Immigration

Immigration and Ellis Island

Americanization

• Definition: The process of making someone suppress or completely forget about their native/ethnic culture, and force them only to speak English and follow Christianity.

• Timeframe: Around the 1900s when Ellis Island opened.

Immigration Statistics

• Estimated 17 million immigrants passed through Ellis Island.

• Between 1870 and 1920, approximately 20 million Europeans arrived in the United States.

Immigration Process

• Requirements: Birth certificate, job skills, a letter, and ability to speak English.

The Melting Pot vs. Salad Bowl

• Melting Pot: Different immigrant groups come together and "melt" into one big group.

• Salad Bowl: Different parts of the U.S. come together, maintaining their unique attributes.

Reasons for Immigration

• Many immigrants left to escape religious persecution.

• Europeans left due to rising populations.

• Pull factor: Railroads facilitated immigration.

Travel Accommodations

• Immigrants rarely allowed on deck if staying in steerage.

• By the 1870s, almost all immigrants traveled by steamship.

• Steerage was the cheapest accommodation, overcrowded and in poor conditions.

Chinese Exclusion Act

• Banned Chinese immigration for work for 60 years starting in 1882.

Waves of Immigration

• Three distinct waves: European, Irish, and Eastern European.

• First wave (1820-1880): Primarily people from Western and Northern Europe.