In search of the American Dream - Theme 3: Society and Culture in change (immigration)

• Open door' policy

  No restrictions on immigration, a policy followed by the US Government before the 1910s
• When did immigration in the US rose sharply?

  Late 19th and early 20th century
• Immigration Restriction bill

  It was passed in 1921, limiting immigrants from Europe to 357,000. In 1924 that number was dropped in 150,000. The bill struggled to come into law as the president used the presidential veto to stop it being passed by congress but congress overrode the presidential veto.
• New immigrants'

  Southern and Eastern Europeans and Asians who were undesirable but increasing
• Old immigrants'

  Northern Europeans who were desirable but decreasing
• Why were new immigrants seen as a threat?

  Anyone who wasn't a WASP felt like a threat to traditional American views therefore hostility grew towards
• How did the government try to appease the fear of new immigrants?

  Government tried to appease the fears through strict immigration laws although thousands of new immigrants were deported during the red scare alone
• The Dillingham Commission

  1911 - Congressional commission set up to investigate demands for immigration restriction. Its report was a list of complains against the "new immigrants." They were used to justify legislation for restricting immigration
• What was the effect of immigration in the 1920s?

  Increased competition for jobs, strict limits on immigration on a quota basis, immigrants provided as cheap labour
• What was the effect of the Great Depression on immigrants?

  Americans migrated to Cali for work and Hispanics started to get deported to make work available to American born workers
• What impact did immigrants have on urban life?

  1920s - US cities expanded rapidly, 1910 - 74% of urban population was foreign born or had foreign parents (1920 this rose to 85%), Areas had been named associated with the local population: "Little Italy", "Chinatown", immigrants who spoke little English gravitated to cities where their fellow countrymen where
• Why did New York had an especially large immigration population?

  Ellis Island
• The bottom of the Heap

  People who are at the bottom of the heap are poor and unsuccessful and have the lowest position in society. This applied to new immigrants who came to the US who originally expected great opportunities and less hostility.
• fresh off the boat

  Term used to describe immigrants that have arrived from a foreign nation and have not yet adapted into the new nation. This applied to new immigrants, they would work for those who had managed to set up family business in the US. Their children received an education and opportunity to move up the social ladder
• What effect did immigration have on politics?

  Due to their mass they had significant influence in politics at local, state and federal level, important to politicians to appeal to the voters with the biggest ethnic groups
• Melting pot

  the mixing of cultures, ideas, and peoples that has changed the American nation. The United States, with its history of immigration, has often been called a melting pot.
• How did immigrants affect culture in the US?

  Urban areas informally segregated and ethnic groups rarely mixed, ethnic communities developed around shops selling familiar groceries and churches with old country practices, they kept up with news at home in foreign language newspapers, foreign born integrated into US society - their children were born US citizens
• How many language newspapers were published in the US in 1914?

  Over 1,300
• What impact did WW2 have on immigrants?

  Japanese and Italians were classed as 'enemy aliens' and treated harshly by authorities, as war progressed the violence towards the 'enemy' immigrants worsened, Japanese Americans found their property being confiscated by federal government
• What impact did WW2 have on immigrant owned businesses?

  German or Italian sounding businesses were vandalised or boycotted
• What were immigrants' attitudes to joining the army


  Despite all the hostility towards them, hundreds of thousands of 'enemy immigrants' volunteered for the US army
• The Emergency Quota Act 1921


  A government legislation that limited the number of immigrants from Europe which was set at 3% of the nationality currently in the U.S. It greatly limited the number of immigrants who could move to the U.S. And it reflected the isolationist and anti-foreign feeling in America as well as the departure from traditional American ideals.
• Literacy Test (immigration)

  1917 Congress passed a law banning immigration from Middle East (Asia already banned) and requiring the passing of a literacy test by all others
• The National Origins Act 1924

  A law that severely restricted immigration by establishing a system of national quotas that blatantly discriminated against immigrants from southern and eastern Europe and virtually excluded Asians. The policy stayed in effect until the 1960s.
• What was the policy of immigration in the US post WW2?

  Federal Government continued their policy of restricting immigration via a quota system through legislation
• Refugees acts 1953

  From 1953 a series of refugees acts were introduced allowing for political refugees outside of any quota limit
• Cuban Refugees

  after Cuban revolution in 1959, Cubans came to U.S to avoid communism - federal government set up a 'Cuban refugee program' to aid political refugees from Fidel Castro's communist government in Cuba
• What was the effect of the Cold War on immigration?

  As the war progressed it was evident that this policy (quota policy) deterred refugees from communist states
• What was the law that banned the quota system

  The immigration and nationality Act 1965 - Kennedy started working on the law and Johnson brought it and passed it through congress
• What was the growing attitude towards the quota system in the 60s?

  A belief of politicians that the quota system should be replaced but few advocated for an 'open door' policy
• Immigration from central and southern America

  Hispanics keen to join their families and find work crossed the border illegally, newer Hispanic immigrants moved to urban areas rather than working in agricultural - large numbers of Hispanics entering the US had become a source of concern for the federal government
• When did the federal government place a cap on immigrants from central and southern America?

  20,000
• Immigration and Naturalisation service (INS)

  Formed in 1954 to try and control the Mexican immigration in the form of Operation Wetback. However they struggled to monitor the thousands km long border and it was expensive - the subject of policing the border was a frequent subject for political debate
• What happened after the fall of Saigon in 1975?

  USA took 130,000 Southern Vietnamese refugees
• What was the treatment of southern Vietnamese in the US?

  Faced discrimination for being wrongly suspected to be from the communist northern Vietnam
• What happened to Asian Immigrants 5 years after the immigration and nationality Act?

  Immigration from Asia quadrupled
• How many political refugees were living in the US in 1985?

  700,000
• How did employers benefit from illegal immigrants?

  They were happy to hire them as cheap,exploitive labour - no questions asked
• How many illegal immigrants were living in the US in 1970?

  Estimated 7 million - the INS claimed to be deporting 600,000 immigrants per year
• What were the attitudes towards immigrants during periods of recession?

  Hostility as they were seen as a drain on the economy