The New Immigrants

I. The Immigrants

Immigration By 1900 – about one million per year Made possible by new technologies Europeans migrating all over the world Fleeing poverty Fleeing persecution Seeking opportunity

Immigrants as a percent of the US population By 1900 -- 14% of the US population was foreign born By 1900, over 1/3 of the US population was either an immigrant or child of an immigrant

“Old Immigrants” – pre-Civil War Before 1860 From Northern & Western Europe Usually Protestant Constitutional democracies A lot like the first European settlers Assimilation was relatively easy Settled all over the United States

“New Immigrants” – post-Civil War After the Civil War From Southern & Eastern Europe Catholics, Jews, Eastern Orthodox 1896 – the first year the majority of immigrants were “new.”

“New” immigrants settled in eastern cities 1890 – Immigrant/child of immigrant ¼ of Philadelphia ⅓ of Boston ⅓ of Chicago 4/5 of New York City Self-segregated neighborhoods

The typical immigrant Unmarried young man Arrived in the USA alone Sent for his family after he settled Often migrated back to homeland “Bird of Passage” “Common laborer” No specific skill

Women and children Also arrived in large numbers Worked a variety of jobs Faced same hardships as men

II. The Nativists

Nativists: Americans who disliked immigrants Nativists believed that immigrants . . . ◆ tended to commit crimes ◆ corrupted their “Protestant nation” ◆ were poorly educated ◆ were willing to work for less ◆ came from “inferior civilizations.” ◆ were radicals and revolutionaries ◆ were allied to the political machines

The Chinese Exclusion Act, 1882 An Act to execute certain treaty stipulations relating to Chinese. A federal law that barred most Chinese immigrants from entering the United States. The first significant restriction on free immigration in U.S. history.

Others were barred from entering the USA 1875 - Prostitutes and convicted felons 1882 - “Lunatics” & those likely to become a “public charge.” 1885 - Contract laborers

Nativism grows as immigration increases 1901 -- President William McKinley assassinated ◆ Leon Czolgosz 1914-1918 – World War I 1919-1920 – The Red Scare 1924 – The Immigration Act of 1924 ◆ Johnson-Reed Act ◆ Sets a national origins quota (2%) ◆ Completely excludes Asians