Transcript New Immigrants

NEW IMMIGRANTS
14.1
OBJECTIVES
Compare the “new immigration” of the late 1800s
to earlier immigration.
 Explain the push and pull factors leading
immigrants to America.
 Describe the challenges that immigrants faced in
traveling to America.
 Analyze how immigrants adapted to American
life while trying to maintain familiar cultural
practices.

KEY PARTS
New Immigrants Come to America
 Immigrants Decide to leave home
 The Immigrant Experience
 Opportunity and Challenges in America
 Immigrants Change America
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NEW IMMIGRANTS COME TO AMERICA
Immigrants had always come to America for
economic opportunity and religious freedom.
 Most had come from early protestants and then
later German and Irish immigrants. In the 1870s
“new immigrants” come from southern and
eastern Europe.
 These immigrants were often unskilled and poor,
they were from Italy, Greece, Poland, Hungary,
Russia.

CONT.
After 1900 immigrants from Southern and
Eastern Europe made up more than 70 percent of
all immigrants.
 That is up from about 1 percent at midcentury.
 Many native-born Americans felt threatened by
these newcomers with different cultures and
languages.

IMMIGRANTS DECIDE TO LEAVE HOME
Two types of factors lead to immigration. Push
factors are those that compel people to leave their
homes such as famine, war, or persecution.
 Pull factors are those that draw people to a new
place such as economic opportunity or religious
freedom.
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CONT.
Push Factors- In the 1880s farmers in Mexico,
Poland, and China lost their farms due to land
reform and low prices for their produce.
 Pull Factors- The United States offered plenty of
land and employment.
 Many businesses welcomed the immigrants in
hope of cheap labor and economic stimulation.
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THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE
Coming to America was a big task, also a costly
one for European immigrants.
 They were only allowed to bring what they could
carry with them. So many had virtually nothing
once they arrived in America.
 Many of the immigrants had to endeavor the long
voyage in steerage which is the worst
accommodations on the steamships they were on,
sickness spread and many died on the ride over.
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CONT.
In 1892 the first stop for immigrants was the
processing station at Ellis Island or New York
Harbor.
 This is where the United States officials
determined whether the immigrant could stay or
be shipped back to Europe.
 All first and second class citizens were inspected
on the ship and set free. All third class
immigrants or steerage passengers were sent to
Ellis Island.
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CONT..
During this same time Asian Immigrants were
coming to America via the Pacific ocean.
 They would arrive at San Francisco Bay and
processed through Angel Island.
 Angel Island was a very tough place, many
Chinese immigrants were turned away and even
those who did stay were held for weeks to get
processed and had to stay in very poor conditions.
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OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES IN
AMERICA
Passing immigration inspections was just the
first step for immigrants.
 There were often language barriers and they had
to figure out how to adjust and fit into the new
society and figure out how to obtain a job.
 Most immigrants stayed in cities near industrial
jobs in factories.
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CONT.
By 1890 many cities had huge immigrant
populations. In San Francisco and Chicago they
made up more than 40 percent of the population.
 Four out of five inhabitants of New York City
were foreign born.
 In many cities volunteer institutions known as
settlement houses ran Americanization
programs, helping newcomers learn English and
adopt American dress and diet.
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CONT..
During this time is when the United States
began representing the term “melting pot” which
simply means the blended nationalities living
and operating together in one country.
 Many new immigrants faced hostility, they were
subjected to nativism which was a belief that
native-born white Americans were superior to
newcomers.
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IMMIGRANTS CHANGE AMERICA
Despite opposition, immigrants transformed
American Society.
 They fueled industrial growth and brought new
customs, techniques, and traditions to the
workforce and society.
 Ultimately the Immigrants expanded the
definition of being an American.
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