Immigration

Homework Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfvRxpPlYC0

Reasons Immigrants wanted to leave their homeland. "Push factors" in Europe are: 1. "Population Growth": Europe had better food and homes causing a population growth.  Europe soon became overcrowded. 2. "Agricultural Changes": Landlords took advantage of city growth because of the over crowdedness.  They forced residents out in order for the land owners to farm in large areas. 3. "Crop Failures": Poor farmers were in debt because of crop failures.  It also caused them to starve.  They chose to redeem themselves in America instead. 4. "Industrial Revolution": Factories made cheaper materials that artisans could not compete with.  Because of their unemployment status, some artisans decided to come to the United Sates of America. 5. "Religious and Political Chaos": Quakers from Norway, and Jew from Germany left to stay away from religious harassment.  Germans also came because the German Revolution didn't work out.

Reasons Immigrants were drawn to the U.S. "Pull factors" are reasons or actions that that attracted emigrants to the United States.  Some pull factors are stated below. 1. "Freedom": In the United States, everyone had the freedom to practice anything they desire. 2. "Economic Opportunity": Immigrants looked for a place to live a better life and they found it in America.  3. "Plentiful Land": The Louisiana Purchase and Mexican Cession effect on the United Sates was gaining more than enough land,  This attracted Europeans who faced overcrowding in their country.

Suffering for the potential for the “American Dream” There were three types of accommodations on the ships that brought immigrants to America: first class, second class and steerage. Only steerage passengers were processed at Ellis Island. First- and second- class passengers were quickly and courteously “inspected” onboard the ship before being transferred to New York.

Inspections Passengers were inspected for possible contagious diseases such as cholera, plague, smallpox, typhoid fever, yellow fever, scarlet fever, measles and diphtheria. Few cabin-class passengers were marked to be sent to Ellis Island for more complete examinations. For example, in 1905, of 100,000 cabin passengers arriving in New York, only 3,000 had to pass through Ellis Island for additional medical checks. During the same year, 800,000 steerage passengers were examined at the island. If immigrants had any of the diseases proscribed by the immigration laws, or were too ill or feeble-minded to earn a living, they would be deported. Sick children age 12 or older were sent back to Europe alone and were released in the port from which they had come. Children younger than 12 had to be accompanied by a parent. There were many tearful scenes as families with a sick child decided who would go and who would stay.

Processing Centers Ellis Island- New York Angel Island- San Francisco, California El Paso, Texas

Chinese Immigrants. Chinese immigrants entered through Angel Island and were often held there for weeks while their families were investigated. They had to be investigated because only immigrants whose fathers were U.S. citizens would be allowed in the country.

Mexican Immigrants The main processing center for Mexican Immigrants was in El Paso, Texas. They settled in the Southwest and found work in construction, steel mills, mines, and commercial farms.

Communities and Support When they reached New York they formed communities in order to preserve their customs. They built schools, formed clubs, and places of worship. Some communities formed Benevolent Societies in order to aid in times of sickness, death, and unemployment.

Immigrant Neighborhoods

Living Conditions They often lived in poorly built overcrowded apartments known as Tenements. This was far from the American dream that many of them had come over in hopes of.

Working Conditions Many Immigrants worked on farms at home and were often forced into working in low-paying, unskilled jobs. These jobs were in industrial jobs, like steel mill and construction. Factories requiring long hours, hot and unhealthy working conditions are termed sweatshops. These Sweatshops were big businesses that benefitted from the work of immigrants.

Opposition to immigrants People who thought that immigrants were taking away the jobs of native-born Americans were called Nativists. The Nativists feared that too many immigrants were being let into the country and advocated for laws to limit or stop immigrants from entering America. One of these laws was the 1880 Chinese Exclusion Act that banned Chinese immigration for 10 years. This was the first time a nationality was banned from the country.