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America Topics > Topic 3 - Society and Culture in Change (IMMIGRATION) > Flashcards

Topic 3 - Society and Culture in Change (IMMIGRATION) Flashcards

1
Q

what are the different themes you can do for an immigration question

A
  • european, asian, latin america/mexican immigration
  • where they come from
  • economic, political and societal impacts/factors
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2
Q

immigration prior to the FWW

A
  • USA had an ‘open door’ policy
  • no yearly limits
  • little done to restrict the flow
  • in its infancy welcomed 170,000 immigrants per year to the ‘land of the free’
  • during late 1800s early 1900s it boomed with some 650,000 arriving in 1882
  • 1.2 million in 1907
  • initially America was small, growing in independence and needed them to survive
  • statue of liberty gave idea there was equal chances for all to achieve American Dream
  • people had to face countless tests to get in
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3
Q

what were some of the reasons to leave Europe and travel to America

A
  • industrial change and political unrest had brought increased unemployment/poverty to Italy and Southern Europe
  • America promised new future and fortune
  • Rural areas of Eastern Europe had draft, police brutality
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4
Q

what was Ellis Island

A
  • place where immigrants arrived - processing centre
  • 1.25 mil processed in 1907
  • chaotic busy place
  • 70% of European immigrants process through Ellis Island before entering USA
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5
Q

what did immigrants have to do at Ellis Island in terms of questions and tests

A
  • had to pass a medical exam
  • asked if had money
  • if any relatives in US
  • if had a job waiting for them
  • are they an anarchist/ do they believe in US gov
  • easy to lie
  • it was quite rare to be sent back before the 1920s not a lot of immigration policies to stop people going in
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6
Q

what are some reasons immigration is good

A
  • cheap labour
  • not as costly for American consumers - will work for less and in unwanted jobs
  • key part of US’ economic growth
  • increasing population early 20th century US needed the boost
  • payed taxes to increase social security and federal budget
  • expand culture
  • boost economy
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7
Q

in the early 1900s what did people think about immigrants

A
  • as number increased people began to question it
  • hostility grew at ‘new’ immigrants as often poor, illiterate, RC or Jew so different cultural and religious backgrounds and FWW and red scare fear
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8
Q

what impacted immigration in 1914-1920

A
  • trauma of FWW

- fear of communism during 1919 Red Scare

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9
Q

what are some reasons against immigration

A
  • take jobs away from Americans
  • decreasing wages for the poor and increasing taxes
  • receive more benefits than they pay for in tax
  • Hispanic immigrants not assimilated into America’s stereotypical culture
  • threaten American identity
  • bring economy down
  • cheap labour forces Americans out their jobs
  • threaten security
  • change culture by refusing to assimilate
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10
Q

when are immigrants good

A
  • during times of economic boom and prosperity when businesses need extra workers they can be a great source of high impact low cost labour
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11
Q

when did immigrants become a major issue

A
  • Great Depression

- 1970s

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12
Q

what is immigration in terms of evalutation

A
  • situational
  • depends on economy, context of period
  • that decides whether (+) or (-)
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13
Q

what was the Dillingham Commission

A
  • WASPs and KKK were driving forces for reduction in immigration
  • their racial prejudice helped to force gov action
  • 1907 Repub senator Dillingham instructed by Theodore Roosevelt (NOT FDR) to investigate impact of immigration
  • 1911 report triggered range of landmark acts from 1917
  • most notably emergency quota act of 1921 limiting immigrants to 357,000 per year
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14
Q

1917 immigration act

A
  • Wilson
  • entry tax increased to $8
  • lists a number of undesirable immigrants to be excluded including homosexuals, insane people, criminals
  • imposed a literacy qualification for anyone over 16
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15
Q

1921 Emergency Quota Act

A
  • Wilson
  • restricts the yearly number of immigrants from any country to three percent of the total number of people from that country living in the USA in 1910
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16
Q

