THE NEW IMMIGRANTS



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THE NEW IMMIGRANTS

by Paul Boyer

THE LURE OF AMERICA

From 1830 to 1860 mostly Irish and German immigrants came to the country. The Irish left because of the potato famine while the Germans left because of political persecution. After 1860 and until 1890 more immigrants came, still mainly Northern Europeans (England, Germany, Scandinavia) who came to settle the frontier near the growing railroads. Many Americans welcomed these immigrants as an asset to America as they easily assimilated in American society and brought with them skills which allowed them to be productive: workers for factories, mines, railroads, farmers for the west, consumers for agricultural and industrial products men with special abilities and talents additional manpower for military.

Early opposition to this immigration did exist from groups like The “Know Nothings” who were an anti-immigration group that believed that immigrants took American jobs and although most were Protestant, many were Catholic (which they didn’t approve of).

Starting around the end of 1880 and lasting until 1920 newer immigrants came in much larger numbers than earlier immigrants. The increase was so great that by the early 1900s, about 60 percent of the people living in the nation's twelve largest cities either were foreign-born or had foreign-born parents. This new group consisted mostly of southern and eastern Europeans: Italy, Greece, Austria-Hungary, Russia, and Poland. They settled mainly in cities near factories not the frontier because it had been closed off by then. New immigrants came because of multiple reasons: Italians and Greeks fled poverty, Austrians and Russians fled heavy taxation and military service while Jews fled persecution. These immigrants had more difficulty assimilating as they were different from Americans. Many lacked basic skills; they could not read or write English, and were not accustomed to democracy. Opposition rose against these immigrants because they settle mainly in ghettos in the city where they landed and competed for jobs that other Americans wanted. Most Americans felt they did not want to assimilate into American culture and wanted to hang on to their traditions and customs. However, because of the lack of education it was much harder to “Americanize” them.

Many immigrants learned of the opportunities available in the United States from railroad and steamship companies. In fact, convincing foreigners that the United States was the land of opportunity became a major business activity in the late 1800s. The agents of steamship companies and railroads swarmed over Europe, one observer noted, "as the locusts covered Egypt!" They painted a tempting, and often false, picture of America. Some railroad companies exaggerated the employment opportunities available in the United States. And the steamship lines charged rock-bottom fares to attract passengers.

Most of the millions who yielded to this hard sell found the journey to the "Promised Land" difficult and dangerous. The ocean voyage, though faster, safer, and more comfortable than in the past, was no pleasure trip for those traveling in the poorest conditions.

A NEW LIFE for NEW Immigrants

As with earlier immigrants, the vast majority of newcomers did not find paradise at the end of the voyage. Confined to dingy slums, they worked at menial jobs for low wages. Taken advantage of and harassed by some native-born Americans, newcomers often expressed disappointment. Reports about America, a Polish immigrant complained, were "all bluster (with) not a word of truth." Others however, saw the United States as a great improvement over their home countries.

Immigrant communities. Many industrial cities of the Northeast and Midwest became a patchwork of ethnic neighborhoods as new immigrants settled among others from their homelands...In these close-knit neighborhoods (ghettos), residents spoke the same languages and followed the customs of the old country. Neighborhood churches and synagogues helped immigrants maintain a sense of identity and belonging.

Aid from politicians. Newly arrived immigrants also received help from political bosses - powerful political party leaders. Bosses headed big-city political machines - party organizations that used patronage, or appointments to government jobs, to control elections. Machine politicians often welcomed immigrants at dockside or at railroad stations, ready to offer assistance...Of course, the bosses expected something in return for their help - the immigrants' votes.

Political bosses urged new immigrants to adopt American ways. However, the Americanization process often pitted parents against children. Many older immigrants cherished their ties to the old country. Children, however, tended to view their parents' old-world language, dress, and customs as old fashioned.

The immigrant worker. Whether they adapted to American ways or remained tied to the old world, new immigrants had a Common work experience. Many did the country's "dirty work" - or, as one observer put it, "the shoveling."

Certain ethnic groups gravitated toward certain jobs, mainly because earlier arrivals had established themselves in those lines of work. For example, many Italian and Polish men worked in the building trades. Eastern European men worked in mines or steel mills. French Canadians worked in New England textile mills. Many Jewish men and women and Italian women worked in the garment industry. Most Greeks and Chinese opened businesses such as laundries and restaurants, largely because discrimination closed off other opportunities.

Whatever they did, most immigrants found working life hard. The work itself was physically exhausting, hours were long, and wages low. Contract laborers - who, in return for passage to the United States, worked for a set period - were virtual prisoners of their employers. These workers, mostly young women laboring in the sweatshops of New York's garment industry, were literally locked in until they finished the day's required work. Some immigrants worked as many as 15 hours a day to earn a living wage. Even the best-paid workers made little more than enough to support themselves and their families.

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