Immigration

to the United States

Immigrants came to America for many reasons and faced a

number of challenges.

Immigrants flock to America

• Old Immigration•Prior to 1871, most immigrants came from

Northern and Western Europe – Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, etc…

• New Immigration•Between 1871-1921, most immigrants came

from Southern and Eastern Europe - Italy, Greece, Poland, present-day Hungary, etc…

•Also, many of the Catholic and Jewish faiths came during this time.

From 1866 to 1915, more than 25

million immigrants migrated to the

U.S.America is a

nation of immigrants.

Immigrants are people that

go to a new country

to make it their home.

All Americans are related to immigrants or are immigrants

themselves.

Reasons For Increased Reasons For Increased ImmigrationImmigration

5. Letters from family and

friends

4. Adventure

3. Escape from oppressive governments and political

persecution…War or fighting in their country

2. Religious freedom

1. Hope for better

opportunities

• Poverty• Shortage of farmland• Lack of opportunity• Political & religious persecution• Wars & threats of war

What pushedimmigrants fromtheir homeland?

• Jobs• Opportunity• Political & religious freedom• Letters from family & friends

What pulledimmigrants to

the United States?

Old Immigration 1830 – 1890

The Irish from

Ireland

The Germans from Germany

The Scandinavians from Sweden, Norway, and Denmark

New Immigration 1890 - 1920

The Italians from Italy The Russians and

Polish from Russia and Poland

The Japanese from Japan

The Mexicans from Mexico

The Chinese

from China

They first had to go to the immigration center on Ellis Island in

New York or Angel Island in California

Before they could enter the U.S., they had to have a medical

inspection…then wait in long lines….

…before they could finally enter the U.S.

Arrival In America The two ports of immigration entry

Immigrants flock to America and experience discrimination

• Nativism - open favoritism towards “native” born Americans; especially WASPs

• Xenophobia - the fear and/or hatred of foreigners

• Fear of “cheap labor”- that immigrants will work for lower wages, and therefore “take jobs” away from “real” Americans

• There was also prejudice based on religious and cultural differences

The American “Melting pot” faces resistance

In 1882, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act.

This act banned Chinese immigration for ten years

Repealed/ended in 1943 during WWII.

There was first discrimination against the Irish because they

were Catholic… Second, there was discrimination

against the Chinese…

Immigrants flock to America and face discrimination

• The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 The first significant law that restricted immigration of an “ethnic working group“ into the United States.

• Immigration Restriction Act of 1921 This law effectively ended immigration for a couple of decades.

Example and Compromise

• San Francisco Segregates Schools Following the destruction from the

San Francisco earthquake, the city decided to segregate Japanese from their rebuilt public schools. Japan protested directly to President Roosevelt.

• The Gentleman’s Agreement, 1907 President Roosevelt has San Francisco

School Board meet at the White House.Japan agrees to limit immigration & San Francisco ends segregation