1924 Johnson Reed Immigration Act

A
  • Coolidge
  • changed the quota system to 2% of people from country of origin in 1890 census
  • tipped balance further in favour of Northern Europe until July 1927
  • after that the number of immigrants was to be fixed at 150,000 and the quota was to be based on the 1920 census
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17
Q

1929 National Origins formula

A
  • Coolidge

- confirms the 150,000 limit and bans Asian immigrants all together

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18
Q

discuss the impact of the Great Depression on Immigrants

A
  • stemmed flow
  • due to influx of Mexican immigrants, labour gap temporarily filled but due to status and many been illegal exploitation began
  • workers blackmailed with deportation threat
  • wages/living conditions poor
  • division between traditional immigrants and new immigrants widening
  • as depression took hold, many americans lost their wealth, homes, jobs, mexican immigrants deported en masse
  • around 400,000 Mexicans deported during GD
  • deportation freed up jobs for unemployed white men
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19
Q

what has the USA often been described as

A
  • a melting pot due to different nationalities
  • little integration between different immigrations
  • informal segregation like China town and little italy
  • chineese most separated due to Chinese exclusion act and cultural differences
  • over time such communities began to adopt American ways while old traditions and lifestyles began to fade
  • immigrants had ‘american’ children which began integregation process
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20
Q

where did most immigrants flock

A
  • to the cities creating ghettos and overcrowding

- situation during GD where there is mass unemployment and more people coming into the cities

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21
Q

what was the impact of immigration on Urban life

A
  • american cities bore brunt of influx
  • urban life became partisan and diverse
  • industry rapidly increasing in early 1900s immigrants needed to help keep up growth
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22
Q

what problems did immigrants face in the 1880s to 1900s

A
  • few jobs
  • overcrowding in cities
  • nativism - racism - violence
  • unsafe workplace
  • broken dream of going west
  • didn’t speak the language
  • unclean living conditions
  • ward bosses
  • poverty
  • social discrimination
  • exploitation
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23
Q

what did Henry Ford do for immigration

A
  • innovative industrialist
  • encouraged ‘Americanisation’ of their immigrant workforces
  • taught them english, american culture and general patrioism
  • key example of the right treatment of immigrants
  • he wasn’t keen on the employment of them for sinister reasons like exploitation
  • wanted them to have opportunity
  • then became popular in other industries
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24
Q

why did the percentage of foreign born stabilise

A 
- as America's quotas and restrictions began to take effect 
New York
- 1920 - 35%
- 1930 - 34%
- 1940 - 19% of population
25
Q

what happened between the inter-war period (period between first and second world war)

A
  • as immigrant communities expanded ‘mob’ violence became volatile and uncontrollable e.g. Mafia
  • prohibition partly to blame tho
  • certain areas became dangerous, people feared anarchy
26
Q

what is a key example of America’s fear of immigrants been anarchists and over-reaction to fear of revolution

A
  • case of Italian immigrants
  • Nicola Sacco and Barolomea Vanzetti
  • self-confessed radicals
  • wrongly arrested and found guilty of been anarchists
  • 1927 executed by electrocution
  • fifty years later both men were posthumously pardoned
  • clear the influx of immigrants was no longer a benefit and negative aspects of immigration had grown far more profound
  • key example of how radical attitudes to immigration can get
  • so strong people make up stories and look for guilt when it wasn’t there
27
Q

what was the ‘Fresh off the Boat’ and ‘Bottom of the Heap’ phrasing

A
  • most immigrants received warm reception but not always the case
  • newest arrivals had to start at bottom, work way up, worst jobs, low pay, poor housing, lowest quality of life
  • work way up like everyone else - Rugged individualism - American Dream is rags to riches - capitalism principle
28
Q

what is a clear example that hope and progression up the social ladder was possible for immigrants

A
  • in 1920s Irish and Italians embodied belief hard work can pay off
  • there were Irish/Italian politicians, businessmen, lawyers and policemen
  • clear example of education and integration allowing progress
  • Irish and Italians initially had faced massive stigma too
  • Irish Catholic so religious stigma e.g.
29
Q

political impact of immigrants

A
  • over time significantly influenced American politics due to their increasing numbers
  • immigrant vote often changed outcomes of elections
  • as a consequence of their rising numbers presidential candidates have adapted their immigration policies and attitude to win more votes
  • senators and councillors learnt to target policies towards ethnic groups to canvas more votes in elections
  • no accident that people like Nixon in the 70s pushed the minority rights and VR act
30
Q

