1. Immigration and Urbanization
* US History

2. America is a country of immigrants
Everyone came from somewhere else
1900 Immigrant population:
26% Germany
16% Ireland
11% Scandinavia
8% England
5% Italy
4% Russia
3.5% Poland
25% Other

3. Coming to America
Immigrants from Europe and Asia came to the US by one method.
Passenger Ship
The trip took about a week from Europe and three weeks from Asia.
The cheapest passage was in “steerage”
Until the 20th Century, America needed cheap labor so we favored an open immigration policy

4. Processing Immigrants
Ellis Island
European immigrants passed through
Opened in 1890 as a federal immigration processing center
By the time it closed in 1954, 12 million immigrants passed through it to new lives in America
Angel Island
The “Ellis Island” of the west
Processed over 1 million Asian immigrants into America

5. Ellis Island Physical examination by a doctor
Those with serious health problems or a contagious disease were sent home for deportation
About 20% were detained for a day or more before inspection
Only about 2% were denied entry
Checked documents and questioned immigrants on whether they met legal requirements:
1. Must be able to prove they had never been
convicted of a felony,
2. Able to work
3. Showing they had some money.

6. De-Facto Segregation Many immigrants stayed in New York
Created ethnic enclaves throughout the city
Little Italy
Jewish and Irish Neighborhoods
Why might people group in this way?
Do we still group ourselves in this way?

7. Restrictions on Immigrants
This influx of immigrants concerned many in America
American immigrants were expected to give up ethnicity and language and assimilate
Many new immigrants did not want to or could not give up their old ways.
Melting pot vs. Salad
Which do you think is better?

8. Restrictions on Immigrants
Americans began to want to restrict immigrants coming into the US.
A “nativist” attitude sets in
Many in Congress supported imposing literacy tests on immigrants
To prevent immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe from coming in.
Labor unions began to oppose immigration
feared increased immigration would make jobs scarce for Americans

9. Chinese Exclusion Act
Discrimination against Asians (particularly Chinese) was rampant
The depression of 1873 made work scarce
The Workingmen’s Party spearheaded the effort to reduce Chinese immigration
Afraid cheap Chinese labor would take jobs from poor Americans

10. Gentlemen’s Agreement
The Chinese were not the only ones to suffer from nativist sentiment
Americans in San Francisco began segregating Japanese students in schools in 1906
Japan protested the treatment of its emigrants
President Theodore Roosevelt made a deal with Japan
They limit emigration from Japan of unskilled workers and the US would lift the segregation