OR WHY IS EVERYONE COMING HERE??? AMERICAN IMMIGRATION

PUSH-PULL THEORY Reasons for leaving Europe and Asia Things that cause immigrants to leave their home countries and come to the United States.

PUSH FACTORS (reasons people leave) 1. Overpopulation and no land available 2. Pogroms – killing of Jews in Russia 3. War draft laws (conscription) 4. Lack of economic opportunities (means no jobs)

PULL FACTORS (things that existed already in America) 1. Peaceful country 2. Availability of land (Homestead Act) 3. Need for workers in U.S. 4. Religious freedom, liberty, and tradition of democracy 5. Letters from friends and relatives in America

Old Immigrants ( ) Reasons why people immigrated: 1. Political – left because of war in Europe 2. African Slaves – not considered immigrants b/c they were forced here 3. Indentured Servants – people whose passage was paid by someone else in exchange for 7 years of work 4. Religious – England was not tolerant of religions other than Anglican Protestantism 5.. Economic – few jobs; limited land; debtors & criminals deported to “colonies”

Where Did “Old Immigrants” Come From?

Old Immigrants 1. England, France, Ireland, Germany 2. Asia – China, Japan 3. French & Mexican (from Louisiana Purchase and Mexican Cession) 4. African Slaves

New Immigrants ( ) Where did “New Immigrants” come from? Poland, Russia, Italy, Greece, Austria-Hungary, Turkey

Americans Welcomed Immigrants in the 1880s and early 1900s because: 1. Labor – needed people to fill factory jobs 2. Settlers – settled and farmed the West 3. Consumers – purchased the products of industry and agriculture 4. Soldiers – served to increase nations’ military power 5. Special Abilities – skills like metal working and masonry 6. Humanitarian – tradition of U.S. being a haven or shelter for the oppressed

Emma Lazarus “The New Colossus”

Impact of the “New Immigrants” Economic 1. Agricultural – Settled in Midwest and Great Plains 2. Transportation – built canals, railroads (mostly Irish) 3. Mining & Industry – Poles & Slavs worked the mines; Germans built chemical industry 4. Consumers & Workers – increased demand for goods and increased industrial growth

Political 1. Because they were poor they settled in urban areas called ghettos 2. Political bosses took advantage of them by giving them jobs and places to live in exchange for their vote Cultural 1. Food, music, art, literature, holiday traditions & sports

Problems of the New Immigrants 1. Crossing the ocean & arriving at Ellis Island, New York 2. Discrimination upon arrival

American Opposition to New Immigrants Americans begin to oppose immigration mainly from the end of the 19 th century through the 1920s. The government tried to limit the number of immigrants from Asia and Southern & Easter Europe. 1. Americans said that the frontier was closed; immigrants could no longer secure free or cheap land 2. American industry claimed it was no longer expanding and had no need of additional immigrant workers

3. Immigrants that were now arriving were from Southern & Eastern Europe. They were culturally different and settled in cities, creating ethnic enclaves (China Town, Little Italy) 4. “New” immigrants were considered to be intellectually & physically inferior to “old” immigrants

5. Nativism – “America for native-born Americans!” Early Nativist group was the “Know- Nothing” Party  It condemned the German and Irish at first and the “New” immigrants later for: 1. Taking jobs from native- born Americans 2. For being clannish or keeping to themselves 3. Failing to assimilate

IMMIGRATION TODAY In the 1970s, the population grew from 203 to 226 million as well as became more diverse About 500,000 immigrants arrived in the U.S. each year in the 70s Highest number since the early 1900s when the U.S. had an open-door policy (the U.S. allowed unrestricted immigration) Most of these people migrated from: Philippines, Vietnam, Korea, China, India, Laos and Cambodia

Also a huge wave of illegal immigrants, most from Mexico (upwards of 5 million by 1980). Came to work as migrant farm workers and unskilled laborers There were legal Mexicans and about 800,000 refugees from Cuba when Fidel Castro took over the country Earliest Cubans were middle-upper class and transformed Miami from a resort city into a bustling Hispanic commercial center

1980 – Castro let any Cubans out freely  President Carter welcomed them into the U.S.  But, riots broke out: African Americans & non-Hispanic whites objected and feared that the new immigrants would compete with them for already scarce jobs  The U.S. foreign-born population has reached a record high, although the rate at which people came to America has slowed  About 1.2 million people arrived in the U.S. in 2002, compared with the 2.4 million who arrived in 2001  What is the trend of immigration today in 2011?

What is the official language of the United States of America? Answer: There is NO OFFICIAL language of the U.S. But, what language do we expect everyone to be able to speak?

2010 Census Report Total U.S. population = 308,745,538 people It is predicted that by the year 2050, over 50% of the population of the United States will be of Hispanic origin. ¿Hablas español?

IMMIGRATION THEORIES Assimilation:  The minority group adopts the traditions and customs of the dominant culture and giving up their own traditions What does it look like?  Native Americans being forced to speak English and dress in European style clothing  Immigrants no longer speaking their native language in the home so their children learn English

What does it look like?  “Spanglish”  American Chinese food  Marriages/relationships between people of different races or cultural backgrounds (think President Obama) Melting Pot Theory  Mixing of different cultures, races, traditions and languages to create a brand new culture

Cultural Pluralism or “The Salad Bowl” Theory  Each culture maintains its own unique identity in society What does it look like?  Immigrant not learning English  “para el espanol, oprimara la estrella