US History Immigration Terms - Unit 2

Jamestown

The first permanent English settlement in North America, found in 1607 in East Virginia with the purpose of finding gold

Puritans

A religious group who came to America for religious freedom and settled Massachusetts Bay.

Middle Passage

A forced voyage that brought enslaved African people across the Atlantic Ocean to North America and the West Indies

Irish Potato Famine

A famine in 1845 when the main crop of Ireland, potatoes, was destroyed by disease. As a result, over 1 million Irish died of starvation or disease, while millions of others migrated to the United States.

Nativism (1840s-50s)

A policy of favoring native-born individuals over foreign-born ones

Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

This was the first anti-immigrant law that barred one specific group of immigrants to the United States

Tenements

Poorly built, overcrowded housing where many immigrants lived; often lacked indoor plumbing and electricity, and had little ventilation

Gentlemen's Agreement (1907)

This policy between the United States and Japan restricted Japanese immigration

Immigration Quota Act of 1924

This set a maximum amount of immigrants allowed into the U.S. every year based off of what country they were from. It gave preference to immigrants from Northern and Western Europe and reduced the amount of immigrants allowed from Southern and Eastern Europe.

Immigration Act of 1965

This abolished the quotas that were based off what country immigrants were from and established new immigration system that gave preference to people who have family in the U.S.

Mexican Repatriation (1930s)

One million immigrant workers were forced to return to their native country during the Great Depression even though they were in the U.S. legally

1986 Immigration Reform Act

This granted amnesty (forgiveness) to many illegal immigrants already in the U.S.

Bracero Program (1942-1964)

U.S. program initiated to allow male Mexican workers to work in the U.S. when labor was short in WWII

1990 Immigration Reform Act

This increased the number of legal immigrants allowed into the United States each year and also created the diversity visa lottery program

Ellis Island

An immigrant receiving station in New York that opened in 1892, where immigrants were given a medical examination and only allowed in if they were healthy; most immigrants passed through within a day

Angel Island

The immigration station on the west coast where Asian immigrants, mostly Chinese, tried to gain admission to the U.S; Intense interrogations and conditions at Angel Island were much harsher than Ellis Island in New York.