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Story Time! • The year is 1880. New York City’s swelling population has created a housing crises. Immigrant families crowd into apartments that lack light, ventilation, and sanitary facilities. Children have no where to play except the streets and are often kept out of school to work and help support their families. You are a reformer who wishes to help immigrants improve their lives….
Discussion: Turn and Talk • 1. What would you do to improve conditions? • 2. What skills do newcomers need to make it? • 3. How might immigrants respond to help from an outsider? • 4. How do you think you’d react?
Why Did The Immigrants Come Here? • Between 1870 & 1920, about 20 million Europeans immigrated to the U.S. • 1. Escape religious persecution • 2. Improve their economic situation (jobs) (Birds of passage) • 3. Experience greater freedom in the U.S. • 4. Escape difficult conditions (famine, land shortages – from rising population)
Prior to 1871, most immigrants to America came from northern and western Europe (Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Norway, and Sweden). • During the half-century from 1871 until 1921, most immigrants came from southern and eastern Europe (Italy, Greece, Poland, Russia, present day Hungary, and former Yugoslavia), as well as Asia (China and Japan).
Ellis Island: • Most European immigrants to the U.S. arrived in New York and had to pass through immigration station located on Ellis Island in New York Harbor • Immigrants were carefully health screened and could only bring 100lbs of belongings • Their first view of America was often the Statue of Liberty, as their ships arrived following the voyage across the Atlantic. Ellis Island - NY
Passing Inspection: • Officials at Ellis Island decided whether the immigrants could enter the country. • 1. Check for serious health problems • 2. Document checks • What do you think the requirements for entering the country should have been?
What Were the Requirements for Admission? • 1. Proving they had never been convicted of a felony? • 2. Demonstrating that they were able to work. • 3. Showing that they had some money: at least $25 (1909 standard) • Let’s look at an example:
Here Are The Exact Questions Used: • 1.What is your name? • 2. Have you ever been to the America before? • 3. Do you have any relatives here? If the answer was yes, then asked where they lived. • 4. Is there anyone who came to meet you at Ellis Island? • 5. Who paid for your passage? • 6. Do you have any money? ( If the answer was yes then immigrant was told: Let me see it.) • 7. Do you have a job waiting for you in America? • 8. Do you have a criminal record?
Edward Ferro: An Italian Immigrant: • “The language was a problem of course, but it was overcome by the use of interpreters…It would happen sometimes that these interpreters – some of them – were really softhearted people and hated to see people being deported, and they would, at times, help the aliens by interpreting in such a manner as to benefit the alien and not the government.” (I Was Dreaming to Come to America)
Angel Island: • Not all immigrants came through Ellis Island • Angel Island - Immigration station for the Asian immigrants arriving on the West Coast- San Francisco. • Inspection process more difficult than on Ellis Island. (filthy conditions, harsh questioning)
Cooperation For Survival: • Think about: Finding a place to live, a job, understanding the language and culture in a new country • Many immigrants settled in communities with other immigrants from same country.
Immigration Restrictions: • America started to be called a MELTING POT - Many cultures & races had blended • But, many immigrants refused to give up their culture.
While often settling in ethnic neighborhoods in the growing cities, they and their children worked hard to learn English, adopt American customs, and become American citizens. • The public schools served an essential role in the process of assimilating immigrants into American society
The Rise of Nativism: • Some Americans didn’t like so many immigrants living in the U.S. • NATIVISM- preference for native-born Americans. • Nativism • 1. Gave rise to anti-immigrant groups • 2. Led to a demand for immigration restrictions.
Anti-Asian Sentiment: • Chinese immigrants worked for low wages – this took jobs from native born Americans • Labor groups pressured politicians to restrict Asian immigration. • CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT1882 - Banned all but a few Chinese immigrants • Not lifted until 1943.
Contributions • Chinese workers helped to build the Transcontinental Railroad. • Immigrants worked in textile and steel mills in the Northeast and the clothing industry in New York City. • Slavs, Italians, and Poles worked in the coal mines of the East. They often worked for very low pay and endured dangerous working conditions to help build the nation’s industrial strength.
Urban Opportunities: • Many immigrants settled in cities in the early 1900’s – work • Cities began to become overcrowded • Urbanization - the rapid growth of cities. • Farmers also moved into the city – new technology = less farming jobs
Urban Problems: • There became serious shortages in housing. • New types of housing were created 1)Row house – apartment type homes 2)Tenement – Multifamily urban houses often overcrowded & unsanitary • Sanitation was a problem
Urban Problems: Sanitation • Cities had hard time supplying safe drinking water. • People threw garbage out their windows. • Horse manure piled up on the streets • Sewage flowed in streets. • By 1900, many cities built sewers & created sanitation departments.
New York City was the first city to begin construction of a subway system around the turn of the twentieth century, and many cities built trolley or streetcar lines.
