Immigration and American
Politics
Chapter 15
U.S. History
Where did immigrants come
from?
• 1870-1920 20 million
Europeans came from
eastern and Southern
Europe.
• About 200,000
Chinese immigrants
• 260,000 Caribbean
immigrants
• Mexican immigration
Why did immigrants come to
America?
• Escape religious
persecution
• Improve economic
opportunity
• Greater political and
social freedom
• Educational
opportunities
Song: America
• Song about the
opportunities in America
• Recorded in 1980
• In this time period many
Southeast Asian
immigrants were coming
to America.
• Speaks to the American
ideal we all have in
common.
How did immigrants come to
America?
• Traveled on steamship
• Crowded conditions
caused disease
• European immigrants
came through Ellis Island
in New York.
• Asian immigrants came
through Angel Island on
San Francisco.
What were the procedures at Ellis
Island?
• Officials decided if an
immigrant could stay
in America or go
home.
• Immigrants with
serious health
problems were sent
home.
• Had to pass legal
requirements.
What was Angel Island?
• Asian immigrants
arrived in San
Francisco
• Faced medical health
inspections and
detainments
• Racism and language
barriers
What is the melting pot theory?
• Theory that many
cultures and races
blend together to form
a distinct American
culture.
• Many immigrants did
not give up their
culture totally.
What is nativism?
• Some Americans did
not like the influx of
millions of new
immigrants.
• Gave rise to many
anti-immigrant groups
• Led to demand for
immigration
restrictions.
What was the Chinese Exclusion
Act?
• Prejudice on the West
Coast against Chinese
• American workers
feared they would lose
their jobs because the
Chinese worked for
lower wages.
• Banned most Chinese
immigrant until 1943.
What was the Gentlemen’s
Agreement (1907-1908)?
• Prejudice against Japanese
immigrants
• San Francisco segregated
schools (Asian and white
schools)
• President Roosevelt
stopped Asian segregation
in exchange for limits on
Japanese immigrants