level 1 unit 5

Push factors

a problem that causes people to immigrate to another place

pull factors

an attraction that draws immigrants to another place

Arable

suitable for growing crops

Pogroms 

organized anti-Jewish attacks that forced many Jews to leave Russia

American Letters

letters from immigrants in the United States to friends and relatives in the old country, which spurred further immigration

Steerage

the open area below a steamship's main deck, where most immigrants lived during the Atlantic crossing

Ellis Island

the port of entry for most European immigrants arriving in New York between 1892 and 1954

Angel Island

the port of entry for most Asian immigrants arriving in San Francisco between 1910 and 1940

Deportation

a forced return of immigrants to their home country

Contract laborers

an immigrant who signed a contract in Europe to work for an American employer, often to replace a striking worker

Settlement Houses

a community center that provided a variety of services to the poor, especially to immigrants

Political Bosses

powerful leaders who ran local politics in many cities, providing jobs and social services to immigrants in exchange for political support

Americanization

the assimilation of immigrants into American society, a goal of some patriotic groups who feared that increased immigration threatened American society and values

Chinese Exclusion Act

an 1882 law prohibiting immigration of Chinese laborers for 10 years and preventing Chinese already in the country from becoming citizens; the first U.S. immigration restriction based solely on nationality or race

Nativism

the policy of favoring the interests of native-born Americans over those of immigrants