Unit 3 Vocabulary Definitions – European Immigration
Accommodation: anything that supplies a need, want, favor, convenience, etc.
Alien: a non-citizen
Angel Island: place in San Francisco, CA where the Asian immigrants entered
the US.
Collectivism: the principle of ownership of the means of production, by
the state or the people
Culture: the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social,
ethnic, or age group
Ellis Island: place in New York City, NY where the European immigrants
entered the US.
Ethnocentrism: the belief that one’s own ethnic group is superior over another
Famine: extreme and general scarcity of food; hunger or starvation
Identity: the sense of self, providing sameness and continuity in personality
Immigration: the movement of non-native people into a country in order
to settle there
Individualism: the action or principle of asserting one’s independence and
individuality
Melting pot: the blending of races, peoples, or cultures to create
one identity of a nation
Migration: the act or an instance of moving from one place to another
Multicultural: pertaining to several different cultures or cultural elements
Perception: the result or product of perceiving; insight, intuition, discernment
Persecution: a campaign to exterminate, drive away, or subjugate a people
because of their religion, race, or beliefs
Refugee: a person who flees for refuge or safety, especially to a foreign country,
in time of political upheaval, war, etc.
Sedition: any action, especially in speech or writing, promoting such discontent
or rebellion
Settlement: a collection of dwellings forming a community by members
of a group
Stereotypes: a generalization, usually exaggerated or oversimplified and often
offensive, that is used to describe or distinguish a group
Synagogue: a Jewish house of worship
Tenements: a run-down and often overcrowded apartment house, especially
in a poor section of a large city
Urbanization: taking on the characteristics of a city
Values: ideals that people feel are of importance to them