The New Immigrants Chapter 15 Section 1

I Through the “Golden Door” Immigrants left home for promise of better life – Famine, poverty, land shortage, rel. & pol. Persecution “Birds of Passage” intended to immigrate temp. to make $$ & return home

A Immigrants from Europe Irish Immigration Potatoes were staple, or major, food crop Disease struck crop creating the Great Irish Famine – Great Irish Famine= 1 mil. Poor Irish die of starvation due to potato famine Great Irish Famine  migration of 2 mil. Irish to US Irish were Catholic and general poor

German Immigration German immigrated due to economic depression & escape rel. persecution Came to US in search of land & business opp. Germans were Protestant & mostly middle class

B. Immigrants from China & Japan Chinese Immigration Immigrated WEST in smaller #s than Europeans – Looking to strike it rich w/ discovery of gold Built RR, worked farms and mines Immigration limited after congressional Act

Japanese Immigration Japanese gov’t allows Hawaii to recruit Japanese workers  immigration boom US Annexes Hawaii  increase im. To west coast Word of higher wages than in japan  increase of Japanese im.

C. Immigrants from West Indies & Mexico Ppl from Caribbean (Jamaica, Cuba, PR) left homelands for jobs Mex. Pop rises with Annexation of Texas – Other Mex. Fled pol. Turmoil National Reclamation Act  development of farming land in West states  increase of Mex. Im. Looking for jobs

II Immigration Restriction Ppl believed Amer. was a melting pot – Melting Pot= mixture of ppl of diff. cultures & races blended together by abandoning their native culture Many refused to give up their culture – Led to strong anti-immigrant feelings and laws that restricted im.

A. Rise of Nativism Nativism was response to increase of im. – Nativism= overt favoritism toward native born Americans German were “right” im. Because of their protestant religion & middle class Irish “wrong” im. Because they were Roman Catholic & poorer – Fear of these groups let to attacks and denial of entry to schools, clubs, etc.

Americans believe Anglo-Saxons were superior to other groups – Anglo-Saxons= Germanic ancestors of the English Congress passes law that requires literacy tests for im. But pres. Vetoes it – Law evidence of nativism

B. Anti-Asian Sentiment Prejudice towards Asians because of vastly dif. Language, customs, and looked diff. Depression aggravates anti-Chinese feelings – Natives afraid jobs go to Chinese who old take lower wages than natives Riots ensue  pressure on gov’t to restrict im.  congress passes Chinese Exclusion Act CEA= banned entry to all Chinese except students, teachers, merchants, gov’t officials

C. The Gentlemen's Agreement Chinese prejudice spread to other Asians – Asian students segregated into Asian schools Riots ensued until Roosevelt persuades the withdrawal of segregation in exchange for Gentlemen’s Agreement – Gentlemen’s Agreement= Japan gov’t agreed to limit im. Doors closed to im. On west but Midwest and East were filled with im. And challenges