Chap. 15 Sec 1: Immigration

Describe the Asian-Japanese Immigration to America

- Another group of Asians, the Japanese, also immigrated to the United States - Japanese immigration spiraled upward between 1900 and 1910 - In January 1910, California opened a barracks on Angel Island to accommodate the Asian immigrants

Why did the Europeans Flood into the United States

- By the 1890s, more than half of all immigrants in the United States were eastern and southern Europeans - Europeans abandoned their homelands and headed to the United States for many reasons 1. economic factors 2. forced conscription 3. Religious persecution

What is the Impact of the Anti-immigrant Movement

- Enacted in 1882, a new federal law banned convicts, paupers, and the mentally disabled from immigrating - The Chinese Exclusion Act barred Chinese immigration for ten years and prevented the Chinese already in the country from becoming Citizens - Not repealed until 1943

Describe the Prejudice Against Newcomers

- Increased feelings of nativism led to the founding of two major anti-immigration organizations 1. American Protective Association (Despised Catholics and committed to stopping immigration) 2. Workingman's Party of California (Fought Chinese immigration)

Describe the Asian Immigration to America

- Many Chinese immigrants began crossing the Pacific to arrive in the United States in the mid-1800s - The discovery of gold in California began to lure Chinese immigrants - The Taiping Rebellion erupted in 1850, causing many Chinese to leave for the United States - Chinese immigrants mainly settled in western cities

After Ellis Island, what happened in cities?

- Many of those who passed the Ellis Island inspections settled in cities - In the cities, immigrants lived in neighborhoods that were often separated into ethnic groups - How well immigrants adjusted depended on how quickly they learned English and adapted to American culture

Describe The Atlantic Voyage

- Most immigrants booked passage in steerage, the most basic and cheapest accommodations - The journey from Europe to the United States lasted about fourteen days

What is Nativism

- Nativism is an extreme dislike for immigrants by native-born people and a desire to limit immigration - Focused primarily on Asians, Jews, and eastern Europeans - Believed that the influx of immigrants from southern and eastern Europe would give the Catholic Church too much power in the US - Labor unions opposed immigration, arguing that immigrants would work for low wages or accept work as strikebreakers

What is the Ellis Island

- Processing center for many of the immigrants arriving on the East Coast after 1892 - Most immigrants passed through Ellis Island in about a day - At Ellis Island, crowds of immigrants filed past the doctor for an initial inspection - About 1/5th of immigrants failed the initial inspection