USH: Study Guide for Chapter 17, section 4

Describe the growth of the Catholic community? How were the parishes organized?

Catholicism connected a lot of immigrants to their past. There were 42 dioceses and 3,000 churches. There were Mexican, Italian, German, and Polish parishes.

What is the problem with the phrase "melting pot?"

It is not accurate to what America was. Many who came were not interested in "melting" into American culture, but rather creating a diverse nation with people of all ethnicities.

What did the Chinese Exclusion Act do? Why was it passed?

It suspended the Chinese Immigration. It was passed due to that great influx of Chinese people coming over from their country. The idea was to stop the great amount of them pouring in. It also limited their civil rights, along with making their naturalization forbidden.

What occupations were common for Italian immigrants? Why?

Many didn't have marketable skills, so they also pushed carts and had restaurantes. They also built the cities where they lived.

What are pogroms? What role did the Russian government and Orthodox Church play?

Pogroms were anti-Jewish attacks. The Russian Government and Orthodox Church often encouraged it.

What were the sweatshops?

Sweatshops were larger factories of people brought together that were expected to sew at a fast pace for long hours.

Where did the immigrants enter in New York? How many eventually passed through the immigration center there? What percentage were rejected? What were the main reasons for rejection?

The immigrants entered through Ellis Island, where around 12 million people actually entered. Only about 2% were turned away due to disease or coming across as being unable to care for themselves.

Who made up the vast majority of immigrants at Angel Island in San Francisco? What was the difference between their experience and immigrants in New York?

The majority of immigrants at Angel Island were chinese. It was different in the sense of how long people spent there; often times people had to stay weeks, months, or years, a time period that strongly contrasted with New York, where you only stayed about a day.

Explain what is meant by the "push-pull" theme of immigration. Give examples of each, using Russian and Italy as examples of "push."

The meaning of that phrase refers to how many immigrants were forced to leave their homes and start a new life in the United States. For Italy many farmers were losing their land.

What was different about the 15 million immigrants who came here between 1815-1890 and the 15 million who arrived between 1890-1914?

The newer immigrants were from different areas of the world.

Explain how the Union army changed the garment industry.

They made standard sizing for men and then women, allowing for mass produced clothing.

What happened to their surnames upon entry?

They were Americanized upon entry.

Describe the conditions in the New York tenements?

They were very crowded. It was described as prison-like, with narrow and steep rickety stairs, and narrow doors and windows.

What were some ways that prospective immigrants learned about opportunities in the US?

They would learn from family in the United States, others who had immigrated, or reading newspapers.

What kind of work was typical for Jewish immigrants?

They would sell just about anything, they would peddle anything and everything they could.