Immigration has been a central

theme in American history. However,

when the foreign-born population of the
United States nearly doubled between
1870 and 1900, some Americans feared
that the newcomers would damage
American culture. Instead, Americans

adopted parts of immigrants cultures,

while immigrants adopted parts of
American culture. The contributions of
Immigrants buy and sell their goods in immigrants, combined with the existing
the Lower East Side neighborhood of New
York City. culture, helped shape American culture
into a diverse and unique whole.

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TEKS
The New Immigrants
26.C
B3.C, 3.D, 13.B, 15.C, 26.A, 26.B,

» Objectives New Immigrants Seek Better

Compare the new immigrants of the late
1800s to earlier immigrants. Lives
Explain the push and pull factors leading
i migrants to America. A Rush of New Immigrants Immigrants had always come to
Describe the challenges that immigrants Americ for economic opportunity and religious freedom. Until t e
faced establishing new lives in America. 1870s, the majority had been Protestants from northern nd western
Analyze how i igrants ad pted to Euro e. They c me as families to settle in the United States, often
American life while contributing to American
on farms with family or friends who had come previously. M ny had
culture.
s ved some money for the journey, had a skill or trade, or h d a formal
education.
» Key Terms Many German and Irish C tholics had immigrated in the 1840s
new immigrants
and 1850s, and more arrived after the Civil War. Some Americans
steerage
Ellis Island h d prejudices against Catholics, but the Irish s oke English and
Angel Island the German Catholics benefited from the good reput tion of their
Americanization Protestant countrymen. Although many lacked skills and money, the
“melting pot
children of these immigrants were often able to blend into American
nativism
Chinese Exclusion society. Beginning in the 1870s, Irish and Germans were joined by
Act new immigrants from southern and eastern Europe. They arrived
in increasing numbers until the outbreak of World War I.
In contrast to old immigrants who had come before the Irish and
Germans, new immigr nts were often Catholic or Jewish, nd likely
to settle in cities rather th n on farms. Many c me alone, planning to

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K21 realize Access your Digital Lesson.
save some money in the United States and return ome States to live in safety, and hopefully, achieve a better
to live. They came from Italy, Greece, Poland, Hungary, life.
and Russia in large numbers. After 1900, immigrants Another type of factor that leads to immigration is
from Southern and Eastern Europe made up more than a pull factor. Pull factors are those that draw peo le to
70 percent of all immigrants, up from about 1 percent a new place, such as economic opportunity or religious
in the mid-1800s. Many native-born Americ ns felt freedom. In addition to a vague hope for opportunity,
thre tened by these newcomers with different cultures the United States offered special attractions, including
and languages. plentiful land and employment. The 1862 Homestead
Act and aid from railroad companies made western
Causes of Immigration The legal immigration of farmland inexpensive. The railroads even offered
these immigrants changed demogr phic p tterns in reduced fares to get there because they needed
the United St tes. Two ty es of factors caused this customers in the West for their own businesses to
immigration, as they h ve caused people to immigr te succeed. Until 1885, immigrants were recruited from
before and after the rush at the turn of the twentieth their homelands to build railroads, dig in mines, work
century. Push factors are those that compel peo le to in oil fields, harvest produce, or toil in factories. Others
leave their homes, such as famine, war, or persecution. ho ed to strike it rich by finding gold in the West.
For exam le, in the 1880s, farmers had a difficult time Many others were chain immigrants, joining
in many p rts of the world. In Mexico, Poland, and family or friends who had already settled in America.
China, land reform nd low prices for crops forced The immigrants who had arrived earlier promised
many farmers off their land. Some chose to come to to help the newcomers find work and housing, and
America to make a new start. Beginning in the 1840s, sometimes they even sent them tickets for the journey.
China and eastern Europe experienced repeated wars Immigrants may have lured their families and friends
an political revolutions. These events disrupted to America with the promise of religious and olitical
economies and created political refugees. One of the freedom. In America, one could worship and vote as one
l rgest groups to settle in America were Russian and chose without fear of persecution by the government.
eastern European Jews. Beginning in the 1880s, they Many immigrants in the late nineteenth century had
fled religious persecution and came to the United

Immigration from Europe, 1870-1910

» The number of immigrants increased at the turn of the twentieth century. Analyze
Graphs Which region shows the greatest increase in i migration during the time Interactive Chart
period shown on the graph?

