The Immigrant Experience

1
The Immigrant Experience

• For many the first sight of the US was the Statue
  of Liberty at the
• entrance to New York harbour.
• 1892 Ellis island was established

2
Transatlantic journey

• Cramped, often stormy, poor food and sanitation ,
  little privacy
• Immigrants arrived tired, fearful, and in some
  cases sick or dead
• They were examined for diseases e.g. those with
  leprosy or sexually transmitted diseases were
  deported

3
THEY ARE COMING

• Migrants poured into the US in their millions.
• Often men would go first, and wives and children
  followed.
• Many were skilled workers.
• Most were willing to work at any job to get a
  start.

4
island of tears

• First contact with America was made at Ellis
  Island.
• migrants were processed
• Later, immigration acts introduced new literacy
  and health tests.
• Here migrants might choose a new, more
  pronounceable name often from the telephone
  directory.

5
island of tears

• A circle with a cross on your back meant that
  feeble minded
• The family would be sent home
• They would also have to answer questions
• Could you answer the questions?
• http//www.historychannel.com/ellisisland/whoare/i
  ndex.html
• If they passed they had their names recorded and
  were given a landing card

Schoyn vergesson I forget Sean Ferguson
6
Starting out

• Immigrants purchased railroad tickets and
  arranged lodgings
• Those who had enough cash e.g. Germans,
  Scandinavians travelled west to Chicago
• Others settled on the great plains as farmers or
  moved to California

7
http//www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/photo_album/photo
_album.html
8
Starting out

• Most of the poor Irish and Italians stayed in the
  cities in the east filling low paid jobs
• In 1890 New York contained twice as many Irish as
  Dublin and as many Italians as Naples
• Also two and half times the Jewish population of
  Warsaw

4 out of 5 people in NY were immigrants
9
THE SLUMS

• There were 46 babies in the block but no bath
  tub. There were over a thousand rooms in the
  block but over 400 hundred had no window to the
  outside world. Many people died from illnesses
  caused by these conditions.
• Apartments had no heating. Running water was
  only available in the filthy hall. Toilets were
  in the basement, about 10 floors down from our
  room. The smell was terrible and in winter we
  froze.But we froze back in Russia so whats the
  difference? At least we now had a dream to aim
  for.

http//www.historychannel.com/ellisisland/index2.h
tml
10
PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION

• By 1914 America was a multi-cultural society.
• The community included
• Asians
• Blacks
• Whites
• Many newer migrants found that America was not
  free from racism and discrimination.

11
Webquest

• In the following WebQuest, you will adopt one of
  two roles
• the role of a new immigrant, or the role of an
  immigration officer.
• Your goal is to write a page from your diary
  about this experience.
• Click on http//www.ardecol.ac-grenoble.fr/english
  /ellisislandwebquest.htm

12
Life as an immigrant
http//www.historychannel.com/broadband/clipview/i
ndex.jsp?idtdih_1231

• Many could not speak English
• No money, low paid work and long hours
• Overcrowded slums
• Crime and violence- gangs of New York
• Faced discrimination in housing and jobs
• Growing opposition

13
Homework

• Describe the problems faced by immigrants in
  American cities in the 1920s (4)