History of U.S. Immigration

Learning Targets• I can define xenophobia.• I can define nativism.• I can list groups that have come to

the U.S.• I can analyze the reaction of

Americans to immigration.• I can list and describe immigration

laws that have been enacted in our history.

Words to Know• Xenophobia: Hatred of foreigners and

immigrants• Nativism: Keeping a society

ethnically homogenous (i.e. not wanting immigrants)

“Why should Pennsylvania, founded by the English, become a Colony of Aliens, who will shortly be so numerous as to Germanize us instead of our Anglifying them, and will never adopt our Language or Customs, any more than they can acquire our Complexion.”–Benjamin Franklin, “Observations

Concerning the Increase of Mankind” 1751

• “The Number of purely white People in the World is proportionably [sic] very small”

• “In Europe, the Spaniards, Italians, French, Russians and Swedes, are generally of what we call a swarthy Complexion”

Franklin Quotes on Race

Why did Franklin not want Germans in the colonies?

Did his fears turn out to be true in the long run?

Ancestry with Largest Pop. in County

What group was “not wanted”

next?

Irish Immigrants

• Nativists disliked Irish because they were Catholic.– Burned Catholic buildings– Viewed Catholics as loyal to the Pope– Saw Catholic youths “the majority of our

criminals”

Irish Immigrants

After the Irish, who next?

• Many Chinese worked to build the Transcontinental Railroad.– After, they were seen as a threat to

American way of life.

• Discrimination for decades led to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.– Prevented Chinese immigration– Did not allow legal Chinese residents to

become naturalized citizens

Chinese Immigrants

After the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed, focus shifted to…

Gentlemen’s Agreement of 1907 limited Japanese

immigration.

Anti-Japanese DiscriminationSan Francisco Chronicle, March 9, 1905

Also…?

Italian Immigrants• Mob in New Orleans lynched

11 Italians who had been acquitted.

• Teddy Roosevelt called the lynching “a rather good thing.”– “sneaking and cowardly

Sicilians, the descendants of bandits and assassins.”

• Lynch mob was never prosecuted.– Leader becomes governor– "just a little worse than the

Negro, being if anything filthier in [their] habits..."

Immigration Act of 1924• Created a quota system to favor

“Anglo-Saxons.”• Based on 2% of ethnic population in

1890.– In other words, people already here in

large numbers in 1890 had an advantage.• English• Germans• Irish

• Also excluded Asians…again.

Learning TargetsI can define xenophobia.I can define nativism.I can list groups that have come to

the U.S.I can analyze the reaction of

Americans to immigration.I can list and describe immigration

laws that have been enacted in our history.