Immigration

Immigration

Immigration – when people move from one country to another country.

Between 1866 & 1915, more than 25 million immigrants moved to the U.S.

Push Factors Conditions that drive people to leave their homes.

1. Scarce Land 2. Farm jobs lost to new machines 3. Revolution 4. Poverty and hard lives 5. Political and religious persecution.

Persecution – To annoy or harass someone.

Pull Factors Conditions that attract immigrants to a new area.

1. Promise of freedom and better life. 2. Family or friends already settled in the U.S. 3. Factory jobs available.

Pull Factors 1. Promise of freedom and better life. 2. Family or friends already settled in the U.S. 3. Factory jobs available.

Melting Pot a mixture of people from different cultures

and races who blend together by abandoning their native languages and cultures

Through the “Golden Door” Europeans (East Coast)

1890’s immigrants from southern and eastern Europe

Reasons for leaving religious persecution rising populations reform and revolt

Ellis Island Inspection station in NY Harbor

Processed immigrants physical examination by a doctor checked by a government inspector

Chinese and Japanese (West Coast) Chinese

gold rush built railroads, mined, farmed

Japanese recruited for Hawaiian farms 1898 annexation of Hawaii High American Wage

Angel Island Inspection Station in San Francisco

Endured harsh questioning and long detention

Other Nationalities The West Indies

limited jobs Heard about the economic boom in America

Mexico political turmoil newly created farmland in the southwest

Galveston

Inspection Station in Galveston Major port of entry before Ellis

Island An estimated 200,000 immigrants

entered America through Galveston from 1865 to 1924

Life in the New Land

Came by boat Traveled in steerage

Crowded conditions which allowed disease to spread quickly

Cooperation for Survival

Challenges find a place to live get a job try to understand the

language and culture Emergence of ethnic communities

The Crowded City

Many immigrants settled in the city

Most lived near family or friends Tenements: multifamily urban

dwelling, usually overcrowded and unsanitary

Overcrowding led to sanitation & safety problems

Poverty made immigrants susceptible to corrupt politicians

Americanization Movement

education program designed to help immigrants assimilate to American culture History and English

lessons Cooking and social

etiquette

Immigration Restrictions

Nativism favoring the interest of native-

born people over foreign-born people.

Introduction of Nativist groups Nativist did not object

immigrants from the “right” countries

Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) Banned the entry of Chinese

immigrants for ten years By 1902 Chinese immigration was

restricted indefinitely