Industry and Immigration 87 1.4 The New Immigrants

both push and ull factors that helped them decide to The Long Journey to America Coming to America
leave the familiar for the unknown. was a big t sk. Travelers needed money for passage
and to make a new start, although some had only
Q IDENTIFY SUPPORTING DETAILS What details enough for a ticket. The immigrants first t sk was
from the reading help explain why immigrants came to pack the items that would hel them start a new
to America? life. Usually, they brought only what they could carry:
clothes, maybe photograph of loved ones, a cherished
musical instrument, or the tools of their trade. Next,
they m de their way to a port of de arture, hoping that
Optimism and the a ship would be leaving soon. In war-torn areas, just
Immigrant Experience getting to the shi could be dangerous.
Immigrant ex eriences varied greatly. However, there By the 1870s, steamships made the tri across the
were common themes: a tough decision to leave Atl ntic safer and faster than ever before. However, it
home and family, hard and costly journey with n could be an awful voyage. Most immigrants traveled
uncertain end, and the difficulties of learning a new in steerage, the worst accommodations on the ship.
language and adjusting to a foreign culture. In spite Located on the lower decks with no private cabins,
of the difficult road in front of them, many immigrants steer ge was crowded and dirty. Illness spread quickly,
were optimismic that moving to America would lead while rough weather could force seasick assengers
to better lives. As one young Russian Jewish woman to st y in cr mped quarters for days at time. Under
explained, Americ means for an Immigrant a fairy these conditions, even healthy immigr nts fell ill, while
promised land that came out true, a land that gives all frail passengers sometimes died. On other voyages,
they need for their work, a land which gives mor lity passengers were fortunate to have be utiful weather
through her churches and education through her free and no illness onboard.
schools and libraries. Millions of people decided that
such ossibilities outweighed the risks and set out for Immigrants Arrive at Ellis and Angel Islands The
the United States. first sto for shi s at American ports was a processing
station where immigration officials decided who
could or could not stay in the United States. To enter,
immigrants had to be healthy and show that they had
money, a skill, or a sponsor to provide for them. Often
the sponsor was an industrialist who needed workers.
Most European immigrants arrived in New York Harbor.
Beginning in 1892, they were processed at the busy,
New York Harbor immigration station Ellis Island.
First and second-class passengers were inspected
on the shi and released, unless they h d obvious
medical problems. All third-class, or steerage,
passengers were sent to Ellis Island. There, immigration
officers conducted legal and medical inspections.
Since the shipowners did a prelimin ry screening
before passengers boarded, only about 2 percent of
immigrants were denied entry; the rest took a ferry
to New York City. In 1907, 10-year-old Edward Corsi
arrived with his f mily from Italy. Years later, when he
had become an immigration official, he remembered
his first impressions:

I realized that Ellis Island could

inspire both hope and fear. Some of
the passengers were afraid . . . ; others
were impatient, anxious to get through
» Passenger manifests such as this tracked the vital
information of immigrants who entered U.S. ports to
begin their lives as A ericans.

Industry and Immigration 1.4 The New Immigrants

 the inspection and be off to their
destinations.
Edward Corsi, In the Shadow of Liberty, 1935

Chinese and other Asian immigrants crossed the

P cific Ocean, many arriving in Sa Francisco Bay.
Chinese immigrants came in larger numbers in the
1850s to work in mines, on railroads, and on farms
and fisheries. After 1882, Chinese immigrants were
turned w y unless they could prove that they were
American citizens or had relatives living in America.
Angel Island, a processing center for Chinese
immigrants, opened in San Fr ncisco Bay in 1910. If
Ellis Island was welcoming to some, Angel Island was
always formidable. It was designed to filter out Chinese
immigrants. Officials often assumed that Chinese
newcomers would misrepresent themselves in order to
gain entry.
While most immigrants left Ellis Island within hours,
Chinese immigrants at Angel Island were often held for
weeks or even months in poor conditions waiting to
find out if they would be allowed to stay in the United
» The experience of Asian immigrants like these ones
St tes. To ass the time and express their frustrations,
on the West Coast was often less welcoming than that
many carved oems into the walls at Angel Island. One of European immigrants in the East.
detainee wrote:

