Free at last

• What years did many new immigrants arrive in America?

  1880 to 1920
• What was the expectation of immigrants about life in America?

  They expected streets paved with gold
• What challenges did immigrants face upon arrival in America?

  Language barriers and lack of money
• Where were new immigrants transported upon arrival?

  New York harbour
• What process did immigrants undergo at New York harbour?

  Checked for disease and held in quarantine
• What was often lacking for new immigrants in America?

  Support to help them settle
• Why did immigrants prefer to live in the same area?

  To be close to others who spoke their language
• What types of districts existed in New York for immigrants?

  Polish, Jewish, and Italian districts
• What housing conditions did many immigrants face?

  Cheap housing in the worst areas
• How did families cope with high rent costs?

  By sharing houses or taking in lodgers
• What were the conditions of tenement slums like?

  Damp, dark, and filthy
• What was a major issue with the construction of tenements?

  They were built with cheap materials
• Why did landlords neglect maintenance of tenements?

  They prioritized profit from high rents
• What type of jobs did many immigrants have to take?

  Low-paid laboring jobs or as servants
• Why could employers pay immigrants less?

  Immigrants were desperate for work
• What happened to immigration during World War I?

  Millions of new immigrants arrived
• What negative perceptions did Americans have about immigrants during this time?

  They were blamed for crime and disease
• How did anti-immigrant feelings change by 1920?


  They increased and led to mistrust of foreigners
• What was the motto of the USA?

  E PLURIBUS UNUM
• What did E PLURIBUS UNUM signify?

  Unity from diverse backgrounds
• What was the impact of cheap immigrant labor on American industries?

  It helped keep wage levels down
• What did the first immigration controls introduced in 1892 entail?

  Examination of immigrants for certain criteria
• What was the purpose of the 1917 immigration law?

  To enlarge the list of excluded individuals
• How did World War I affect public opinion on immigration?

  It increased concern about foreign cultures
• What was the Emergency Quota Act of 1921?

  It limited immigrants to 357,000 per year
• How did the 1924 immigration law change quotas?

  Reduced each nationality to 20% of 1890 population
• What was the total immigration limit set in 1929?

  150,000 immigrants each year
• What was the impact of racial tensions after World War I?

  Serious problems for American society
• How did old immigrants perceive new immigrants?

  They felt threatened by their cultures
• What role did the Ku Klux Klan play during this period?

  Spread beliefs of a WASP America
• What was a common accusation against immigrants in the 1920s?

  They took jobs from Americans
• What was the effect of the Red Scare in 1919?

  Blamed immigrants for strikes and deportations
• How did the 1920 Presidential election reflect attitudes towards immigration?

  Stirred fears of native-born Americans
• What was the impact of the 1920s on the Ku Klux Klan's membership?

  Increased to 5 million members
• What did the migration of southern blacks to the north signify?

  Escape from poverty and discrimination
• How did northern factory owners view the migration of southern blacks?

  They encouraged it to replace immigrant workers
• What did some politicians claim about new immigrants from Southeast Europe?

  They were racially inferior
• What values did the politicians strongly believe in?

  WASP values
• What was the impact of racist nicknames in the 1920s?

  They reflected societal racism towards minorities
• What were some racist nicknames used in the 1920s?

  Spics, Dago, Kikes, Chinks