Immigration Chapter 15 Section 1

Europeans Flood into the US Reasons for coming to America –Opportunity Plenty of jobs available Few immigration restrictions –To avoid forced military service in Europe –To avoid religious persecution Especially Jews living in Poland and Russia –To break away from Europe’s class system to a democratic nation Where there was an opportunity to move up the social ladder

The Atlantic Voyage Most immigrants booked passage in steerage –Steerage – the most basic and cheapest way to travel on a steamship After a 14 day journey, the passengers usually got off at Ellis Island –A tiny island in New York Harbor that housed a large 3 story building –Ellis Island served as the processing center for the immigrants arriving in the US

Asian Immigration B/g in 1900 Asian immigration numbers started to rise January 1910 – California opened a barracks on Angel Island to accommodate the Asian immigrants –They awaited the results of their immigration hearings in the packed barracks –They were often forced to wait months

Rebirth of Nativism The wave of immigration led to a resurgence of nativism in Americans –Nativism – extreme dislike for immigrants by native-born people and a desire to limit immigration Early anti-immigration feelings were forced on the Irish, but now nativism was focused on Asians, Jews, and eastern Europeans

No More Immigrants! Nativists opposed immigration b/c… –They feared the influx of Catholics would swap the mostly Protestant US to mostly Catholicism Giving the Catholic Church too much power in American gov’t –Labor unions argued that immigrants would work for low wages or accept work as strikebreakers Undermines the American-born worker

Prejudice Organizations Two anti-immigrant organizations were formed 1.The American Protective Association Founder Henry Bowers  hated Catholics and foreigners Committed to stopping immigration 2.The Workingman’s Party of California Founder Dennis Kearney  an Irish immigrant himself To fight Chinese immigration

Anti-Immigration Movement 1882 – New federal law –Banned convicts, paupers, and the mentally disabled from immigrating to the US –Placed a.50 cent head tax on each newcomer Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act –Barred Chinese immigration for 10 years –Prevented the Chinese already in the US from b/c citizens

The Chinese Protest The Chinese in the US protested that white Americans did not oppose immigration by Italians, Irish, or Germans –Organized letter writing campaigns –Petitioned the president –Filed suit in federal court The protest by the Chinese did not work Congress renewed the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1892 and made it permanent in 1902 The Act was not repealed until 1943