Society and Culture in Change - Topic 3.2

Question 1

How did WWI effect the response on immigration?

1917-1929

Answer 1

The traditional view of America being very open/welcoming of immigrants, represented by the Statue of Liberty (Give me your huddled masses), however, this policy didn’t extend to Chinese people and disabled people

The no. of people entering the US was increasing; earlier immigration was from Northern and Western Europe, later immigrants came from Eastern and Southern Europe.

The Dillingham Commission:

• The Dillingham Commission investigated the impact of immigration between 1907 and 1911. It reported that immigration was beginning to pose a threat to America, and the report distinguished between “old” immigrants and “new.” The Commission helped justify legislation restricting immigrants beginning with the 1917 Literacy Act
• Emergency Quota Act of 1921 responded to the growing percentage of undesirable immigrants, reducing the percentage to 3% from any country annually, going off 1910 records
• Johnson-Reed Act of 1924 reduced the percentage to 2%, and changed the records to 1880

Question 2

Why was this legislation implemented?

And what was its impact during the 1920s?

Answer 2

• Anxiety about the number of immigrants as they were seen as undesirable
• Post-war isolationism in which the government wanted less contact with the rest of the world. Red scares, unemployment and the Dillingham Commission were all reasons for legislation

1920s:

• Each new wave of immigration bought more hostility, especially in urban areas. There was a lot of new competition and those who were foreign born or had foreign parents rose from 74% in 1910 to 85% in 1920.
• The quota did not apply to South America, meaning immigration from those countries increased rapidly, especially Mexico.
• The status of illegal immigrants meant that employers meant that employers could exploit fears of deportation, pay them very little, and giving them poor living conditions

Question 3

What was the impact of immigration on urban life?

1919-1941

Answer 3

Most urban areas broke down into informally segregated sections, which had shops and churches following religious practices of the old country; as well as local newspapers reporting on local news and news back home.

Foreign born immigrants had American children, and old country traditions became less important. The percentage of foreign-born immigrants entering the US was controlled by legislation but their children were also increasing the population and were not listed as foreign-born. Many parents encouraged their children to get an education, work hard and improve their lives.

The newest arrivals into America were often the lowest on the pecking order and had the worst jobs, wages and conditions. By the 1920s, there were Irish politicans and Italian lawyers.

Immigrants could influence politics; during the depression, many immigrants voted for Roosevelt as he promised to bring those up that were forgotten and Republican laissez-faire economics had allowed for the exploitation of immigrants in the workplace and gave them little pay.

Question 4

What impact did WWII make on immigration in America?

Answer 4

• Americans of Japanese, Germans, Italians were classed as enemy aliens; the Japanese were treated the most harshly
• Attitudes towards enemy immigrants worsened as the war progressed; with those with Italian or German-sounding names had windows broken in the shops and customers would boycott them
• Some second generation immigrants could join the army: Admiral Chester Nimitz commanded the US Pacific Fleet

Question 5

What was the government’s policy on immigration after WWII?

1945-1968

Answer 5

Removal of the Quota System:

• Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 still used quotas, as people highlighted its utility and prevention of refugees
• The US wanted to help refugees of communism and from 1953 onwards, a variety of refugee acts allowed a set number of refugees to enter America outside the quota; the Cuban Refugees Program after 1959
• Politicians still opposed the open door policy, but many also thought the quota should be replaced. After the 1960s, European immigration slowed and many people became more accepting of European immigration
• When Kennedy was assassinated, he was constructing an immigration law that would ban quotas and would introduce the green card instead; Johnson brought it before Congress and it passed in 1965

Question 6

What was the attitude to illegal immigrants entering the US?

And how did attitudes shift towards immigrants?

1970s-1980s

Answer 6

The largest no. of illegal immigrants came from Mexico; due to Operation Wetback (1953-1958), Mexicans were made return to Mexico, but many illegally remained in the US to keep their work. Most settled to California and Texas.

Immigration Deportations:

• The INS (Immigration and Neutralisation Service) attempted to stop illegal immigrants from entering the US, however, the 3200km border made this a challenge. In 1980, 1 million illegal immigrants were found, arrested and deported with many of them helped out by their employers as they were happy to have cheap labour, with no questions asked.
• Tracking illegal immigrants was costly and as it became a public issue, it made the public feel that illegal immigrants were a significant problem

Once in the US, immigrants were on their own, as they could not access benefits, healthcare, insurance and education for their children.

As many people became more conservative, many people saw immigrants as destroying American culture rather than benefiting it. When the economy was doing badly, people would blame immigrants and with communist Cuba on the door-step, people in the South especially had more reason to fear Hispanic immigrants, whether they were from Cuba or not.