Immigration: The action of coming to live
permanently in a foreign country
“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless, the tempest-tost to me
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” - Emma
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Larsarus
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U.S. had less than 60 million people
Unsettled land in West and Midwest
Huge demand for farmers and factory
workers
Since 1820, 65 million immigrants had
entered U.S. – 40 percent of those between
1881 and 1920
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More than 300 million people in America
Debate:
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Do we have room? vs. we need newcomers
skill and energy
9/11 and national security issues have now
come into play
Bottom line: U.S. accepts more immigrants
than any other country
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Constitution: says immigration and
citizenship issues are to be determined by
Congress
Not until 1868 was citizenship granted to
anyone born in U.S. (14th amendment)
One exception: Native Americans not granted
full citizenship until 1924
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U.S. needed workers and had plenty of land –
Europe had too many people and lots of
problems (potato famine, lack of jobs, etc…)
1st Key POINT: People don’t immigrate for no
reason(PUSH and PULL), Most often it’s
because of economic opportunity
Most immigrants between 1820 and 1880
were from Great Britain, Germany, and
Ireland.
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2nd KEY POINT: ALL IMMIGRANTS IN U.S.
HISTORY WERE HATED ON
One of the first groups people hated were
Irish - They were mainly Catholic when most
Americans were Protestant
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Most immigrants from Eastern Europe - Italy,
Austria-Hungary, Russia
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Congress passes the first law restricting
immigration with the 1862 law forbidding
American vessels to transport Chinese
immigrants to the U.S.
1882 The Chinese Exclusion Act was passed
in order to prevent an excess of cheap labor
in the U.S. and provided the deportation of
those who were adjudged illegal residents.
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The act froze the population of the Chinese
community leaving its sex ratio highly
imbalanced. For more than half a century, the
Chinese lived in an essentially bachelor
society where old men always outnumbered
the young.
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1819 US begins to count immigrants
Outlaws prostitutes and convicts
Chinese Exclusion Act: Nobody who is a “lunatic
or Idiot” can come to America.
A Tax is instituted.
1906- Knowledge of English required
1907- those with physical or mental illness may
not come.
Japanese immigrants are restricted
Immigration Act of 1917- anybody older than 16
who could not read English may not enter.
Except those who have been religiously
persecuted.
All Asian immigrants are banned
1921 A quota system, the maximum number of persons
admitted into a nation, was first introduced in
1924 The quota system was changed in 1924 and was
based on the desirability of various nationalities. For
example, immigrants from northern and western Europe
(aka WHITE) were consider much more desirable than
those of southern and eastern Europe and more adapt to
"fit in." Consequently, countries like Great Britain,
Germany, and Ireland were given generous quotas, while
nations like Russia, the source of most Jewish
immigrants, and Italy were cut back. Almost all Asians
were excluded from the U.S.
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1943 China becomes allies with the U.S. during World
War II, which paved the way for the repeal of the
Chinese Exclusion Act. As immigration from China
resumed, mostly female immigrants came, many, wives
of Chinese men in the U.S. Many couples were reunited
after decades apart.
1945 The War Brides Act, a federal law passed in 1945,
authorizes the limited admission of the wives and
children of citizens honorably discharged or serving in
the U.S. armed forces during World War II, without
regard to quotas or other standards
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1948 The Displaced Persons Act of 1948 permits, before
July 1 of 1950, the immigration to the U.S. of 202,000
European displaced persons, people driven form their
homes in the years preceding World War II as a result of
political or racial persecution and those forcibly
transported form their homes during World War II
Most displaced refugees came from Cuba (700,000) in the
1960s
1952 The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952
incorporates most of the existing laws relating to
immigration including two major changes: the Asiatic
Barred Zone which banned most Asian immigrants since
1917 was abolished and people from all nations are given
the opportunity to enter the U.S.- However still quotas
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As late as the 1950s, 68% of immigrants still
came from Canada and Europe (meaning
White)
1965 set up a preference system - easier to
come if professional (doctors, nurses,
engineers, scientists, etc…) – Opened up
doors to Asian immigration
Also allowed newcomers to bring their
families
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More people coming than ever: rules were
that no more than 20,000 per country and
290,000 total per year
Still people were coming as refugees or as
illegal aliens
Mexican immigrants faced a wait of more
than 6 years to have their applications
processed
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Refugees, asylum seekers, and illegal aliens
along with legal immigration
Pluses: In the 1990s 1.6 million college
educated immigrants joined the work force,
50% from Asia
Minuses: $ on schooling, health care, social
services
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Refugee Act of 1980 – trying to help 400,000
refugees from South East Asia (Cambodia, Vietnam,
Philippines)
1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act – punishes
employers who hire illegal's knowingly, gave amnesty
to those who had been in U.S. for 5 years
Immigration Act of 1990 – Raised limit from 290,000
to 675,000 per year. 71% of visas to family, 21% well
trained workers, 8% for those who have been waiting
a while
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Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant
Responsibility Act – made it easier to deport illegal's –
critics say it gave to much power to INS and not
enough rights to those accused
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“The bosom of America is open to receive not
only the opulent and respectable stranger, but
the poor, oppressed and persecuted of all
nations and religions. Whom we shall welcome
to a participation of our rights and privileges.” –
George Washington 1783
Question 1--What does this statement mean?
Explain…
Question 2--Do you think most Americans would
agree with this statement today? Explain…
Question 3--Do you? Explain…
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1819 US begins to count immigrants
Outlaws prostitutes and convicts
Chinese Exclusion Act: Nobody who is a “lunatic
or Idiot” can come to America.
A Tax is instituted.
1906- Knowledge of English required
1907- those with physical or mental illness may
not come.
Japanese immigrants are restricted
Immigration Act of 1917- anybody older than 16
who could not read English may not enter.
Except those who have been religiously
persecuted.
All Asian immigrants are banned
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Prior to 1880 most immigrants were of Western
European descent. (England, France, Germany
etc…)
During the progressive ere most came from
South and Eastern Europe (Italy, Poland, Russia
etc…)
1. 25 million immigrants during the
progressive era
2. Most were Jewish or catholic
3. Most were poor and uneducated
4. Received a lot of harassment because they
were
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Most immigrants went to the big cities
wouldn’t stick out
jobs
other people with their background
lived in slums called “Tenements”
Cities population increased by 700%
16 cities had a population of 50,000 in 1860.
By 1910 over a hundred cities could make
this claim.
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Two main reason: Push reasons and Pull
reasons
Push reasons are things that make a person
leave their country.
War
Famine
Unemployment
Pull Reasons are things that draw people to
the country they are going.
freedom
economic opportunity
Muckrakers
 Jacob Riis- How the Other Half
Lives
 Josiah Strong- Our Country
 Jane Adams- Immigrant education
 Florence Kelly- Child Labor and
Settlement Houses
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