Immigration in US Flashcards
(12 cards)
why was fear of revolution important?
feared communism after Spartacus revolt and Russian revolution as it was a threat to the American way of life
why was policy of isolationism important?
after the war Americans became wary of outside affairs and believed America should isolate, and becoming anti immigration was an extension of that
why was prejudice and discrimination important?
around this time the idea of “nativism” became more popular - meaning that people thought WASP racial purity should be continued
why was social fears important?
WASPs thought new immigrant slums were polluting America and worried that these conditions led to anti social behaviour in their communities. Also famous criminals like Sacco and Vanzetti made people think that immigrants were bringing crime
why were economic fears important?
when wages were low and jobs difficult to find, immigrants were easy scapegoats as their role as strike breakers made Americans worry about their financial situation
why was effects of ww1 important?
anti war xenophobia continued into the 1920s and it was hard for Americans to forget the anti German feeling of the wartime period
why was fear of revolution NOT important
approximately 0.1% of the population were communists/anarchists, showing that the supposed threat was minor
why was policy of isolationism NOT important
the Daws plan to aid a crippled Germany showed that they did not always follow their policy at this time
why was prejudice/discrimination NOT important
it wasn’t the number of immigrants but the type which led to tighter controls
why was social fears NOT important
slums were not the fault of the immigrants, but the city authorities who used immigrants as scapegoats to justify not improving the areas
why were economic fears NOT important
it was the fault of the WASP employers who chose to direct the anger to the immigrants so they could continue to get away with paying low wages
why were effects of ww1 NOT important
immigrants bought liberty bonds as they were encouraged to do in order to show support for the US military, showing the dependency on immigrant
