By: Kai Lao & Kathy Figueroa 7 th Period IMMIGRANTS

Through the “Golden Door” Late 19 th century and early 20 th century, millions of immigrants came to the United States for jobs and money. Some of these immigrants sought to escape difficult conditions, such as starvation, land shortages, and religious or political persecution. “Birds of passage” is a term used to describe immigrants that came to America temporarily to earn enough money and return to their home land.

Europeans Between 1870 and 1920 about 20 million Europeans settled the United States. Before 1890, most immigrants came from Northern and Western Europe. After 1890, Southern and Eastern Europe immigrants number increased. Reason why: Between 1800 and 1900 the population of Europe doubled to nearly 400 million, leaving little land to farm. In the United States there were supposable a lot of open jobs.

Chinese and Japanese Between 1851 and 1883, about 300,000 Chinese arrived. In 1848 many Chinese immigrants come to America after the discovery of gold in California. Chinese immigrants help build the railroad, including the first transcontinental line. After that they turned to farming, mining, and even started businesses. In 1884, the Japanese government allowed Hawaiian planters to bring Japanese workers. By 1920, more than 200,000 Japanese lived on the west cost.

West Indies and Mexico Between 1880 and 1920, immigrants from Jamaica, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and other Islands arrived to America. There were approximately 260,000 who came for jobs and the United States seemed to promise work for everyone. Mexicans also immigrated for work, and to escape political turmoil. Over the next 20 years about 700,000 people (about 7% of Mexico’s population at the time) came to the U.S. The creation of new farmland in Western states that drew Mexicans northward, known as National Reclamation Act of 1902.

Difficult journey 1870, immigration traveled by steamship, it took about a week to travel across the Atlantic Ocean. They also traveled by steerage: Cheap accommodations They were rarely allowed on deck, disease was easily spread this way, many died before they even arrived.

Ellis Island & Angel Island These island was a stopping spot for the immigrants to know whether they would be allowed in the U.S. The Ellis Island was an island on East side of the United States for the European immigrants. In 1892 to 1924, it was the chief immigration of the United States, 17 million immigrants passed through here. Angel Island was on the West side of the United States for the Asian immigrants. 20% were detained for a day or more before they were being inspected. 2% were denied entry They had to pass a medical exam, those who passed reported to the government inspector. The process took 5 or more hours.

Cooperation for survival After the immigrants came here, they had to find a place to live, get a job, and get along with daily life with a different language and culture. They built ethnic communities with churches and synagogues, they formed social clubs and aid societies. They founded orphanages and old people’s homes Established Cemeteries Published newspapers in their own languages Many immigrants thought themselves as hyphenated Americans. Native-born Americans often hated the immigrants’ unfamiliar customs and languages. They viewed it as a threat to the American way of life.

Immigration Restriction Many American thought of their country as Melting Pot, a mixture of people of different culture and races who blended together by abandoning their native language and customs. Nativism, favoritism towards native-born Americans, it gave rights to anti-immigration group, and led to the demand for immigration restriction. The American Protective association, a nativist group found in 1887 launched vicious anti- Catholic attacks, and many colleges, businesses, and social clubs refused to admit Jews.

Anti-Asian Sentiment Denis Kearney, headed the anti- Chinese movement in California made hundreds of speeches throughout the state, each one ended with a message, “Chinese must go.” In 1882, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, it banned entry to all Chinese except students, teachers, merchants, tourists, and government officials. In 1902, Congress extended the act for 10 more years, the law was nor repealed until 1943.

The Gentlemen’s Agreement The fears led to anti-Chinese agitation were extended to the Japanese and other Asian people in the early 1900s. Theodore Roosevelt worked out a deal called the Gentlemen’s Agreement of 1907 to 1908, Japan’s government agreed to limit emigration of unskilled workers to the United States in exchange for the repeal of the San Francisco segregation order.