Immigration and
Ethnic tension in
American Society
Why choose USA?
Push Factors
Pull Factors
• To escape famine
• To escape from poverty
• Lack of economic
opportunity
• To escape persecution
• To escape military
service
• Lots of economic
opportunities available
• USA looking for factory
workers – no skill or
literacy required.
• The prospect of a better
life – “The American
Dream”
• Possibilities not only for
themselves bur for the
future of their children
Who were
the immigrants?
• Before 1870 immigrants were mainly from Northern and
Western Europe. (WASP’s)
• This group helped to shape the USA.
• However, demands for cheaper labour encouraged new
immigrants from poorer areas of southern and western
Europe were tempted to the US.
• By 1910, 70% of immigrants to the US were made up of
new immigrants.
• These groups were perceived to be culturally different
from traditional immigrants and were greeted with a
great deal of mistrust.
Why were the new
immigrants resented?(Nativism)
• There was a large number of immigrants, particularly
prior to WW1.
• American WASP’s considered themselves to be racially
superior to the newcomers.
• The WASP’s feared the religious beliefs of the
newcomers , believed that immigrants would try to have
larger families and ultimately out number them.
• Fear that the new immigrants would work for longer
hours for less money in poorer conditions
• Concern that immigrants would turn respectable
American into slums.
• Belief that new immigrants were lazy, could not earn an
honest living and would turn to crime.
The situation after WW1
• America was disillusioned after WW1. In only 12
months, 120,000 soldiers were killed. America
wanted to distance itself from Europe and
developed a policy of isolationism.
• There was a widespread distrust of “Hyphenated
Americans.”
• Fear of communism gripped America after the
Russian Revolution in 1917
• Many of the new social developments were
associated with the new immigrants; music,
psychology, film and feminism.
The Reality
• Religious beliefs made the majority of new
immigrants committed to the same values as
WASP’s; hard work, self-reliance, church and
family.
• Employers exploited the poverty of new
immigrants and blamed them for strike
breaking, shifting the focus from their own
cruel and inefficient management.
• The new immigrants were the only people
willing to live in the inner city slums which had
been drained of resources.
The following quote is from a senator in 1921 explaining why he felt
there should be more restrictions placed on America’s immigrant
intake:
‘The steamship companies haul them over to America,
and as soon as they step off the decks of their ships
the problem of the steamship companies is settled,
but our problem has begun- bolshevism, red archery,
black-handers and kidnappers, challenging the
authority and integrity of our flag…
Thousands come here who never take the oath to
support our constitution and to become citizens of
the United Sates. They pay allegiance to some other
country while they live upon the substance of our own.
They fill places that belong to the loyal wage-earning
citizens of America… They are of no service whatever
to our people. They constitute a menace and a danger
to us every day…’
Legislation
• Immigration Act 1917 – men over 16 who could not read
were forbidden from entry. Tests were in English so
many even if they could read in their own language
would not be able to read English.
• Emergency Immigration Act of 1921 – This was a quota
law – 3% of the foreign born of any nationality as shown
in 1910 census.
• 1924 – Also a quota law, similar to 1921 but was now 2%
based on 1890 census.
• 1929 – law introduced to limit immigrants to a total of
150,000 per year. Northern and Western Europe were
allocated 85% of the overall total.
Contrast before and after WW1
1881 - 1890 5,245,000
1923
522,000
1891 –1900 3,689,000
1924
706,896
1901 –1910 8,796,000
1927
335,000
1911 - 1920 5,736,000
1930
241,000
1918
110,610
1931
97,139
1921
805,000
1933
23,068