FDR and immigration vote

A
  • he became very popular with immigrants due to his New Deal and because of Republican laissez-faire attitude led to the decline of urban cities where most immigrants were based
31
Q

why was the immigrant vote more powerful in the North

A

no issues with the KK
voting rights more accessible
also just because of the sheer number of immigrants

32
Q

JFK and immigration vote

A
  • very smart with it
  • got his wife to speak to immigrants in Spanish and other languages encouraging them to vote for JFK
  • because the JFK/Nixon election so tight perhaps the 1 or 2% immigrant vote was enough to beat Nixon in 1960
33
Q

who were the three clear enemy nations in the SWW

A
  • Italy, Germany, Japan

- turning point for immigration

34
Q

what were the issues with immigration during the SWW

A
  • a lot of immigrants from enemy nations or had families there
  • tricky situation for gov and society
  • roughly 1/4 of US population had potential ties to axis powers or soviet union
  • can these people be trusted
  • can we trust them to fight against their ‘home’ nations
  • what if they give info or sympathise with enemy
  • a lot of americans angry at pearl harbour and wanted revenge on Japan
  • ripple of america v enemies
35
Q

treatment of Japanese during the SWW under FDRs presidency

A
  • pearl harbour dec 1941
  • people angry at Japanese
  • 120,000 sent to internment camps for the duration of the war
  • Italians and germans interned but no where near same scale
  • businesses run and owned by these ‘alien’s boycotted/attacked
  • even those who’d lived in american for generations and considered themselves american were persecuted
36
Q

discuss immigration after the SWW

A
  • USA entered boom period
  • issue of immigration decreased in significance as most people had jobs and a decent standard of living
  • need workers during golden age
37
Q

1952 Immigration and Nationality Act

A
  • Truman
  • still incorporated quotas and maintained the immigration limit at 150,000 but allowed an influx of 100,000 Asian immigrants
38
Q

refugee laws during the Cold war

A
  • although USA wished to save as many ‘refugees’ as possible from communism there was no provision for them
  • refugee laws to bypass the immigration restriction
  • when Castro took power in Cuba 1959
  • USA aided any Cubans who wanted refuge
  • around 200,000 fled to US
  • Cuban Adjustment Act granted them citizenship in 1966 (under LBJ)
39
Q

Cuban Adjustment Act 1966

A
  • johnson
  • granted Cuban refugees american citizenship
  • much earlier than other refugee nations at this stage
40
Q

immigration in the 1960s

A
  • JFK and LBJ pres

- as numbers of European immigrants into US decreased most Americans became accepting of European immigrants

41
Q

JFK and immigration

A
  • he opposed the quota system
  • wrote a book outlining the USA’s history of immigrants as far back as 1607
  • linked the very foundations of the USA to the wave after wave of immigrants
  • argued 1950s attitudes towards immigrants mocked the Statue of Liberty
  • before assassination was working on bill to remove quotas and adapt the immigration laws
    (Immigration and Nationality Act passed by LBJ)
  • most Americans agreed with JFK agreeing the quota system had begun to restrict the growth and progression of the nation
42
Q

Immigration and Nationality (Hart-Celler) Act 1965

A
  • passed by LBJ
  • but Kennedy had been working on it
  • abolished the concept of quotas and increased the number of immigrants to 170,000 per year
43
Q

what was the Immigration and Nationality Act 1965 central to

A
  • policy over Vietnam
  • provided an ‘Open Door’ to war refugees from Vietnam and Cambodia
  • by 1985 the USA had welcomed some 700,000 Asian refugees which changed the ethnic make up of many US cities
44
Q

what’s important to note about immigration up until 1976

A
  • until 1976 (1917 one, 3 in 1920s and 1965 Hart-Cellar) none of the immigration laws and quotas applied to the western hemisphere
  • didn’t apply to central/southern america and mexican immigrants
  • mainly due to the south needing immigrants for work
45
Q

what was ‘Operation Wetback’

