Unit 2: Immigration Flashcards
What is a push factor?
…
What are some “push” factors in other countries that made people immigrate to America?
Persecution in old country
-Irish potato famine; Russia-massacre of Jews; Russia Revolution
Overpopulation in old country
-no jobs
What is a pull factor?
…
What were some pull factors in other countries that made people immigrate to America?
Economic conditions in the US -in need of workers for jobs -owning land- "Homestead Act" Immigrant letters -wrote home to families in old country to convince to move here --"Image of America"
Where was the “Old Immigration”?
Northern and Western Europe
- Ireland, Germany, England, France
- peaked in 1860s
Where was the “New Immigration”?
Southern and Eastern Europe
- Italy, Poland, Russia, and Hungary
- peaked in 1910
- arrived in Ellis Island- NYC
Where did China and Japan come?
Came through “Angel Island”
What was traveling in the ocean like?
Long journey- sometimes lasting weeks
- steerage
- -terrible conditions
- –no privacy, limited toilet facilities, poor food
- -tickets were cheap
Arrival at Ellis Island–
- Physical exam
- -incurable sent back to homeland
- Documentation/literacy exam
- 2-3 hours average; though some spent weeks
Immigrants settlement–
Many settled where ethnic communities were already established
Immigrants on the East coast–
Big cities expanded; also traveled other places
-Buffalo, Chicago, Toledo, and Cleveland
What kind of immigrants lived in Northern Toledo?
Polish Town
What kind of immigrants lived in Southern Toledo?
Irish
What are Ghettos?
An area in big cities where one ethnic or racial group dominates
What is an ethnic community?
Same language and traditions
-Chinatown, Little Italy; Irish and German neighborhoods
What is the steerage?
The large open area beneath ship’s deck
Where did immigrants living in urban areas live?
Tenements
What is a tenement?
Low-cost apartment buildings designed to house many families as an owner could pack in
What were tenements named as?
“Slums” -dirty and run-down
What other living conditions did people have to deal with in urban areas?
- open sewers- rats spread disease
- pollution- soot from coal-fired boilers
- poor ventilation
What were some dangers to look out for in the urban areas?
Fire
-even the small fire could quickly consume entire building
Diseases
-cholera, malaria, tuberculosis thrived
What was The Great Chicago Fire of 1871?
- ended in 18,000 buildings burned
- 250 dead; 100,000 homeless
- property damages over $200 million (= to 2 billion today)
Diseases–
- epidemics swept through big cities
- children especially vulnerable
- -NYC tenements: 6 out of 10 babies died before 1st birthday
What did scientists believe would help people’s hygiene?
-believed lack of ventilation and clean water help to spread disease
1879 NY-law–
-Required every room to have an outside window
“Dumbbell Tenement”–
-Each building narrowed in the middle and gaps on either side formed air shafts
What did some cities build?
-reservoirs or waterworks to collect clean water far from the city and filter out impurities
1901 NYC-law–
-required hallway bathrooms replace backyard outhouses
How old was Jacob Riis when he immigrated to the US?
21 from Denmark
What was Jacob Riis profession?
-A reporter for New York Tribune
Jacob Riis had lived in poverty and wanted to ________________.
-expose tenements
Like Lewis Hine, what did Jacob do?
-he was a photographer
Jacob’s work helped to expose what?
-the horrors of tenement life
What did Jacob hope?
-he hoped to generate public support for reforms
What was the result of Jacob’s work?
-NY state passing the nation’s first meaningful laws to improve tenements
What were some reasons for coming to America?
To escape -religious -political or social persecution New opportunities -jobs -owning land
What is the “melting pot” stand for?
- Metaphor used to describe the different ethnicities to become a new community
- losing the identity of the native land- “cultural assimilation”
- a phrase often used to describe this period of immigration
What does “tossed salad” in reference to?
- different cultures mix, but stay the same
- celebrate differences and ethnicities
What is the Nativist movement?
it was a group of ant-foreigners that wanted to preserve “American Identity”
What did the anti-foreigners believe in?
Manifest Destiny
What is Manifest Destiny?
the idea that U.S. has to expand democracy and American way of life
Racial superiority–
W.A.S.P.
-white, anglo, saxon, protestant
What were Chinese Immigrants first admired for?
their work ethic, but soon seen as competition for jobs- turned into racial reasons
How many Chinese Immigrants come to the U.S.?
25 million came; they helped to build the Transcontinental railroad
Labor unions did what to the Chinese Immigrants?
Fought hard to exclude them but Chinese would still except lower wages
Americans felt that the Chinese Immigrants were “_____________” of being Americans.
not worthy
What did the Chinese Exclusion Act do?
prevented Chinese laborers form entering the country
Who funded the Chinese Exclusion Act?
AFL- Gompers
How many times was the Chinese Exclusion Act renewed before it became permanent?
two times (in 1892 and in 1902) -not appealed until 1943
What was it like for Japanese Immigrants coming to the U.S.?
- racial tensions similar to Chinese
- San Fran school board ruled that all Japan and Korean children attend separate schools
What did the Japanese government do after San Fran made this policy?
condemned the voice because it violated an 1894 treaty giving Japanese right to enter US freely
Because of this controversy between the Japenese and Americans, what happened?
it threatened to become an international crisis
What was President Theodore Roosevelt’s compromise with the Japanese government?
The Gentleman’s Agreement 1907
What was the Gentleman’s Agreement?
Not an official government document, but called for San Fran to end school policy and for Japan to stop issuing passports to laborers
Did the Gentleman’s Agreement make everyone happy?
No, Anti-Japanese feelings continues through WWII
internment camps
Who was part of the Immigration Restriction League?
anti-Catholics and Europeans
What did the Immigration Restriction League request?
wanted stricter literacy tests
- MUST be able to read/write in English
- vetoed by three presidents
What reforms were made to help the needy?
The Social Gospel Movement
What was the Social Gospel Movement?
- tried to apply the teachings of Jesus directly to society
- focused on gospel ideals of charity and justice-especially seeking labor unions
- instead of blaming immigrants for problems they tried to prevent the cause of the problems
Many middle-class were shocked by poor __________ and __________ conditions.
working and living
What did the middle-class want for the needy?
felt that prosperous Americans should help the less fortunate; thousands joined groups to help society
What is the Settlement Movement?
social workers moving to live in the same neighborhoods as the poor to help them in the best possible way
What was built in the middle of poor neighborhoods?
“community centers” that offered social services
What did Jane Adams do in Chicago?
built a “Hull House”
what did neighbors attend in the community center?
cultural events, classes; child-care centers, playgrounds, summer camps for children; health care clinics
What was launched that later became the formation of many reforms?
investigations of city economic, political and social conditions
What did the Settlement Movement effect?
places around the country had settlement houses built
How many settlement houses were built by 1910?
400
