CH5 - American Identity (3) : Natives and immigrants today

How did the immigration services manage the mass migration ?

As the millions of immigrants pour into the country, immigration services screened (interroger/filtrer) the arriving huddled masses on 2 islands :

➢ On the East coast, the Ellis Island, also called the "Island of Tears" saw 12 million immigrants between 1892 and 1954.
=> You had to go there before the immigration services let you in the country.

➢ On the West coast, the Angel Island was opened a couple decades later because the immigration on the West coast started a little bit later. Between 1910 and 1940, it saw thousands of immigrants.

+ the conditions to enter the country

What are the conditions to enter the country :

1/ When the immigrants made it to these ports, it was not guaranteed that they would be let in. => no place guaranteed

2/ In order to enter the country, there was a disease screening (positive -> quarantine)

3/ You had to prove you had money or relatives in the US who could take care of you. (interview about their intention)
=> you had to be self-reliant to enter in the USA.

What are old immigrants associated with ? Impact ?

With alcohol like immigrants did not have any morals (as an excuse)

Many immigrants drink alcohol (ex: Irish whiskey—German beer)

The government wanted to find a way to get rid of them, so it's going to ban alcohol (18th)

The US government bans alcohol : the Prohibition (which Amendment ?)

The government passes the 18th Amendment bans alcoholic beverages nationwide (1919).

The gov't is uncomfortable about restricting immigration since it's essentially an immigrant nation, so they decide to pass restrictions that will discourage immigrants to come and encourage some to leave.

Idea = if alcohol production sale and consumption are banned —> immigrants will have to go home!

2 sides during Prohibition :

"wet" (alcohol drinkers) and "dry" (against alcohol drinkers)

The WETS or bootleggers, those who drink, protested that they wanted to drink and thought the government was interfering too much in their personal lives,

>< while the DRYS, those who do not drink, believed alcohol did severe damages to morals.

How did we call people who were against the prohibition ? 3 names

1/ Bootleggers = people who hid alcohol in their boots

2/ The Wets : opponents of prohibition (syn of bootleggers)

3/ Bathtub gin = people brewed alcohol in their bathtub (pumpkin wine)

In major cities, some people produced alcohol in their bathtubs, such as pumpkin wine.

Since the alcohol was banned, how did the Wets manage to drink alcohol illegally ?

1/ The wets opened *speakeasies, an illicit establishment that sells alcohol. Mostly men went there to drink alcohol.

2/ They were getting alcohol from the states around the Appalachians or in the Great Planes : farmers produced it illegally with potatoes lol. (à essayer)

3/ It was also smuggled from other countries : it was the case for rum, from Cuba.

*speakeasies = illegal where you can find alcohol and you had to speak easy (doucement), not too loud.

Nowadays : states that allowed or not alcohol

- Wet areas = alcohol is not banned (Arkansas)

- Partially dry areas = some alcohol controls (some days alcohol buying is banned, after certain hours, etc.) (Alaska)

- Dry areas = strict alcohol controls (Tennessee)

NB : partially dry means people who are turned 21 can still buy alcohol but with some restrictions like don't drink alcohol on Sundays (jour du seigneur)

Aftershocks of the 18th Amendment (banning alcohol) : 2 csq

1/ This is the first way the government tried to restrict immigration, but it was a total failure : it made alcohol even more desirable.
=> Repealed by the 21st Amendment

2/ Today's aftershocks : Americans today still feel discomfort with the idea of drinking alcohol (legal drinking age = 21 !)

When did the Golden Gates close and why ?

1921 : President Harding signs the Emergency Quota Act.
=> Act that stipulates only 3% of 1910 immigrants are allowed in. (only a few new immigrants)

The government closed the Golden Gates because they wanted :
- To limit the flow of immigrants.
- To keep a *WASP majority (quotas).

Ex : more than 50% nordic europeans could come but only 3% of eastern and southern europeans.

(*White Anglo Saxon Protestant)

(en gros, on a fermé le golden gates prq il y avait trop d'immigrant. Une loi a été créée en 1921, slmt les anciens immigrants peuvent rester et pas les nouveaux)

What did the massive immigration waves led between the 1820s and the 1920s ? Origin of the first metaphor ? Resolved ?

The massive immigration waves between the 1820s and the 1920s led to an identity crisis.

Americans started to ask themselves :

• "What does being an American mean?

• How long do you have to live in the US to be labelled as an American ?

• What language should an American speak ?

• Which religious denomination should one belong to?"
  
  => This is the first time the metaphor of the "melting pot" is mentioned. (voir question 12)
  
  => This identity crises will not be resolved until WWII because of an increasing nationalism due to the common enemy that unifies the Americans.

What's the difference between the metaphors melting pot and salad bowl : EXAMEN

"Melting pot" implies that the federal government would like immigrants to lose their cultural identity, to melt into the WASP majority population.

=> People from other countries need to lose their identities in order to be a part of a community in the US.

The term "salad bowl" is preferred because when you mix the ingredients, you can still see them. Indeed, it corresponds to the idea that America is the bowl, and all the different ingredients are the different ethnic minorities.

This is why we prefer to use the metaphor "salad bowl" because the minorities don't lose their values and their identities contrary to melting pot.

=> Therefore, this metaphor emphasizes the importance of diversity (America is a nation of immigrants because they’re from many countries)

"Salad bowl", not exactly the right metaphor for America, so what's the right term today ? : EXAMEN

America is a mix of the salad bowl and the melting pot so it's more like a chilli bowl.

Indeed, America is united, but different groups and individuals can still show their distinctiveness. The different ingredients and flavours of chili can mix together in many new ways.

So, the Chili Bowl would be the right metaphor for America because it is a nation of many cultures, a nation of immigrants.
=> every American is either an immigrant or descendant of immigrants. (chilli bowl is more precise ig)

What happened in 1965 ? impact ?

Immigration and Nationality Act passed in 1965 in order to abolish the Emergency Quota Act. (1921)
=> This act increased the amount of immigrants

The Golden Gates were opened again for the first time. The act was signed by President Johnson (The Vice President of JFK).

+ Today immigration (Q°16)

What are hyphenated Americans ?

Americans who identify not only with being U.S. citizens but also as being members of ethnic groups :

• "I'm a Filipino American, I'm a Belgian American, etc."
  => They like to refer to their origins.
  
  —> a lot of naturalised immigrants refer to themselves as "Hyphenated Americans".

Today immigration ? Illustrates what ?

Today, most immigrants to the US come from Latin America, or Asia.

Actually, 40% come from Latin America, 40% come from Asia, and 20% come from the rest of the world.

It also illustrates the motto that you find on the one-dollar bill : => "E pluribus unum" : from many different (nations) we are one = salad bowl !