Immigrants

• Immigrants


  The USA Constitution states that everyone is equal, but many groups in America in the 1920s were not treated fairly. There was a great deal of prejudice against those who were not considered 'real' Americans.
• Open door policy


  At the end of the nineteenth century, the USA had an Open Door policy which encouraged immigration. By 1920, more than 40 million people had arrived. A combination of push and pull factors made people emigrate to the USA. The push factors made people want to leave their own countries, and the pull factors attracted them to the USA. The main reasons were: escaping from poverty in their own country and the hope of equality of opportunity.
• How did most immigrants travel to the USA?

  By sea
• Where did more than 70 percent of immigrants arrive in the USA?

  Ellis Island near New York
• What was the maximum number of people arriving at Ellis Island during the busiest periods?

  5,000 people per day
• What series of tests did immigrants undergo upon arrival?

  Medical tests, work and financial situation questioning, and literacy tests
• What happened to immigrants who were found to be suffering from a disease?

  They were kept on Ellis Island for days or weeks, or returned to their own country
• Why were immigrants questioned about their work and financial situation?

  To ensure they could work and not be a burden on society
• What was one of the tests immigrants were given upon arrival?

  Literacy tests
• What did many immigrants hope for upon arriving in America?

  A better life
• What does the motto on the Great Seal of the USA, “From the many: one,” signify for immigrants?

  It signifies the hope for unity and acceptance, which did not happen for many
• What did the US Congress do regarding immigration laws?

  The US Congress passed three laws to restrict immigration.
• How did each immigration law passed by Congress compare to the previous one?

  Each law was more severe than the previous one.
• What was the requirement of the Literacy Test passed in 1917 for immigrants?

  Immigrants had to pass a series of reading and writing tests.
• What was the main provision of the Emergency Quota Act of 1921?


  This law restricted the number of immigrants to 357,000 per year and set a quota.
• What was the quota set by the Emergency Quota Act of 1921?

  Only 3 per cent of the total population of any overseas group already in the USA in 1910 could come into America after 1921.
• How did the National Origins Act of 1924 change immigration limits compared to the Emergency Quota Act?


  This law reduced the maximum number of immigrants to 150,000 per year and cut the quota to 2 per cent.
• What was the basis for the quota set by the National Origins Act of 1924?

  The quota was based on the population of the USA in 1890.
• How did restrictions on the lives of immigrants affect employers' behavior?

  Employers felt they could exploit minorities by making them work longer hours for lower pay.
• What was one consequence of the restrictions on immigrants in the USA?

  Immigrant communities became more isolated from other Americans.
• How did politicians respond to the restrictions on immigrants?

  Politicians felt they could declare intolerance publicly.
• What slogan did a Democratic Party candidate use in the 1920 elections regarding immigrants?

  “Ship or shoot”
• From which regions did immigrants traditionally come before 1900?


  Immigrants traditionally came from northern and western Europe, such as Britain, Ireland, and Germany.
• What was the demographic shift in immigration between 1900 and 1914?

  Between 1900 and 1914, the 13 million immigrants who arrived were mainly from eastern Europe, Italy, Greece, and Russia.
• How many immigrants arrived in the USA between 1900 and 1914?

  13 million
• Disapproval of the Open Door policy

  By 1920, many Americans began to disapprove of the government's Open Door policy because they feared the economic, political and social impact

  of immigration:

  • They were taking the jobs that Americans thought should be theirs.

  • They drove down wages because there were so many of them competing for jobs

  • Their overcrowded slums were linked to crime, violence and prostitution.