IMMIGRATION

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IMMIGRATION

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Where did immigrants come from?
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Where did Immigrants enter the U.S. ?
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Ellis Island

• Located in New York Harbor.
• Entry point for European immigrants.
• Over 12 million people enter through Ellis Island

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Angel Island

• Located in San Francisco Bay.
• Entry point for many Asian Immigrants.
• Many were held here for extended periods of
  time.

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Mexico Canada

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Process of entering the U.S.

•   Had to be tested for diseases and
  physically fit
•   Had to have documents from other country
•   Had to be mentally fit
•   Had to be ready for life in the U.S.

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Reasons for emigration

• Push factors Reasons why people chose to leave
  their country.
• Religious persecution
• Political persecution
• Bad economy/poverty
• War
• Discrimination

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Reasons for immigrating into the U.S.

• Pull factors Reasons why people chose to come
  to America
• Political freedom
• Religious freedom
• Work/jobs
• Land/housing
• Education

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Destination/places where they settled

• Most immigrants settled near the port of entry
  (Ex New York, San Francisco)
• If diseased they were quarantined
• Settled in large cities
• Only 2 Percent went South
• Earned about 5-10 a week for up to 80 hour work
  weeks

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Treatment/reception by other Americans

• Most Immigrants were treated very poorly when
  they arrived.
• 1st wave immigrants (Italians, Irish German)
  are treated better then 2nd wave (Jews, Polish
  Asians)
• Americans feared immigrants would take their
  jobs away.

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Opportunities for and success of Immigrants
Now What?
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Employment

• Dry Cleaners
• News Stands
• Grocery Stores
• Machine Shops
• Garment factory

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Living conditions Tenements

• Apartments in city
• Houses in the slums
• Poor living conditions

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Education

• Children got education after coming to America
• Parents and elders got no education

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Political Representation

• The Italians had the most political
  representation of all the groups
• Polish and Jewish immigrants had little political
  representation
• Asians had no representation

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Assimilation? If so, to what degree?

• Immigrants tried to hang onto some of their
  traditions customs but most melted into
  American society.
• Becoming American was seen as the quickest
  path to success

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Legal vs. illegal immigrants

• There were very few illegal immigrants during the
  early 1900's as Mexicans and Canadians were not
  counted as immigrants
• Most of the immigrants that came to America at
  that time came through legally

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Laws restricting immigration

• Chinese exclusionary Act Excluded Chinese
  immigrants from coming into the U.S.
• In 1892 an act passed by Congress provided for
  the examination of immigrants and the excluding
  of convicts, people suffering from diseases, and
  people liable to public charges