Immigration APUSH

My Country, ‘Tis of Thee “My country tis of thee; Sweet land of liberty; Of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died; Land of the Pilgrim’s Pride; From every mountainside, let freedom ring. - Samuel Francis Smith, 1900ish

New Colossus Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. "Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door! - Emma Lazarus, 1883

Immigration: An Overview Original “Old” “New” Now 1600-1800 The population of the US was only 5.3 million in 1800 They were mostly English speakers, though other Western Europeans and Africans were common, too 1800-1880 5 million immigrants came between 1815-1860 They were mostly Western European; ¾ were Germans & Irish Catholics 1880-1921 73% were from Eastern Europe ½ of all the people who left their homelands came to the US (23 million) The US continued its Open Door policy 1921 until now 85 million have come to the US between 1960-2000 They are mostly from Asia & North America Today we debate legal v. illegal immigration

Old Immigration: Push and Pull Push Factors Economic decline in Europe Industrial Revolution changes, lack of land, disease, natural disasters, rising population Political &/or Religious Persecution Russian Jews & other ethnic minorities… Pull Factors Economic opportunity Newspapers & letters lured people to come; Jobs Religious Freedom US tolerance Leaving the Homeland High cost to leave & hard travels to port 8- 14 day journey in steerage Crowded, stinky, few toilets, no privacy, poor food

Arriving in America Ellis Island was open from 1892- 1920s 75% of immigrants came through Ellis Island New arrivals were taken by ferry to the main building at Ellis Island. Near the Statute of Liberty – the symbol of refuge and hope. The first immigrant to arrive was a 15-year-old girl from Ireland named Annie Moore to join her parents in New York City.

Ready for Processing Immigrants entered the main building through its ground floor baggage room. They left their trunks, suitcases and baskets here until they were finished. Immigrants with only a few belongings carried their things as they climbed the stairs to the Great Hall for medical and legal examinations. The first test the immigrants had to pass became known as the "six second medical exam." As the immigrants climbed the stairs to the Great Hall, doctors stood at the top and watched. They were looking for anyone having difficulty coming up the steps. If a medical problem or disability was suspected, one of seventeen different chalk marks was put on the person's clothing. They were then sent for a full physical examination. If they weren't marked, they went on to wait in the Great Hall.

Medical Inspections By 1917, complete medical exams were required for every immigrant. The main purpose of these exams was to find persons with contagious diseases or conditions that would make them unable to work. If their problem was curable, immigrants were sent to the island's hospital. If it was not, the steamship company that brought them would have to pay to send them back. Only about 2% were ever sent back before the 1920s.

The Great Hall The Great Hall was the large waiting room of Ellis Island. Immigrants waited here for their interviews with legal inspectors after finishing their medical exams. At best, the entire process through Ellis Island took three to five hours. But sometimes problems came up, like family members waiting for a relative to be treated in the hospital ward. Some families stayed for days on Ellis Island, others for weeks, and still others for months.

After passing the medical exams, immigrants had to prove they could legally come into America. They had to prove their country of origin and where they expected to live and work once they entered the country. Inspectors rejected any immigrant with a criminal record or those suspected of being indentured servants. By 1921, immigrants had to pass a literacy test and show a passport and visa. The Legal Inspection

Finally Getting In In the money exchange area immigrants exchanged the money of their homeland for dollars, and purchased any train tickets they needed. Laws passed in 1909 required each immigrant to have at least 20 dollars before they were allowed to enter America.

The Kissing Post Just beyond the money exchange was the exit from Ellis Island. Staff members referred to this spot as the kissing post because of all the emotional reunions that were witnessed there. Two thirds of the new Americans then boarded a ferry to New Jersey, where the next leg of their American journey would begin. The remaining third took the ferryboat to Manhattan to begin their new life in New York City, only one mile away.

Current Immigration: 1920s- 50s According to the US government in 2012, there were over 11 million illegal immigrants in the country These immigrants began coming, mainly from Mexico and Central America during the 1920s All immigration waned during the 1930s Due to labor WWII labor shortages, the US & Mexican governments formed an agreement called the Bracero program, where Mexicans were legally allowed to work on farms. Several hundred thousand migrant workers came to the US during the 1940s and 50s. Most migrated back and forth over the border.

Current Immigration: 1950s By the 1950s, illegal immigration was a growing problem. In 1954, the Eisenhower administration deported more than a million people, and by 1964 the Bracero Program was abolished by Congress

Current Immigration: 1986 The IRCA (Immigration Reform & Control Act) provided amnesty to millions already living in the US, promised stricter border security, created penalties for employers who knowingly hired illegals. After it’s passage, illegal immigration actually INCREASED because before, many migrated here seasonally, but afterward many took up permanent residence by joining family members who had been granted amnesty. This is what you’d call an unintended consequence.

Current Immigration: 1990s on Entry quotas were raised by the Immigration Act of 1990; family based (216K to 480K), employment-based visas (by 100K), created a lottery for 55K, & provided another round of amnesty for family members of those who receive amnesty in 1986. 2005 Congress passed REAL ID preventing illegals from obtaining a driver’s license without proof of identity or a SSN. And the debate continues… In November 2014 President Obama issued an “Immigration Accountability Executive Action,” granting nearly 5M illegals a path to lawful, permanent residency. Most are parents of children born in the US or with lawful residency. It was challenged in the Supreme Court (U.S. v. Texas) in 2016. The 4-4 decision; an injunction order is in place until another trial can be heard.