People on the Move
In 1860, the population of the USA was around 31.5
million people.
Between 1865 and 1920, an additional 30 million came from
overseas…
Immigration Intro-Video Clip
•
Look for the answers to these questions in the short
introductory video on immigration…
1. What were some push factors for immigration that the clip
mentions? Pull factors?
2. Where did immigrants come from at different points during
immigration?
3. What challenges did they face when they came to the United
States?
Why immigrate?
•
Some common push and pull factors…
– Political Reasons
• Pograms
– Violent massacres of Jews in Russia,
Ukraine.
– Czar limited where Jews could live, how
they could earn a living.
• High taxes.
– Especially in Italy
– Social Reasons
• “Self-make” ideal.
• Family members had already immigrated.
– Economic Reasons
• Poor land
– Italy, Ireland
• High unemployment and limited opportunity.
– Italy, Greece, Poland
Who Immigrated?
In Thousands of
Immigrants
300
250
200
Northwest Europe
Central Europe
Eastern Europe
Southern Europe
150
100
50
0
1880
1890
1900
1910
The Immigrant Experience
• Trip usually started with
“Immigration Agency.”
– Companies that sold packages
including rail fair, hotel stay in port
city, and passage.
• Trip length: (Atlantic)
– Until 1900 = 2 or 3 weeks
– After 1900 = 1 week with steam
powered ship
“Steerage”
•Steerage
•Large open area below deck.
•Usually a converted cargo area.
Hundreds of immigrants crammed
into one small area with little more
space than a twin bunk-bed!
Immigration Out of Asia
• Why are we talking about Europe and not
Asia?
• Chinese Exclusion Act
– Passed in 1882 in response to
discrimination against the Chinese.
– No Chinese were allowed to
immigrate between 1882 and 1943.
• “Gentlemen’s Agreement”
– Teddy Roosevelt in 1907 asks Japan
to stop issuing Japanese workers
passports to the USA.
Immigrants at Port
• Famous Ports
– Ellis Island (NY)
– Angel Island (SF)
• Conditions at port…
– Health Exams
– Quarantines
– Name changing
• Places of Settlement
– Ghettos
• Areas in which one ethnic or racial
group dominated (typically in very
poor conditions)
• Chicago’s “Polonia”
• Restrictive Covenants