TCI Lesson 26 Questions

Q: What inspired Emma Lazarus to write her famous poem?
A: She was inspired by Jewish refugees fleeing persecution in Russia.

Q: What do the lines from Lazarus’s poem symbolize?
A: The U.S. as a welcoming refuge for immigrants seeking freedom and opportunity.

Q: Where was the plaque with Lazarus’s poem placed?
A: On the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.

Q: Why did many immigrants come to the U.S. between 1880 and 1920?
A: To escape poverty, persecution, and seek better economic opportunities.

Q: How did many native-born Americans react to the arrival of immigrants?
A: With suspicion, discrimination, and efforts to assimilate or restrict them.

Q: How did immigration patterns to the U.S. change in 1880?
A: More immigrants started arriving from Southern and Eastern Europe instead of Northern and Western Europe.

Q: From which countries did many immigrants arrive between 1890 and 1920?
A: Italy, Russia, and Poland.

Q: How were new immigrants different from earlier immigrants?
A: They had different languages, religions, and customs compared to earlier Protestant arrivals.

Q: What religions did many new immigrants practice?
A: Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Judaism.

Q: Why did many Americans expect immigrants to become “Americanized”?
A: They wanted them to adopt English, U.S. customs, and cultural norms.

Q: Why did some Americans believe that immigrants could not be assimilated?
A: Because they had different languages, religions, and traditions.

Q: What challenges did immigrants face when adapting to life in the U.S.?
A: Language barriers, discrimination, low wages, and difficult living conditions.

Q: How did immigrants preserve their cultural identity?
A: Through ethnic neighborhoods, religious institutions, and cultural traditions.

Q: In which industries did immigrants play a crucial role?
A: Construction, mining, manufacturing, and textiles.

Q: Besides labor, how did immigrants contribute to American society?
A: They enriched American culture, started businesses, and influenced politics.

Q: Why was Pascal D’Angelo initially upset when his father said they would leave their village?
A: He did not want to leave his home and family behind.

Q: What was the main reason Italians moved to the U.S.?
A: Economic hardship and lack of opportunities in Italy.

Q: What were the conditions of steerage like for immigrants traveling to the U.S.?
A: Overcrowded, unsanitary, and uncomfortable.

Q: Why was Ellis Island called the "Isle of Tears" by Italians?
A: Many were detained, separated from family, or sent back home.

Q: What kinds of jobs did Italian immigrants find when they arrived in the U.S.?
A: Construction, factories, street cleaning, and other low-wage jobs.

Q: What does the term "birds of passage" refer to in the context of Italian immigration?
A: Immigrants who came to the U.S. temporarily to earn money before returning home.

Q: Why did Pascal D’Angelo’s father return to Italy?
A: He was unable to find stable work in the U.S.

Q: What was a common feature of Italian immigrant neighborhoods in U.S. cities?
A: Close-knit communities, cultural institutions, and ethnic businesses.

Q: Why did some Italian parents choose not to send their children to school?
A: They needed them to work and support the family.

Q: How did Pascal D’Angelo prove wrong those who believed Italians would always be poor and uneducated?
A: He became a published poet despite his immigrant background.

Q: Why did Maryush Antonovsky change her name to Mary Antin?
A: To better fit into American society.

Q: What are pogroms?
A: Violent attacks against Jewish communities in Eastern Europe.

Q: Why did Mary Antin’s father move to the United States?
A: To escape persecution and provide a better future for his family.

Q: How did immigrants travel to the U.S.?
A: By steamship, often in cramped and unsanitary conditions.

Q: What was the purpose of Ellis Island?
A: It served as the main processing center for immigrants entering the U.S. from 1892 to 1954.

Q: Why did many Jewish immigrants settle in the Lower East Side of New York?
A: Because of affordable housing and job opportunities.

Q: What types of work did Jewish immigrants take?
A: Many worked in the garment industry, as peddlers, or in small businesses.

Q: Why was education important to Jewish immigrants?
A: They saw it as a path to success and integration.

Q: What types of discrimination did Jewish immigrants face?
A: Discrimination in employment, housing, and social acceptance.

Q: Why were Jewish immigrants still grateful despite facing discrimination?
A: Because they had the opportunity to live in freedom and safety.

Q: What was the main reason the first Chinese immigrants came to the U.S.?
A: To work in gold mines and build railroads.

Q: Why did Lee Chew leave his village in China for the U.S.?
A: To escape poverty and seek economic opportunities.

Q: What was one reason discrimination against Chinese immigrants increased in the U.S.?
A: Economic competition and racial prejudice.

Q: What did the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 do?
A: Banned Chinese laborers from immigrating to the U.S. and restricted their rights.

Q: How did the 1906 San Francisco earthquake affect Chinese immigration?
A: It destroyed immigration records, allowing many Chinese to claim U.S. citizenship.