Immigration to the United States

1
Immigrationto the United States
Immigrants came to America for many reasons and
faced a number of challenges.
2
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.

3
From 1866 to 1915, more than 25 million
immigrants migrated to the U.S.
Immigrants are people that go to a new country
to make it their home.
America is a nation of immigrants.
All Americans are related to immigrants or are
immigrants themselves.
4
Reasons For Increased Immigration
2. Religious freedom
1. Hope for better opportunities
3. Escape from oppressive governments and
political persecutionWar or fighting in their
country
5. Letters from family and friends
4. Adventure
5
What pushed immigrants from their homeland?

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

6
What pulled immigrants to the United States?

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

7
Old Immigration 1830 1890
The Irish from Ireland
The Germans from Germany
The Scandinavians from Sweden, Norway, and Denmark
8
New Immigration 1890 - 1920
The Italians from Italy
The Russians and Polish from Russia and Poland
The Chinese from China
The Japanese from Japan
The Mexicans from Mexico
9
Arrival In America The two ports of immigration
entry
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 inspectionthen wait in long
lines.
before they could finally enter the U.S.
10
Immigrants flock to America and experience
discrimination

• The American Melting pot faces resistance

• 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

11
There was first discrimination against the Irish
because they were Catholic Second, there was
discrimination against the Chinese
In 1882, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion
Act. This act banned Chinese immigration for ten
yearsRepealed/ended in 1943 during WWII.
12
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.

13
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 Gentlemans Agreement, 1907
• President Roosevelt has San Francisco School
  Board meet at the White House.
• Japan agrees to limit immigration San
  Francisco ends segregation