Lin, upon arriving in America,

Social Issues Affecting

Was arrested, put in a wooden
building,
Immigrants
Passing immigration ins ections was just the first step.
Once in America, immigrants immediately faced tough
And made a prisoner. decisions such as where to settle and how to find work.
On top of that, most had to learn a new l nguage and
I was here for one autumn. new customs. Sometimes immigrants worked with an
agent who spoke their language for help finding work
and housing, but many agents took advantage of the
The Americans did not allow me to
newcomers to make money. Lucky immigrants had
land. contacts through f mily and friends who could hel
them navigate a new and strange world.
I was ordered to be deported.
Americanization Movement Most new immigrants
Taoist from the Town of lion
stayed in cities, close to industrial jobs in factories.
In addition to San Francisco and New York, here, they often lived in ethnic neighborhoods with
thousands of immigrants arrived during this period people who shared their n tive language, religion, and
through other orts on the East Coast such as Boston, culture. Neighbors might have come from the same
Baltimore, and Phil delphia, southern ports such as country, region, or even village.
New Orleans and Galveston, or western ports such as By 1890, many cities had huge immigrant
Los Angeles. populations. In San Francisco and Chicago, immigrants
made u more than 40 percent of the population. Four
CHECK UNDERSTANDING What factors made the out of five inhabitants of New York City were foreign
trip to America difficult for many immigrants? born or had foreign-born parents. While exclusionist
policies forced some eople to live in ghettoes, these
neighborhoods also provided familiarity. Specialty

Industry and Immigration 89 1.4 The New Immigrants

shops, grocers, and clot ing stores rovided a taste of of origin. Instead, they established fraternal lodges
the food and culture that immigrants had left behind. and religious institutions that made them feel more
In many cities, volunteer institutions known as comfortable in their new surroundings.
settlement houses ran Americanization rograms, Catholics, in particular, established churches
helping newcomers learn English and adopt American nd arochi l schools. In many cities, Irish Catholic
dress and diet. At the same time, immigrants helped churches stood side by side with Italian Catholic
one another through fraternal associations, such as churches each built to serve the needs of its own
the Polish National Alliance and the Ancient Order community. The immigrants churches, schools, and
of Hibernians (an Irish Catholic organization). These institutions reminded native-born Americans that new
organizations, based on ethnic or religious identity, cultures were changing American society.
rovided social services nd financial assistance to
encourage people to pursue economic opportunity New Immigrants Face Hostili y Accepting
while making them feel more at home in the United immigrants into Americ n society was not always
States. Many settlement workers and immigrants easy. Newcomers often faced nativism, which was
alike believed that American society was a melting a tendency towards preferring native-born, white
pot in which white people of all different nationalities Americans over new" immigrants. During the
blended to create a single culture. The term came from economic recessions of the late nineteenth century,
the name of a play that opened in 1908. This model competition for jobs nd housing fueled resentment.
excluded Asian immigrants, who became targets of Many native-born workers worried that immigrants
social and leg l discrimination. would work for lower pay. Nativist intellectuals backed
Despite the ho es of settlement workers, immigrants u their beliefs with dubious scientific rhetoric that
often held on to their tr ditions. Their children, however, linked immigrants physical characteristics to criminal
became more Americanized, without memories of tendencies or lesser intellectual abilities. Social
homes and families left behind. Some adults reported Darwinism also played a role in nativism.
that they dreamed of returning to their homelands, Religious and cultural differences sparked suspicion
but most immigrants did not return to their country between native-born Americans and immigrants, as
well as between different immigrant ethnic groups.
Many Irish, German, Italian, and Polish immigrants
racticed Roman Catholicism, and some Protestants
feared that Catholics’ first loy lty was to the Pope rather
than to American ideals. Anti-semitism in the United
States was nothing new the U.S. Army had briefly
ex elled all Jews from Grant's milit ry department
in 1862 and the arrival of Jews fleeing persecution
in Eastern Europe only complicated the issue. Some
native-born Jews worried that these Eastern European
immigrants, who were culturally quite different than
Americ n or German Jews, would fuel anti-Jewish
attitudes and that the newcomers would not be able
to Americanize. Some native-born white Protestants
would not hire, vote for, or work with Catholics or Jews.
Some Americans even signed restrictive contracts
agreeing not to rent or sell property to Catholics, Jews,
African Americans, or other groups they considered
non-native."

Policies Restrict Some Immigration Extreme

hostility toward Chinese laborers had led Congress
to p ss the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882. The act
LOOKING B CKWARD.
prohibited immigration by Chinese labo ers, limited
the civil rights of Chinese immigrants already in
» Looking Backward" sho s a man carrying his
the United St tes, and forbade the naturalization of
possessions being confronted by a group of well-dressed
men. Analyze Political Cartoons What do the
Chinese residents. The act had unintended negative
sha ows behind the well-dressed men represent? consequences on the economy, especially in states

