15-16 vocabulary Flashcards
(26 cards)
America letters
letters from immigrants in the United States to friends and relatives in the old country, which spurred further immigration
Americanization
the assimilation of immigrants into American society, a goal of some patriotic groups who feared that increased immigration threatened American society and values
Angel Island Immigration Station
the port of entry for most Asian immigrants arriving in San Francisco between 1910 and 1940
arable
suitable for growing crops
Chinese Exclusion Act
an 1882 law prohibiting immigration of Chinese laborers for 10 years and preventing Chinese already in the country from becoming citizens; the first U.S. immigration restriction based solely on nationality or race
contract laborer
an immigrant who signed a contract in Europe to work for an American employer, often to replace a striking worker
deportation
a forced return of immigrants to their home country
Ellis Island Immigration Station
the port of entry for most European immigrants arriving in New York between 1892 and 1954
nativism
the policy of favoring the interests of native-born Americans over those of immigrants
pogroms
organized anti-Jewish attacks that forced many Jews to leave Russia
political bosses
powerful leaders who ran local politics in many cities, providing jobs and social services to immigrants in exchange for political support
pull factor
an attraction that draws immigrants to another place
push factor
A problem that causes people to immigrate to another place
settlement house
a community center that provided a variety of services to the poor, especially to immigrants
steerage
The open area below a steamship’s main deck, where most immigrants lived during the Atlantic crossing
civil service
nonmilitary government employees
extractive industries
businesses that take mineral resources from the earth
infrastructure
the facilities or equipment required for an organization or community to function, including roads, sewage and power systems, and transportation
muckraker
a journalist who wrote about social, environmental, and political problems Americans faced in the early 1900s
patronage
the practice of politicians giving jobs to friends and supporters
Pendleton Act
an 1883 federal law that limited patronage by creating a civil service commission to administer exams for certain nonmilitary government jobs
political machines
an organization consisting of full-time politicians whose main goal was to retain political power and the money and influence that went with it
Tammany Hall
a political machine in New York City
temperance movement
a reform movement calling for moderation in drinking alcohol
