrimination Laundry-related artifacts from Stockton, CA. Many Chinese who came to CA worked as launderers because they could be their own boss, and didn t need to speak much English.
1880s: Nativism rose again In response to new immigrants from SE Europe, Asia
1882: Chinese Exclusion Act passed Stopped Chinese immigration Chinese couldn t become citizens Renewed until WWII
1894: Immigration Restriction League Nativists wanted literacy tests (required immigrants to read and write)
1902: Gentlemen s Agreement with Japan Japanese workers not allowed in U.S. Japanese immigrants had replaced Chinese; were strong in agriculture Signing the Agreement
Election Poster for Supporter of Alien Land Act 1913: Alien Land Act Asians in CA couldn t own agriculture land
The Challenges of Urbanization (Section 2)
URBANIZATION Growth of Cities Occurring in Europe as well as America Farmers EVERYWHERE leaving farms for industrial work Primary source of growth in American Cities is Immigration
URBANIZATION Push and Pull Factors in Immigration Chief Pull to America is $$$ Businesses encourage Growth Mining Companies import Chinese labor in Calif. RxR Companies import 10,000 Chinese Chinese are practically THE labor that built railroads
URBANIZATION Growth of Cities Pull Factors Once Mines dry up and RxR completed, Chinese move to cities (San Francisco, Sacramento, Denver, among others) RxR also brought European immigrants (to sell them land as farmers) Contract Labor Law 1864 Padrone System
URBANIZATION Growth of Cities Old v. New Immigrants Immigration patterns change after 1880 Old Immigrants (pre 1880) were English, German, French, Dutch or Scandinavian (even Irish)
URBANIZATION New Immigrants were Slavs, Russians, Italians, Greeks, Hungarians, Rumanians, Turks, Jews, Armenians and Syrians Most New immigrants are from farms Most remain in cities when they arrive
URBANIZATION Nativism Attempts by old stock Americans to preserve their culture Even labor/lower classes resented immigrants (even the Irish!)
URBANIZATION Nativism Efforts to curtail or end immigration Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 Dillingham Commission American Protective Association Immigration Restriction League
URBANIZATION Internal Migration From the Farm to the City Push and Pull Factors here, also City is exciting Farm is boring $$$$$$$ - Availability of Industrial jobs
URBANIZATION Internal Migration From the Farm to the City Railroads contributed to growth of cities City offered greatest opportunities for women
URBANIZATION Crime and Violence Street thugs Prostitutes City Saloon
HULL HOUSE
URBANIZATION Social Work Efforts Jane Addams / Florence Kelley Settlement House Workers (Forerunners to Professional Social Workers)
City Government disperses favors in return for votes URBANIZATION City Government Corrupt at best Political Machines led by a boss Neighborhoods dominated by precinct captains
URBANIZATION City Benefits Education Urban schools better than rural schools in 1890s Girls (and Women) received a much better education in urban settings