I MMIGRATION Sought to escape difficult conditions Famine, Land
shortages Religious/political persecution Birds of Passage
Immigrate temporary Earn money Return to homelands
Slide 3
E UROPEANS 1870-1920- 20 million Europe-180-1900 population
doubled (400 million) Image- US had numerous jobs Arrived on east
coast (Ellis Island) 1 week journey
Slide 4
O LD VS N EW I MMIGRATION 1820-1860 from northern or western
Europe [German, English, and Norwegian]. Mostly Protestants
Literate and skillful in professions Came to America with
money/wealth Experienced in democracy. 1880-1924 from southern or
eastern Europe [Italians, Poles, eastern Europe Jews]. Asians
Religions were either Catholic, Orthodox, or Jewish Illiterate and
unskilled (with some exceptions) They came with little to no money
Old New
Slide 5
C HINESE West coast California Gold Rush 1848 Helped build rr,
farming, mining, and domestic service Chinese immigration
limited-1882 Asian immigrants- 3 week journey
Slide 6
J APANESE 1884- Hawaiian planters recruited Japanese workers US
annexed Hawaii in 1898 1907- 30,000 Japanese came to US 1920-
200,000 lived on west coast
Slide 7
W EST I NDIES AND M EXICO Jamaica, Cuba, Puerto Rico (West
Indies) Scarce jobs and industrial boom (image of an abundance of
jobs in US) Mexican immigration Farm lands in western states 1910-
political and social situations in Mexico 700,000 (7% of Mexican
population) over 20 years
Slide 8
E LLIS I SLAND New York Harbor Main immigration station in US
17 million immigrants Inspection Physical exam: serious health
problems, contagious diseases, tuberculosis sent home Government:
checked documentation, questioned immigrants to see if met legal
requirements (never been convicted of a felony, able to work, had
some money) Only 2% were denied entry
Slide 9
A NGEL I SLAND San Francisco Bay Primarily Asians (Chinese)
1910-1940- 50,000 Chinese immigrants Processing harsher than Ellis
Island Harsh questioning Detained in filthy buildings
Slide 10
C ULTURE S HOCK When someone feels confused, uncomfortable,
nervous, etc. when he or she goes to a place that is unfamiliar to
them
Slide 11
M ELTING P OT Native born Americans thought of US as a melting
pot Blend of different cultures Many immigrants wanted to keep
their customs and cultural identity Strong anti-immigrant feelings
Nativism= favoritism towards native-born Americans Push for
immigrant restriction
Slide 12
N ATIVISM Increased the desire for immigration restriction
Chinese Exclusion Act - 10 year immigration restriction for Chinese
laborers Gentlemens Agreement (1907) - Japanese students in San
Francisco put in separate schools. Japan raised a protest, Theodore
Roosevelt agreed to lift segregation order if Japan would not send
unskilled emigrants.
Slide 13
P ROBLEMS IN U RBAN Housing Tenements Transportation Mass
transit Water No indoor plumbing Sanitation Crime Fires
Slide 14
E MPLOYEE R ESPONSES TO S TRIKES AND U NIONS Blacklisting-
names of people to be barred from employment Lockouts- Company does
not let employees come to work Scabs- a person who works despite
strike action or against the will of other employees Yellow dog
contract- Contract saying the employer will not join a labor union
Open Shop- Workers have choice to join labor union. right to work
states Closed Shop- Workers do not have choice, have to join
union