Ch 25 Immigration Increase of Immigration Between 1860

Ch. 25 Immigration

Increase of Immigration • Between 1860 -1900 population more then doubled -2, 000 immigrants a day • Railroads advertising in Europe to sell land paid to build transcontinental RR (Kansas was describes as tropical)(streets paved in gold, free or cheap land, rich soil, “even maids had maids”, no one needed to work) • $12 = to $150 in today’s $ • Employers would pay your way if you signed contracts (yellow dog contracts-non union agreement) • Before 1880 majority immigrants came from N. W. Europe (GB, Scotland, Ireland, & Germany) • Fair skinned protestants w/ high rate of literacy (tended to be farmers) • After 1880 66% came from S. E. Europe (Italy, Turkey, Greece, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia) • Dark skinned Catholics or Jews & largely illiterate (tended to work in factories) • Largest migration in history of mankind

What Caused Controversy? • Existing employees would be replaced by immigrants • Work for less wages • Sign non-union contracts before they arrive(didn’t speak English) • Most new immigrants concentrated in cities (very visible)(ghettos)(tenements, overcrowded) • Different language & religion

Why so many S. E. • Europeans came • to the U. S. ? 1. Population in Europe doubled putting many out of work (60 m left Europe & ½ came to U. S. ) 2. “American Fever” – letters coming home from U. S. described as land of plenty: “we eat here every day what we get for Easter in our country. ” • 3. Military Conscription: young boys taken away from family to join military & families never see them again • 4. Religious Persecution: esp. among Jewish population sent to live in designated areas & discriminated heavily (1/3 population in Russia left because of pogroms) • 5. Political Persecution –if nationality is minority the majority population discriminates • 6. Birds of Passage – 25% -come short term, make $ & then go home (Chinese most successful at this) • 7. Farms of Europe depleted from overuse

3 rd period • Explain how the Homestead Act & the transcontinental Railroad were considered necessities under Economic Nationalism: • Between 1860 & 1900 what happened to the population of this country & why? • Who was advertising in Europe to come to America and why? (2) • What true tales & false tales were told by agents? • Explain the difference between NW European immigration & SE European immigration & What caused controversy about the SE European ? • Give one reason why immigrants were pushed to the U. S. : • Give one reason why immigrants were pulled to the U. S. :

Immigrants from China & Japan • Arrived at West Coast • 1851 -1883 200, 000 Chinese came to the U. S. • Most Birds of passage w/ few women ( ½ returned w/ savings) • Came for California Gold Rush but when they arrived Gold Rush over • Worked on the RR then turned to mining • Hated by other Americans because worked for less & took jobs (different looks, language, worked much harder) Many violent acts against them from cutting off ponytail to murder • By 1880 California had 75, 000 Asian newcomers (9% population) Most came from S. China because of Taiping Rebellion (15 yrs)(mid to late 1800’s)

Journey to the U. S. • Before Civil War all immigrants came by sail now after war most all come by steamboat (reason for increase) • Atlantic – cut trip from 2 months (sail) to 10 days (steam) • Pacific – cut trip from 3 months (sail) to 20 days (steam) • Steamships headed to America to pick up exports(U. S. making 30% of goods bought in Europe) could make a profit by carrying passengers to America • Most traveled in steerage or in cargo which was below the waterline w/ no ventilation & no light • 6 toilets per 100 passengers • Dark, stormy, dirty, rat infested, • Rarely allowed on deck • Lice infested bunks, sharing toilets, unable to take baths, disease spread fast & some never made it.

Ellis Island • 1886 Statue of Liberty arose in NY Harbor gift from France: “give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. ” show America Story of Us: Cities 1: 00 • 11, 000 a day & all had to pass inspection before allowed entry (physical & interrogation) • 20% detained several days (mostly because illness caught on ship or political problems – most S. E. Europeans didn’t trust govt so lied) • Inspectors Americanized Names Iorizzo became Rice(only 2% sent back: reasons = health, criminal record, moral behavior, or political views) • Requirements had to pass literacy test in native language & prove they had $25 or relative who did. Must be 16 if not w/ adult, if not sent home • Families split up – 1 accepted while another rejected (took yrs to reunite families) • Whole ordeal took at least 5 hours

Ethnic Cities • Confusion & anxiety w/ differing cultures, religions, (many cons trying to take $) • Nightmare of finding a job, place to live & food (reason for $25) • Many reacted to culture shock by searching out other immigrants like themselves (shock at electricity, indoor plumbing, street cars, soda fountains, street cars, ice cream, lemons, & bananas) • Ghettos – conditions were very poor / very visible causing political & economic friction (China Town, Little Italy, Jewish Lower East Side) • Recreated synagogues, churches, clubs, & newspapers of their homeland. • How well they adjusted depended on how fast they learned English, & skills they came with • Considered hyphenated Americans: Chinese. Americans, Polish-Americans, Italian-Americans.

3 rd & 4 th stopped here Rise of Nativism • Fear was that the new immigrants weren’t assimilating fast enough • Strong anti-immigrant feelings emerged as recession hit: • 1. Took jobs because factory owners preferred them over existing Americans because Work for less • Wouldn’t join unions @ 1 st • 2. Between 1877 -1890 6. 3 million people entered U. S. By 1890 15% of population was foreign born(9 million) (population seemed larger because settled together in cities) • 3. fear of foreigners grew w/ radical ideas of socialism & anarchy • 4. Protestants feared Catholics & Jews

Video: Chinese Exclusion Act laptop 2: 19 • Hip Hughes on Chinese Exclusion Act

Chinese Exclusion Act • Riots against Chinese occurred in 1870’s & 1880’s in Los Angelis, San Francisco, Seattle, Reno, & Denver • Chinese men wore their hair in long braids, broad pants, & wide-brimmed hats • Depression of 1873 increased Chinese hatred because jobs were scarce & Chinese work for less • Led by Denis Kearney who himself was an Irish immigrant • 1882 Congress responded w/ law banning entry to all Chinese for 10 yrs except students, teachers, merchants, tourists, & govt. officials (not repealed until 1943) • Chinese men already living in the U. S. were prohibited from sending for their wives or becoming citizens – “birds of Passage”

• • • • • Between 1860 & 1900 what happened to the population of this country & why? Explain the difference between NW European immigration & SE European immigration: Give one reason why immigrants were pushed to the U. S. : Give one reson why immigrants were pulled to the U. S. : Explain Ellis Island & Angel Island: What 3 exams might one immigrant have to go through at Ellis Island? What were some of the reasons they would mark you with chalk? What changed after 1917 with entry to the U. S. because of Nativists pressure on government? Why might a child who was on board now be missing at Ellis & where did he go? Why were some foreigner’s names changed? What was the most important question of inspectors to determine? How many a month were deported? What was the # 1 reason for deportation? Why was their a re-emergence of the Ku Klux Klan during this period? Where did the immigrants tend to settle & why? Why was this such a problem for Nativists? Describe the American Protective Association: Why was there such a fear of Catholics & Jews? Describe the Immigration Restriction League:

What % of California’s population was Chinese? If this % is so small why was there such racism towards the Chinese? What was happening in China to cause them to migrate to the U. S. ?

• What was the Chinese Exclusion Act? • Explain the part of the Chinese Exclusion Act that forced Chinese already here to return? • What did the Board of Education of San Francisco do & what was the reaction back in Japan? • How did Teddy Roosevelt deal with this issue? & how do we know it accomplished its goal?