A
  • from 1954 US gov began severe crack down on illegal immigrants
  • immigration and naturalisation service began deporting illegal immigrants from Southern states
  • huge movement to restore immigration back to a manageable level and make sure immigrants working in America are paying tax and contributing to society
  • 1980 1 mil deported but didn’t deter movment
46
Q

what led the government to impose a 20,000 limit of South American immigrants in 1976

A
  • Large hispanic communities began to dominate Southern towns
  • some had up to 90% Hispanic representation leaving some whites feeling intimidated
  • try to stem the flow
  • however many refused to accept it and crossed the border secretly to join families and find work - ‘illegals’
  • came in illegal, don’t pay tax, get exploited, drive wages down - most still happy to employ them as cheap
  • impossible for immigration services to deal with it due to 3100km border
  • 20,000 crazy from complete freedom though
47
Q

discuss the term wetback

A
  • disparaging term applied to mexicans who passed across the Rio Grande
  • hugely controversial and poorly worded term
  • racial slur to hispanics
48
Q

why did mexicans get a lot of hate and negativity in the 70s and 80s

A
  • the economy became turbulent
49
Q

immigration in LA

A
  • around 650,000 jobs in agriculture and factory work
  • around a third taken by mexicans
  • a lot of these workers not on social security register
50
Q

what happened to the immigration and nationality act in 1976

A
  • expanded to finally incorporate the western hemisphere and limits movements across the southern border to 20,000
  • this act did little to stop the high number of immigrants entering the USA from the South tho as an average of 60,000 still entered US
  • most immigrants remained in south working on farms and texas factories
  • some travelled as far as Cali tho to start a fresh life
51
Q

what was an issue with deportation and tracking down illegal immigrants for the government in 1970s and 80s

A
  • the cost was becoming more expensive and became a public issue due to rising taxes to cover costs
  • this further turned public against illegals
  • idea they should obtain rights and equality was washed away
52
Q

how many illegal immigrants are there estimated to have been in USA in mid 1970s

A
  • 7 million
  • from a variety of countries
  • US border control only managing to deport around 600,000 of these each year
53
Q

1940 Alien Registration Act

A
  • FDR
  • requires non citizens to register with the federal government
  • war time measure
  • but after war its normalised as the green card system
  • if a non citizen has a green card it entitles them to live and work in the USA indefinitely
  • 1950 a vetting procedure makes sure green cards only go to legal immigrants
54
Q

1948 Displaced Persons Act (extended 1950)

A
  • Truman
  • Allows for the immigration of 415,000 people displaced by the war over four years but with the quota limit
  • Truman argued for the admissions to be separate from the numbers administered by the quota but failed to convince Congress
55
Q

1952 Immigration and Nationality Act (McCarren-Waltet)

A
  • Truman
  • revises number of immigration
  • retains limit to number of immigrants admitted (150,000) and quota system tho many argued against quotas
  • balance based on 1920 census means about 85% of immigrants come from Europe
  • the act allows 100,000 Asian immigrants
  • introduces preference system for skilled workers
  • still doesn’t apply to Western hemisphere
56
Q

1953 Refugee Relief Act

A
  • Truman
  • extends the 1948 displaced persons act allowing for 214,000 refugees from Europe
  • dealt with outside the set numerical limit
57
Q

1965 Immigration and Nationality Act (Hart-Celler)

A
  • LBJ
  • sets limit of 170,000 immigrants a year
  • allows for more asian immigration
  • immediate family members of US citizens are allowed in outside this limit
  • doesn’t apply to Western hemisphere
58
Q

1968 armed forces neutralisation act

A
  • LBJ
  • amends 1965 act to make anyone a US citizen who was fought for the USA in the FWW, SWW, Korea, Vietnam and any other wars

America Topics (11 decks)

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