The European Immigrants

1
The European Immigrants

• EPIC STORY

Mark Stuart Adrian
2
Once upon a time

• Book review
• The immigrant experience
• My Ántonia (Bohemian immigration)
• The Jungle (Finding work as an immigrant)
• The 42nd Parallel (Competition with immigration)

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My Ántonia

• Main character Jim (Native USA boy)
• Ántonia The girl from Bohemia
• Key Immigrant issues
• Rural America what jobs were offered? Who could
  do them?
• Coping with America Did everyone attain the
  American Dream? (Think Mr. Shimerda)
• Did immigrants become Americans, or did they
  clump together? (Melting pot question think the
  hired girls)

4

The Jungle

• Main character Jurgis (From Lithuania)
• Believes he can attain the American Dream by
  working harder faster better (Guess what)
• Shows
• injustice to immigrants (Jurgis is scammed when
  he buys a house)
• Back-breaking labor in Packington, USA
• Judical injustice
• Lack of infrastructure to immigrants
• REASONS WHY PEOPLE WANT SOCIALISM

5

The 42nd Parallel

• Main character Mac
• Highlights several rags to riches stories
• Edison (no, not the rock star- think telephone
  no wait, light bulb)
• Carnegie
• A bit like the Jungle lack of job security (Mac
  is NOT an immigrant) lack of social justice.
• Immigrant pool allowed quick replacement of lousy
  workers.

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Reasons for immigration?

• In the past for a religious homeland of
  stability (Puritan America)
• Now
• Political persecution
• Religious persecution
• Judicial persecution
• Economic hardship
• Disease and famine

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The American DreamRags to Riches

• If you work hard enough, you will eventually get
  the things you want.
• Easier said than done
• Those who attained it exception, not the rule.
• Too many immigrants/workers trying to attain the
  the above.
• Most peoples American Dream money to live a
  happy comfortable life.

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The American RealityRags to Rags

• The reality is quite different
• Very hard to advance in jobs (Think Speed up
  gang)
• Hundreds of people standing outside factory for a
  job for a few people.
• No Workers Compensation Jurgis hurts ankle
  company drops his pay.
• Sink deeper and deeper into debt. (Interest was
  amazingly high)
• No job security rags stay with rags.

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Andrew Carnegie

• Born to poor Scottish family
• Age 12 earned 1.20 a week
• 50 years later he gave away 1/3 of a billion
  dollars to charity
• His claim to fame Steel bridges
• Firm believer in the Gospel of Wealth and the
  Rags to Riches story (work hard enough, and you
  will succeed!)

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Immigration trends

• Late 1800s- majority immigrants from
  Northern/Western Europe (England, Germany,
  Scandenavia)
• 1900s- Massive increase in Southern/Eastern
  Europe immigrants (Italy, Poland, Russia, Greece,
  Turkey, Syria, Austria-Hungry)
• Why? Faster transport Problems at home

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The Myths of Immigration

• Gospel of Wealth
• The more money you had, the better you were
  (Andrew Carnegie). Widely held belief.
• Andrew Carnagie a pure humanist NO. He did NOT
  donate things to soup kitchens charities require
  you to work to go from rags to riches.
• The Jungle DID NOT change the immigrants life-
  FDA laws instead.

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Lest we forget...
Is this an American Dream?