IMMIGRATION
Four Types of Immigration
People moved around the United States in four
different directions during the 1800’s.
• Movement to the U.S. from a foreign nation
– Birds of Passage —young men working for a short
time, sending remittances home.
• Movement to the cities from rural areas
• Movement to the western frontier
OLD IMMIGRATION
before 1870
NORTH WEST EUROPE
• British Isles: England, Scotland, Ireland
• Germany
• Scandinavia: Norway, Sweden
AND
WEST AFRICA
U.S. immigration patterns changed during the late 1800s as
new immigrants arrived from Europe, Asia, and Mexico.
Old Immigrants
New Immigrants
• Arrived before 1880s
• Came after 1880
• Mostly from Britain,
Germany, Ireland, and
Scandinavia
• From southern and eastern
Europe; included Czechs,
Greeks, Hungarians,
Italians, Poles, Russians,
and Slovaks
• Mostly Protestants, but
some Roman Catholics
• Many were skilled workers.
• Some settled in rural areas
and became farmers.
• Diverse cultures and
religious backgrounds.
• Wanted job opportunities
in cities
Immigration Centers
East Coast
• Ellis Island in New
York Harbor was the
busiest East Coast
center.
• Opened in 1892
• Millions of immigrants
came through its
center over the next
40 years.
• Fewer than 2% of
arrivals were denied
entrance into the
country.
West Coast
South
• Angel Island near
San Francisco
• El Paso, Texas had
the main
processing center
for immigrants
from Mexico.
• Opened in 1910
• Entrance for
many Chinese
immigrants
• By law, only
Chinese whose
fathers were U.S.
citizens were
allowed into the
country.
• Most settled in the
Southwest.
• Found work in
construction, steel
mills, mines, and
on large
commercial farms
NEW: AFTER 1870
SOUTHERN AND EASTERN EUROPE
• SOUTHERN ITALY and SICILY
--unification of Italy
• RUSSIAN JEWS
-- pogroms, absorption of Russian Pale and attempt to
defuse revolutionary ideas in Russian Empire by using
Jews as scapegoats
• AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIAN EMPIRE, POLAND,
CHRISTIAN RUSSIANS
Serfdom in Western Europe ended 15th century
Serfdom in Easter Europe ended 19th century
• --serfdom had been
strongest east of the
Elbe River because of
the profit of the vast
wheat fields. Now the
peasants were being
thrown off the land
because landlord profits
were undercut by
American wheat.
Prnjavor, Bosnia
Chinese—breakup of Manchu Dynasty
(Ch’ing)
Excluding Asians
– Chinese Exclusion Act
1882: prohibited Chinese
laborers from entering the
country if they did not
already have family here
– Gentlemen’s Agreement
1907: compromise with
Japan to end segregation
of Japanese students in
San Francisco’s schools in
exchange for Japan to stop
issuing passports to
laborers.
President McKinley assassinated by the son
of Polish immigrants—Catholic, but many
thought he was Jewish.
U.S. Limits Immigration
• 1918-1921: Red scare aggravates fear
anti-immigrant reaction.
&
• 1921-1924: Quota Law – Limits immigrants to 2%
of their national group in 1890, thus against
south & east Europeans
• No Asians or Africans. No limit on Americans.
• Border Patrol created; Mexican border
becomes a tangible reality, though still
permeable.
Mexican immigrants
• 1900-1910: 49,000 immigrants enter,
50% are Mexicans.
• 1920s: 500,000 Mexicans emigrated
• Seen as temporary, not staying
• 1930s Depression: more people leave US than
come, Mexicans subject to “repatriation”.
• 1940s WWII: Bracero program to encourage
Mexicans
• 1950s: Operation Wetback to discourage
Post WWII History of Immigration
• Early 1950s Puerto Ricans come as citizens
• 1959: Cuban Revolution
• 1965 Immigration Act: ends national quotas.
Western Hemisphere and Eastern hemisphere
quotas (Cubans get majority of Western visas).
• 1982 Supreme Court rules children must be
educated, regardless of immigration status.
• 1986: makes it a crime to hire an illegal immigrant.
• 1990: Immigration numbers vary. Preference given
to families, refugees and professionals
Categories
Relatives
Immediate Relatives of United
States Citizens
Unmarried Adult Children of
United States Citizens
Spouses and Unmarried Adult
Children of Residents
Married Adult Children of United
States Citizens
•
Ceilings
2012 Admissions
680,799
Unlimited
478,780
23,400
20,660
114,200
99,709
23,400
21,752
Siblings of United States Citizens
65,000
59,898
Employment Preferences
Priority Workers
Professionally Exceptional
Skilled and Unskilled Workers and
Professionals
Special Immigrants
Investors
Other
Lottery
Refugees
Asylees
Miscellaneous
Legal Immigrants, Total
140,000
40,040
40,040
143,998
39,316
59,959
40,040
39,229
9,940
9,940
7,866
6,628
225,247
40,320
105,258
45,086
16,170
1,031,631
55,000
90,000
Unlimited
http://www.fairus.org/issue/annual-immigration
Rise in # of legal immigrants
•
•
•
•
•
1950s: 2.5 million
1960s: 3.3 million
1970s: 4.5 million
1980s: 7.3 million
1990s: 9.1 million – biggest decade