Why did they come?For Europeans
-fleeing religious persecution
Jews of Eastern Europe
For the Chinese and Mexicans
-political unrest
- Job opportunitiesBoxer Rebellion, China 1900
Mexican Rebellion, 1910
-rising population (doubled in a century)
-scarce land and few jobs
Inside…The Registry Room
In the day…
17,000,000 people
Mostly from Europe, especially Eastern and
Southern Europe
Ellis Island
After registration…Inspection
Medical Examination for contagious or debilitating diseases
Examination of legal documents check met legal requirements :
no felony, can work, some savings
Total processing time: 5-6 hours
17,000,000 pass through
20% detained for a day+
2% rejected (250,000)
leaving Ellis island
In California nativist political parties fear competition from Chinese workers
Chinese Exclusion Act 1882 banned the entry of all
Chinese except students, teachers, merchants, tourists, and
government officials
Angel Island served more to prevent illegal immigrants
Quarantined if there was any suspicion of contagious disease
They were questioned harshly and held for
extended periods, sometimes as long as
two years
Rise of Nativism - favoring native-born (WASPs) Americans
Immigration Restriction League, 1894
want to restrict the “wrong” kind of immigrants
influence Congress to require literacy tests for immigrants
American Protective Association, 1887
strongly anti-Catholic
Gentlemen’s Agreement of 1907
Japan discourages emigration of unskilled workers
San Francisco repeals the segregation order of schools
Americanization Movement
• What? Assimilation of New Immigrants
• Causes? Some xenophobia others desire to help and reform
• How? Schools and voluntary associations teaching English and “social etiquette”
• Impact?Little Italy in NYC
In 1915… the re-birth of the KKK
Membership limited to white,
native-born, Protestant men
Highly anti-Catholic, anti-Semitic, and anti-black
Urban problems led to …
reformers
Social Gospel movement:
Christian-based movement that taught salvation came through service to the poor
led to establishment of “settlement houses” - community centers in slum neighborhoods
Settlement Houses
Provided
educational services: English, college extension courses
cultural services: painting, music
social services: health services (like nurse visits)
Usually staffed by middle-class, college-educated women, often living at the settlement house
Jane Addams (1860-1935)
One of the most important figures of the settlement house movement
Founded Hull House in Chicago 1889