Unit 6- Immigration and Urbanization

YES/NO Questions 1. Immigration is a major problem in the U.S. 2. The U.S. government should ban people from

certain countries and/or religions because of terrorism 3. You should have to be able to speak English to

emigrate to the US 4. The U.S. should build a wall on its southern border

with Mexico 5. All immigrants who have come to the U.S. illegally

should be sent back to the country where they came from

6. The United States is populated enough and should stop all immigration

I. Immigration

A. Immigrant- Person who enters a foreign country after leaving their homeland

- Most came to US for a chance at a better life (“Land of Opportunity”)

- More have come to US than any other country in the world

- Most knew the keys to success were determination and hard work

B. Alien- Immigrant who has not yet become a citizen

C. Naturalization- Process by which an alien becomes a citizen

II. European Immigrants A. Pre 1890- Early

Immigration

Northern and Western Europe

B. 1870-1930- trend changed to Eastern and Southern Europe

Steady source of cheap labor

Most settled in port of entry

C. The potato famine caused thousands of Irish to move to U.S. between 1845 and 1847.

D. Irish and Germans that immigrated to the U.S. prior to 1885 are known as Old Immigration

III. Chinese Immigrants Most came to US to

work on the railroads, also the Gold Rush

Chinese Exclusion Act- banned Chinese immigrants in 1882

IV. Japanese Immigration

A. Began moving to Hawaii to work as planters, then many moved to West Coast (higher wages)

B. Gentlemen’s Agreement- US would end Japanese segregation; in exchange Japan would limit the amount of unskilled workers emigrating to the U.S.

V. Mexico and the West Indies

A. Caribbean immigration (Jamaica, Cuba, Puerto Rico) came because of a lack of jobs

B. Mexicans came to find work and flee political turmoil

VI. Melting Pot- a mixture of different cultures and races, who blend together into one common “American” culture, by abandoning their native culture and customs

Many historians now see America as a “Salad Bowl”

VII. Nativism- favoritism toward native-born Americans; believed certain ethnic groups were superior to others

Nativists saw immigrants taking jobs, living together, keeping wages down, and not assimilating

VIII. Journey to America

Immigration centers to “process” immigrants (vet)

A. Ellis Island- NYC harbor, where European immigrants went

Denied entrance if you had a contagious disease

Had to pass a literacy test by 1917

B. Angel Island- San Francisco Bay, Asian immigrants from across pacific Ocean

Could be detained for months

IX. Immigrants in America

A. Helped build US canals and railroads

B. Worked in mills, mines, and factories

X. Immigrants and Public Education

Many viewed education as:

1. An aid to assimilation

2. A path to advancement

3. As a threat to their cultural heritage

1. What do you see?

2. What do you think this cartoon is about?

3. What do you think the cartoonist is trying to say?