Migration und die Neue Welt – die USA: Einwanderungsnation

Waves of Immigrants

  • "Old Immigration" (ca. 1790–1840):
    • From Northern Europe: England, Scandinavia (Norway, Denmark).
    • Reasons: economic, religious, political.
    • First large wave.
  • "New Immigration" (ab ca. 1850):
    • From Southern and Eastern Europe: Italy, Spain, Germany, Poland.
    • Connection to industrialization – immigrants came as workers.
  • Immigration occurs in waves:
    • From Northern Europe → Southern/Eastern Europe → Asia → Latin America.
  • Pattern: With increasing diversity, nativism (xenophobia) grows.

Motives and Hopes

  • Economic reasons: Labor shortage in Europe, hope for better living conditions.
  • Political reasons: Oppression, fleeing from unrest.
  • Religious reasons: Persecution, desire for religious freedom.
  • Immigrants strived for a better life – similar to Puritans, Irish, Chinese.

Arrival and Integration

  • Challenges in integration:
    • Language: Many newcomers did not speak English.
    • Discrimination: "No Irish Need Apply", especially difficult for Irish and Chinese.
    • Nativism & Xenophobia: Fear of strangers, particularly strong towards Asian immigrants.
    • Assimilation was difficult, cultural differences remained.
  • Political Reaction: "Know-Nothing" party in the 1840s with an anti-immigrant program.

Immigration after 1924

  • 1921 Quota Act:
    • Limitation to approximately 350,000 immigrants per year.
  • 1924 National Origins Act:
    • Preference for immigrants from Northern Europe.
    • Aim: Exclusion of Eastern Europeans (e.g., from Russia, due to fear of communism).
  • 1929 second quota regulation:
    • Reduction to approximately 150,000 immigrants annually.
  • Context:
    • Red Scare (fear of communism after the Russian Revolution in 1917).
    • Isolationism after World War I.
  • 1965 Immigration Act:
    • Opening of borders, more immigration from Latin America and Asia.
    • Part of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society.
  • 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act:
    • Amnesty for illegal immigrants who had lived in the USA for a longer period.
    • At the same time: Increased border controls.
  • Modern discussions:
    • Controversy about illegal immigration, border security.
    • Different opinions: Deportation vs. amnesty.
    • Current example: Arizona law, which is seen by the federal government as a violation of the 14th Amendment.

Kleindeutschland (Little Germany) in New York

  • Description (ca. 1850): A visitor described "Kleindeutschland" as being almost identical to the old homeland, with German-run shops and a German lending library. Residents did not need to learn English to make a living.
  • Significance: In the second half of the 19th century, New York had the third-largest German population after Berlin and Vienna.
  • Location: Most Germans settled on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. It was the first immigrant neighborhood in the city with its own language.
  • Emergence: From the 1830s, poorer Germans migrated to North America in search of a better economic future. After the failed revolution of 1848, political refugees also sought protection there.
  • Boundaries: Limited by 14th Street in the north and Division Street in the south, extending from the Bowery in the west to the East River in the east.
  • Characteristics: German street signs, German announcements in restaurants and shops. Many worked as carpenters, tailors, shoemakers or bakers.
  • Social Life:
    • Gatherings in taverns and beer gardens along the Bowery Lane.
    • Theater performances (Germania Theater Company, Thalia Theater).
    • Singing in the Arion Gesangsverein, sports in the Turnverein, or activities in the Schützenverein.
  • Vereine (Clubs): Central to German life, fostering German culture and tradition. They provided a space without language barriers, leading to friendships and relationships.
  • John Jacob Astor: An example of successful German immigrants. He made a fortune in the fur trade and real estate and became the first multimillionaire in the U.S. He supported the German Society of the City of New York.
  • German Society of the City of New York:
    • Helped German immigrants upon arrival in America.
    • "Work Office" assisted in finding jobs.
    • Welfare Committee helped with accommodation and legal difficulties.
    • Medical department organized free doctor visits.
    • Published informational booklets for those willing to emigrate.
    • In 1850, the Society emphasized the importance of language assimilation: "The ignorance of the English language is the main obstacle for the German craftsman to obtain a position corresponding to his abilities."
  • Community Support: Successful Germans often donated money to their community.
  • Peak: Around 1880, "Little Germany" was a middle-class neighborhood with shopkeepers, craftsmen, and employees.
  • Living Conditions: Overcrowded tenements with limited space.
  • Decline:
    • After the founding of the German Empire in 1871, emigration from Germany decreased.
    • Industrialization led to tradesmen abandoning their workshops for factories.
    • German-Americans working as domestic servants moved closer to their workplaces.
    • Anti-German sentiment during World War I.
    • German-Americans assimilated further, changing their names and reducing overt displays of their heritage.
  • Succession: Italian and Chinese immigrants settled the area, leading to "Little Italy" and "Chinatown."
  • Legacy: The building of the German-American shooting society still stands as a reminder of the German presence.

The USA: A Nation of Immigrants in Changing Times

  • General Overview: The USA has been significantly shaped by immigration throughout its history; initially from Europe, and more recently from other parts of the world.
  • 16th Century: Spanish colonists moved north from Mexico in search of treasures.
  • 17th Century: French and English colonists established trading posts on the East Coast.
  • Pilgrim Fathers (1620): Sought religious freedom in the New World.
  • Religious Tolerance: Various Christian denominations (Puritans, Quakers, Mennonites) established settlements with religious tolerance.
  • Late 18th Century: After the American Revolution (1776), approximately 60% of the white population was of English origin, with others from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Germany, Netherlands, France and Sweden.
  • 19th Century (1820-1880):"Old Immigration" Mass emigration from Europe to the USA.
    • Most immigrants came from German-speaking countries, due to famine (1816/17) and poor economic conditions.
    • After the failed revolution of 1848, many Germans left due to lack of political opportunity.
    • The Irish potato famine in the mid-19th century caused many to flee to the USA.

Growth through Industrialization