Regents Review
Immigration
HW: Review Book Page 174-177
Define the following terms
• Americanized – learn to act, speak and be like
other “Americans”
• Acculturated – learn the language and the
culture of their adopted land.
• Assimilated – Made similar to other Americans.
• Nativism – Believing that native born Americans
were superior to foreigners and the immigration
should be restricted (ethnocentric).
Old Immigration
• Where – (1607-1880) – Northern and
Western Europe (Britain, Ireland,
Germany). Mostly Protestants.
• Why – Religious persecution. No laws on
immigration. Free land out West.
New Immigration
• Where – (1880 -1920) – Southern and
Eastern Europe (Poland, Italy, Austria,
Hungary, Greece and Russia). Some
Asian. Many Catholics
• Why – Industrialization created need for
workers. “Streets were paved with gold.”
• Faced discrimination from old immigrants
– no English, Catholics, dressed differently
etc.
Recent Immigration
• Where – (1960 – present) – Vietnam,
Cambodia, Former USSR, mostly Latin
America – Cuba, Haiti, Mexico.
• Why – to escape Communist persecution
• To escape religious discrimination (Jews)
• Escape poverty, persecution and unstable
governments.
• Better jobs, higher pay
Chinese Exclusion Act - 1882
• Anti-Chinese feelings in California against
the Chinese workers.
• Chinese immigration banned for ten years.
Then extended another ten. Then
indefinitely until after WWII.
Gentlemen’s Agreement - 1907
• Japanese government agreed to limit
Japanese emigration to the U.S. to those
who already had relatives living in
America.
Immigration Acts of 1921, 1924,
1929
• Established a quota system aimed at
preserving America’s existing ethnic
composition.
• Great Britain, Ireland and Germany were
allowed the largest number of immigrants
• Limit “new immigrants”
• Asians banned.
Immigration Act of 1965
• Designed to be less biased.
• Every country identical quota of 20,000
• Preference to those with U.S. relatives or
occupational skills.