Industry and Immigration 90 1.4 The New Immigrants

such as C lifornia t at relied on cheap Chinese labor.
Restricting the immigration of Chinese laborers made
it difficult for large single-cro ranches to be profit ble.
The act also prevented m ny Chinese in the United
St tes from visiting their families in Chin , fearing
they would not be permitted to return. In 1898, a court
case est blished that Chinese peo le born in America
were United States citizens and could, therefore, come
nd go freely. However, many immigration officials
ignored this ruling.
In the same year, Congress passed another act th t
prohibited the entry of anyone who was a criminal,
immoral, a pauper, or likely to need public assistance.
In ractice, the law was used to bar many poor or
handicapped immigrants. hese acts marked the
beginning of legisl tion restricting immigration in
the United States. Until then, anti-immigrant activity
had been episodic and often short-lived. Immigration
became a constant topic of conversation throughout
America.

Q IDENTIFY CENTRAL IDEAS Why did some

Americans want to restrict immigration? » Immigrants arrive at Ellis Island. he labor provided
by immigrants like these helped fuel the burgeoning U.S.
economy.
ELPS ELPS 4.F.3 Read the section titled
Americanization Movement. How does the accompanying
photo of immigrants relate to the terms Americanization and
melting pot?
them quickly became part of the American vocabulary.
European Jews introduced b gels; Italian immigrants
po ularized pasta dishes like s aghetti; German
Immigra ts Affect immigrants brought sausages called wieners and
American Society Fr nkfurters. The Chinese introduced a vast knowledge

Despite anti-immigrant sentiment, immigrants of of how to use plants for medicinal purposes as well as
many racial and ethnic groups transformed American foods such as chow mein.

society. They fueled industrial growth, acquired Many individual immigrants m de valuable
citizenship, participated in the democratic process, contributions to American culture. Andrew Carnegie,
and made their traditions part of American culture. a Scottish immigr nt, turned to philanthropy following
Mexican Americans in the Southwest developed the sale of his steel em ire. He donated some $288
effective r nching techniques, while Chinese, Irish, and million to soci l and educational causes in the United
Mexican laborers built the railroads. Equally important, St tes. James Naismith, who moved from Canad to
immigrants labored in coal mines, steel mills, textile Mass chusetts, invented the sport of basketball in the
mills, and factories. Immigrant women worked in late 1800s. In addition, Alexander Graham Bell, also born
factories, as seamstresses, as laundresses, and doing in Scotland, revolutionized modern communications
piecework. Others became domestic servants. Though with his patent of the tele hone in 1876. Belgian
the conditions were harsh and immigrants received few immigrant Leo Baekeland transformed technology
benefits, their labor helped the United States become with the development of modern plastics. Inventor
an economic world ower. Nikola Tesla, born in what is now Croatia, pioneered
discoveries in the generation nd transmission of
Immigrants Contributions to American Culture electricity.
Immigrants not only helped propel the American
economic engine; they also helped shape the evolving Immigrants Lead Labor and Social Movements
American culture. Immigrants from around the world The lives of many immigrants in the 1800s were very
brought their languages, religions, and cuisines to the hard. M ny lived in overcrowded slums and unhealthy
United States. New foods and the words to describe and unsafe tenement housing. Others took dangerous

Industry and Immigration 91 1.4 The New Immigrants

jobs in mines and factories. Increasingly, immigrants ASSESSMENT
demanded voice, becoming active in labor unions and
politics. They lobbied for policies to protect the poor and 1. Summarize Wh t are the push an pull factors
powerless and used their votes to elect governments that motivate immigration? Give two examples of
favorable to those goals. Some of the political leaders each.
they supported became owerful.
2. Infer What was the most likely reason that healthy
Among these influential activists was Irish
first and second-class passengers were admitted
immigrant Mary H rris Jones, also known as Mother
to the U.S. without being processed at Ellis
Jones. She fought for t e union rights of coal miners.
Island, while those in steerage had to go t rough
Samuel Gompers was a Jewish cigar maker from
processing?
Engl nd who became an influential labor organizer and
leader. Gompers leadership of the A erican Federation 3. Compare and Contrast How were the roles of
of Labo , through which he organized national unions settlement houses and fraternal organizations the
comprised of local chapters, became the model for same? Different?
unionism in the United States. Union leaders like
Gompers and Mother Jones dem nded reforms that 4. Summarize How were Chinese immigrants
helped immigrants as well as all laborers. Immigrants treated in the late 1800s?
exp nded the definition of American.
5. Identify Central Issues How did immigrants help
the United States become the country it is today?
IDENTIFY In hat ways did immigrants assimilate
to an c ange American culture?

Industry and Immigration 92 1.4 The New Im igrants