Immigration and Urbanization

They came, they saw, they… Immigrants Who here is American, and what does it mean?

Turn-of-the-Century Immigration to the United States Eastern and Southern Europe Northwestern Europe Eastern and Southern Europe 18% 27% 49% 11% Rest of the World 71% 24% Northwestern Europe Percent of Immigrants by Region and Origin

The “dumbbell” tenement

Meaning of cartoon?

Nativist Activism American Protective Association - 1887 Chinese Exclusion Act - 1882 Literacy tests added 1917 Immigration Act of 1924 (National Origins Act) Est. Quota %’s Immigration Act 1929 Capped at 150,000

What was the response to these “new” immigrant groups by “native” Americans and “Old Immigrants”? Why do you think they had this reaction? (Use your own knowledge of how people treat and regard immigrant groups today.)

Are we still this America? What is the meaning of the poem? "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.” What does the line say about Immigrants to America? What problems were immigrants facing in the old country?

Positives and Negatives Immigration (+) New Talents and Skills Diversity Freedom Land of Opportunity Goodwill with other countries History of Immigration (-) Disease Criminals, Radicals, Terrorists Change American Culture Loss of jobs and opportunity Racial Backlash Living and working conditions

US Thematic Question What makes us uniquely American? Has our history been shaped more by immigration or the ongoing struggle for racial equality?