The United States of America: A Nation of Immigrants

1. The United States of America: A Nation of Immigrants US History: Spiconardi

2. Old Immigration • Prior to the 1900, most immigrants (two-thirds) came from northern and western Europe • England • Irish • German • Scandinavian

3. Old Immigration • Reasons for Immigration • Irish • Potato famine • Germans • Political revolution and instability

4. New Immigration • Between 1900 and 1909 two-thirds of immigrants came from southern & eastern Europe • Italy • Russia • Austria-Hungary • Poland • Germans and Irish continued to come in significant numbers • By 1910 Mexicans and Japanese started to migrate to America

5. New Immigration • Reasons for Immigration • Escape religious persecutions • Jews, particularly from Russia, had become the victims of pogroms • Pogroms attacks against Jews characterized by killings and/or destruction of homes and businesses

6. New Immigration • Reasons of Immigration • Available land and farming opportunities • In countries like Italy there was less and less land available • Farming had become unprofitable in Europe • Many peasants lost their land due to the commercialization of agriculture • Political Revolution • Governments were constantly changing • Avoid mandatory military service • Perceived higher standard living in America • Fewer taxes

8. Ellis Island • Ellis Island was the main point of entry for immigrants into the United States between 1892 and 1954 • 12 million immigrants passed through during its years of operation • 1907 was the peak year of immigration with over 1 million immigrants processed

9. Ellis Island • The Process • Immigrants were asked 29 standard questions including: • Name • Occupation • If an unskilled worker, the immigrant was rejected • Believed they would be a “public charge” • Marriage Status • Criminal Record • Political views • Wanted to weed out anarchists • Amount of money they were carrying • Medical history

10. Ellis Island • The Process • The Medical Examination • Took 6 seconds • Potential sick immigrants were marked w/symbols in chalk • B = Back • C = Conjunctivitis • E = Eyes • H = Heart • K = Hernia • PG = Pregnant • SC = Scalp • X = Mental Defect • Marked immigrants underwent a more thorough exam

12. Ellis Island • The Process • If you were considered undesirable after the examination you were sent back to your home country • Some who were being detained were temporarily placed in a dormitory

13. Ellis Island • The Process • If you had a clean bill of health, your journey was nearly over • Money Exchange • Exchanged gold and silver for American currency • If New York was your final destination, you claimed your baggage and went • If you were going to Bridgeport or another locale, you went to buy a rail ticket

15. Angel Island Located in San Francisco, it was the immigration processing station on the West Coast Between 1910 & 1940 1 million Asian immigrants entered the US via Angel Island

16. Angel Island Angel Island Dormitory Chinese Detainees • Due to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, there were severe restrictions on entry into the U.S. • Many potential immigrants spent 2 years detained on Angel Island

17. Angel Island

18. “Well, I came to. America because I heard the streets were paved with gold. When I got here, I found out three things...first, the streets weren't paved with gold; second, they weren't paved at all; and third, I was expected to pave them.”