The New Immigrants

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The New Immigrants

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Where did the immigrants come from?Old
Immigration New Immigration

1. Between 1820 and 1920, about 33 million people
   immigrated to the United States.
2. Members of the Old group came to the US between
   1840-1890. Most of the these people came from
   northern western Europe. Majority were
   Protestants. Several thousand Chinese also came.
3. New Immigration grew rapidly after 1890. Many
   came from southern eastern Europe. Mostly were
   Catholics Jews. It also included people from
   Mexico other nations in Latin American and
   Japan.
4. New Immigrants were even different from Old
   Immigrants in their clothing religion and
   languages.

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Why did they come?Push factors or Pull factors

• Push factors (negative)
• Injustice
• Poverty
• Religious or political persecution
• Pull factors (positive)
• Democracy
• Freedom of religion
• Economic opportunity

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Life in the New Land
Most immigrants boarded a ship at a European port
and were then directed to the ship's steerage. 
The majority of people could not afford first
class or cabin passage.  In 1910 a steerage
ticket cost between 10.00 to 35.00.  Steerage
was near the bottom of the boat, very cramped,
offering little light, ventilation or privacy. At
worse, it condemned individuals to 10-15 days of
total misery.
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Onboard Ship
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Lady Liberty
The millions of immigrants who sailed to America
were greeted by the Statue of Liberty.  The
statue was a gift from France in 1884.  Frederic
Bartholdi designed and sculpted the statue.  He
decided to make the statue a symbol of
liberty.  Lady Liberty would face the ocean with
a greeting and a promise.  The seven spikes in
the statue's crown stand for seven liberties 
civil, moral,  national, natural, personal,
political, and religious.
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Ellis Island

• Ellis Island served as the portal for a majority
  of new immigrants from 1892 till it closed in
  1954.
• More than 12 million immigrants were processed
  here.

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Baggage Room

• The arriving immigrants checked most of their
  heaviest baggage in the first-floor baggage room
  before heading to the great hall for processing
  by U.S. Immigrations Inspectors.

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The Great Hall
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The Great Hall cont.

• Also known as the Registry Room, this is where
  millions of immigrants were processed for
  admission to the United States.
• After waiting in line for hours, an interview
  with the inspector would determine the applicants
  future.

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• With the huge numbers of immigrants, inspectors
  had just 2 minutes to complete the process and
  many immigrants had their last names changed by
  the inspectors because they didnt have the time
  or patience to struggle with the foreign
  spellings.

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Stairs of Separation

• As the immigrants walked up the staircase, U.S.
  Public Health Officials watched them for signs of
  a number of illnesses.

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The Inspection Line
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The Waiting Is Over

• Now began a series of tests that would determine
  your fate
• Only 2 were sent back
• 2 of 12 Million
• Would you like to have 2 of 12 Million Dollars?

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Medical Exams

• The Inspector would take about 7 seconds to
  determine if the immigrant had any infectious
  diseases.
• Some would be sent back and some detained in
  quarantine.
• Only two percent of the arriving immigrants were
  excluded from entry.

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The Medical Exam

• Medical Inspectors watched the people marked
  them with chalk
• The exam was frightening embarrassing
• Many varied ailments could send you home

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Chalk Marks Used at Ellis Island

• X Suspected Mental Defect
• Circled X- Definite Signs of Mental Defects
• B Black
• C- Conjunctivitis
• CT Trachoma
• E- Eyes
• F- Face
• Ft- Feet

• G- Goiter
• H- Heart
• K- Hernia
• N- Neck
• L- Lameness
• P- Physical Lungs
• PG- Pregnancy
• SC- Scalp
• S- Senility
• SI- Special Inquiry

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The Questions

• Asked a Series of 29 Questions
• The Same as Were Asked Before Leaving Europe
• To See if Your Story Remained the Same

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Dormitories

• Immigrants that were detained for medical or
  other reasons stayed in these rooms, tightly
  packed with rows of bunk beds.

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Making it

• Once All the Testing Was Done, You Were Allowed
  to Leave the Island Become an American
• Or Become a Bird of Passage intended to
  immigrate temporarily to earn money and then
  return to their homeland.

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The Kissing Post

• After immigrants were approved for admission,
  they would walk down the stairs to meet their
  loved ones.
• This area became known as the kissing post.

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Angel Island

• Asians immigrants arriving on the west coast went
  through Angel Island in San Francisco.
• The inspection process on Angel Island was more
  difficult than on Ellis Island.
• Immigrants endured harsh questioning and a long
  detention in filthy ramshackle buildings

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Immigrants adjusted by settling in communities
with people of their own ethnic group. This made
them feel more at home.
A Jewish vendor in Lower East Side, New York City
Little Italy, New York City
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Adjusting to a New Land
Most immigrants stayed in the cities where they
landed.
By 1900, lower Manhattan was the most crowded
place in the world.
Hester Street, ca. 1900
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Americans Reaction to Immigration

• 1. They did not like the idea of so many
  immigrants living in their country.
• 2. The arrival of so many immigrants led to the
  growth of nativism xenophobia.
• 3. Nativism is the preference for native-born
  Americans. Xenophobia is the fear or aversion of
  foreigners.
• 4. It gave rise to anti-immigrant groups.
• 5. It also led to a demand for immigration
  restriction.

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Immigration Restriction

• By the turn of the century some observers called
  America a melting pot. The blending of many
  different cultures and races in the United
  States.
• Many new immigrants refused to give up their
  culture to become part of American society.

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Anti-Asian Sentiment
Many Americans feared they would lose their
jobs to the Chinese. As a result labor groups
pressured politicians to restrict Asian
immigration.
Asians were prohibited from buying land in
California.
Chinese immigrants were frequently attacked,
and occasionally killed, by racist mobs.
Seattle's anti-Chinese riot of February 8, 1886
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Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act
- In 1882 it closed the door on Chinese
immigration for 10 years. Only students
teachers merchants tourists and government
officials.
- It was renewed several times by Congress before
being repealed in 1943 by the Supreme Court.
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The Gentlemens Agreement (1907)

• Americans showed prejudice against Japanese
  immigrants as well.
• In San Francisco the local school board put all
  Chinese Japanese and Korean children in special
  Asian schools.
• This led to anti-American riots in Japan.
• Under the Gentlemens Agreement Japans
  government agreed to limit immigration to the US
  in exchange for the repeal of the San Francisco
  segregation order.

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Quota System (1924)

• This system established the maximum number of
  people who could enter the United States from
  each foreign country.
• The goal of the quota system was to cut sharply
  European immigration to the United States.
• Favors desirable immigrants over others
• The system achieved that goal!

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The End