Immigration Flashcards
How did the US immigration policy operate prior to the First World War?
They had an open door immigration policy due to their status as land of the free. Over 650’000 immigrants arrived during 1882 and over 1.2 million arrived during 1907.
Why did hostility begin to grow towards immigrants?
Immigrants were often poor and many of whom were illiterate. They were also roman Catholics or Jews and were culturally different. The Scare of 1919 led to mass paranoia against Eastern Europeans.
How many Europeans were processed on Ellis Island and how many were allowed in?
Over 70% of European immigrants were processed on Ellis island of which 5000 people each day were deemed fit to live in the US.
What inspections were carried out on respective immigrants at Ellis Island?
They had a medical exam by a doctor who would mark any infectious diseases or defect with a mark of chalk on the back.
Have you got any money, do you have any relatives in America, Do you have a job waiting for you, are you an anarchist?
If they passed they were sent on a ferry to New York.
Who pushed the incredibly anti immigration stance?
WASPs and the KKK would actively try and intimidate immigrants and their racial prejudice and notions of white supremacy helped force government action.
How did Theodore Roosevelt respond to immigration?
In 1907 he sent Republican Senator William Dillingham to investigate the effect of immigration.
What conclusion did the Dillingham commission come to?
It was published in 1911 and stated that immigration was having a profoundly negative outcome. It posed a significant threat to culture and American Society.
What did the 1917 immigration act do in regards to entry tax and literacy?
It increased the entry tax rate to $8 per head and introduced a series of reading and writing tests which especially effected Eastern Europeans who had received no education.
Who did the 1917 immigration act prevent from entering the US?
Idiots, imbeciles, feeble-minded persons, homosexuals, alcoholics, paupers and beggars, people with contagious diseases, or people who were mentally or physically defective, convicted criminals, polygamists and anarchists.
How did the Great Depression effect Mexican immigrants?
Initially the influx of Mexican immigrants filled the massive gap in the labour market however, they were exploited. They were threatened with deportation and wages and living conditions were horrendous. Many Americans lost their wealth which led to mass deportations, around 400’000 Mexicans were deported.
Why were levels of integration initially low?
Cities began to be informally segregated from area to area for example Little Italy developed in New York and a number of China Town’s were established across the country. Chinese ones were especially segregated due to the Chinese Exclusion Act and Cultural differences.
Why did immigrant communities slowly begin integrating?
They began to adopt American ways which in turn lead to old traditions and lifestyles fading and in turn their children became more Americanized.
During the 1920’s how much did the population that was foreign born or with foreign born parents increase by?
It went up from 74% to 85% which led to many WASP’s feeling threatened.
What did the 1921 Emergency Quota Act do?
It restricted the yearly number of immigrants from any country to 3% of the total number of those people living in the US during 1910.
What did the 1924 Johnson - Reed Immigration Act do?
Changes the quota to 2% of the 1890 census which gave further advantages to Western Europeans.
How did immigration law change in 1927?
The number of immigrants was fixed to 150’000 and the quota was based on the 1920 census.
What did the 1929 National Origins formula do?
It confirmed the 150’000 limit and placed a total ban on Asian Immigrants.
How much did the number of foreign language magazines decrease by from 1914 to the 1960’s?
The number decreased from 1’600 to just 75 as more and more people began to integrate.
