Life of an immigrant Immigration Simulation
What are the countries of origin? Early ImmigrationLate 19 th English German Dutch French China Japan Italy Ireland Germany Poland
Where would you enter the U.S.?
West Coast Angel Island
East Coast Ellis Island
Angel Island Long detentions 3wks-2yrs Interrogation What kind of feet does your mother have? Unbound. How large is Lim Mee Village? About 40 houses. Which way does the village face? North Who lives in the fourth house, second row (of your village)? Yee Soo Loy. What family has he? Natural-footed wife; two boys and two girls. Filthy buildings
Ellis Island Detained for a day or two 2% were denied Medical exam Provide documents Prove they had money
What conditions awaited you? Angel Island Discrimination Forced to segregated part of town Jobs: railroads and mining Dangerous Slave labor levels
What conditions awaited you? Ellis Island Cooperation for Survival Neighborhoods? Neighborhoods based on ethnicity Home? Poor Tenement building Job? Factory work, railroads, crime
How do we make these people Americans? Mixing bowl Melting Pot
Keeping down the numbers Chinese Exclusion Act 1882 Banned entry for Chinese except for Students Teachers Tourists Merchants Government Officials Children of citizens 1892 extended for 10 more years
Keeping down the numbers Gentleman’s Agreement 1906 San Francisco segregated Japanese students in school 1907 President Roosevelt Repeal of the order Japan restricts unskilled emigration
Who can help? Fellow Immigrants Tammany Hall & Boss Tweed Jobs Housing Food In exchange or votes
What did Tammany hall get with votes? Power Corruption Grafting Kick Backs
What was your job like?
Women
Children
Who else would be at your job? Men Large Mills & Factories Women Garments & textiles Children Mining & factories Inexpensive labor
Assessment If you were an American during the Gilded Age, how would you feel about these issues?