Immigration Notes for 10/6-10/7

1. Immigration Notes (0.6)

6. Angel Island and Ellis Island

7. Immigration Trends
 I. Reasons for Leaving (Push Factors)
 II. Reasons for Going to America (Pull factors)
 III. Restrictions and Laws
 IV. Hostility
 V. Assimilation

8. I. Push Factors (Reasons for leaving)
 Poverty
 Inequality (lack of opportunity)
 Religious Persecution
 Hunger
 Lack of employment

9. II. Pull Factors
 Jobs, jobs, jobs
 Freedom of Religion
 Freedom of speech
 Opportunities

10. III. Restrictions and Laws
Timeline
 Early Republic
 No Immigration restrictions
 Only white immigrants could become citizens
 Anyone born free in US would be citizen
 1884: Chinese Exclusion Act (first immigration restriction)
 1891: Bureau of Immigration Established (Agency set up to
deal with immigration.)
 Immigrants went through disease screening process and had to
show proof of future employment
 1907: Gentleman’s Agreement (Japanese immigration
stopped so that Japanese-Americans wouldn’t face
persecution)

11. Restriction and Laws Timeline
 1921 and 1924 Immigration Acts (set limit on immigrants to
U.S. based on percentage of American population from that
country in 1880s---Discriminated against Southern and
Eastern Europeans)
 1952: Immigration and Nationality Act (allowed refugees
from WWII into US, including East Asia and created process
for non-white immigrants to get citizenship)
 1965: Immigration and Nationality Act (Set a total limit for
number of immigrants allowed per year and only 20,000 from
one country---Overall increased the allowance of immigrants
into America)
 1986: Immigration Reform and Control Act (gave amnesty to
illegal immigrants who came before 1982)

12. IV. Hostility
 EVERY immigrant group that has come to America
has been accused of:
 ‘stealing our jobs’
 ‘Not learning good English’
 ‘being here for a free ride’
 ‘being un-American
 ‘causing crime’

13. V. Assimilation
 Assimilation= adopting the dominant culture.
 Every immigrant group has wrestled with preserving
traditions and becoming “American.”
 1st Generation: Brings language, traditions, food, and
culture of the old world.
 2nd Generation: Learns English, adopts American pop
culture, moves away from traditions and religious
observance.
 3rd Generation: Intermarries outside of ethnic group,
preserves some traditions, but usually doesn’t pass on