Treatment Of Immigrants

German Americans were treated quite unfairly during WWI. Even though German Americans had moved to America, they were still judged based on their background and stereotype. Posters depicted German soldiers as monsters and beasts from their homeland. The degrading word, Huns, also became a popular term for the German immigrants. Since the German Americans wanted the United States to stay neutral during the war, their lack of support went against the great rise of patriotism throughout the country. This had later evolved into discrimination towards the Germans. Orchestras would refuse to play any pieces by German composers, and German measles had become known as "Liberty Measles." Sometimes serious actions were brought among German Americans.

Between 1870 and 1900, an estimated 25 million immigrants had made their way to the United States. This era, titled the Gilded Age, played an extremely important role in the shaping of American society. The United States saw great economic growth and social changes; however, as the name suggested, the Gilded Ages hid a profound number of problems. During this period of urbanization, the publicizing of wealth and prosperity hid the high rates of poverty, crime, and corruption. European immigrants who had come to the United States in search of jobs and new opportunities had fallen into poverty as well as poor working and living conditions. Not only had immigrants been cheated of a promised "comfortable" lifestyle, but the U.S. had also negatively

The Red Scare, the fear of the spread of communism and possible communist control of the U.S. government, had lasting effects on immigration views and foreign policy at the time. It’s presence became prominent in 1917 during World War I and lasted for several decades. This fear of communism resulted in more negative opinions concerning immigration, and nativists of the time stated several causes as their justifications. Some arguments stated that immigrants lowered minimum wage due to the excess of foreign workers seeking jobs, and even that “America 's racial stock was being overrun by undesirable ethnicities” (“Intolerance”). Several changes were made to slow down immigration due to this fear of communism spreading inside America. These included literacy tests and a maximum cap on the number of people allowed to enter the country. However, even these changes were seen to be insufficient. The National Origins Act of 1924 was passed, in which the nationalities of immigrants largely determined their likelihood of entering. Western Europeans were shown a greater preference than their counterpart Easterners because of the presence of communism in the east. Immigrants already in the country experienced segregation as well. In the west and southwest, Asian and Mexican schoolchildren were taught and felt that their ethnicity was inferior to the Americans. An overthrowing of the government was also a legitimate concern in the eyes of these citizens. To further combat communism,

Internment camps were common in many countries during World War 2, including America. The Japanese-Americans were interned out of fear from Pearl Harbor and, although the conditions weren’t terrible, the aftermath was hard to overcome. Along with the Japanese-Americans, our American soldiers were also interned in Japan, but in harsher conditions and aftermaths. The camps, no matter how unpleasant, were turning points for both internees. While reading Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki and Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, these points are obvious.

Immigration is a very social issue in America at the time of 1917. The number of immigrant to America reached 1.25 million and had a big tendency to increase. Americans began to doubt the government’s open door policy. Under pressure of the public, Immigration Act was passed on February 1917. Why American started feeling “angry” toward those new immigrants? The answers are: they were often poor; many of them were illiterate and had a big different cultural and religious background. Those differences will appeared in Charlie Chaplin’s The Immigrant.

In the early to late 1920’s the U.S. was struggling with many prejudices, immigration problems and flaws within the judicial system. A combination of these things contributed to Sacco and Vanzetti’s case which towards the end, gained international exposure and popularity. Both men were Italian immigrants who came to the U.S. in their youth in search of work and a better life. Sacco was no stranger to hard work and when he came to the U.S. nothing changed. He worked his way up so that he had a family, made a decent living and had good savings. Vanzetti on the other hand was a bit more intellectual and he bounced from job to job. Other than hailing from the same country, both men shared another important characteristic, they were both anarchists.

Immigrants, fleeing their homeland to escape oppression for religion or to find better opportunities for employment, were drawn to the booming American land of industrialization and urbanization. Old immigrants from Western Europe entered the country prominently in the 1880’s. But from the 1890’s to the outbreak of World War I, New Immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe flooded the country. These immigrants, bringing with them lesser-practiced customs and religions that could shape the culture of America, mainly congregated with people of similar nationalities in ethnic neighborhoods in the growing cities, thus limiting their assimilation into American society. Another factor limiting the influence of immigration on America was the resistance of the “native” Americans to the New Immigrants. Groups like the Immigration Restriction League and the American Protective Association wanted to restrict immigration into the United States. Legislature passed literacy requirements for immigrants, and even outright banned the entrance of certain groups, like the Chinese, into the country (Source A). As a result, immigration’s force in shaping America was limited in comparison to other phenomena.

The Japanese Americans were treated unfairly during their captivation in the internment camps. The attack on Pearl Harbor brought the US into the second World War making the Japanese people an easy target for hate and suspicion. The American government forced all Japanese Americans into internment camps that were extremely cramped and unsanitary. The anti-Japanese propaganda influenced by the raging war just outside America, fueled Americans with hatred and distrust towards these immigrants which in turn made the engagement of the Japanese people, as well as culture such an easy feat.

After WWI, there were large numbers of people seeking entry into the United States. During WWI the Russian Revolution occurred, and communism became an important part of politics. Some immigrants from Europe believed in socialism and anarchy. These ideas threatened U.S. capitalism and beliefs about American freedom. Americans reacted in different ways to the events by expressing anti-immigrant nativism, a fear of communism and patriotism to attack these fears.

During the time between 1890 and 1914 immigration to the United States rose sharply, especially from southern and eastern Europe. These new immigrants typically spoke little English and were already lower class citizens in their original home countries, making it very difficult for them to thrive as they set up new roots in America. This caused many Americans to place the blame on them when troubles arose regarding the quality of their current life styles. Eventually in 1917, in response to these feelings of resentment towards foreigners, the United States passed the new Immigration Act, a stricter set of laws and restrictions dictating who would be allowed passage into the country. The Immigration Act was met with plenty of outrage, especially

Immigrants were incredibly abused amid this time too. Americans trusted that these newcomers were taking occupations and were the reason for the ghettos and expanded destitution in the states. Americans who emphatically disliked migrants were nativist. Plated nativist was unequivocally contradicted toward the southern and eastern European transients. Feeling influenced Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act that restricted any new Chinese migrants. This was insufficient for the nativist and they soon made the American Protective Association to campaign for movement limitations. Subsequently congress made enactment that enabled the central government to have finish control and duty of movement. This enactment prompts movement warehouses in significant urban communities, for example, the renowned Ellis Island where foreigners that didn 't meet certain criteria were sent back. Indeed, even so the nativist felt this was too light and requested further moves to be made. Three Harvard graduates campaigned for the bill of having outsiders take a proficiency test before being permitted into the States. This bill was gone through three distinct presidents that vetoed it until congress abrogated the veto and made it law. Nobody

The old immigrants had affect the new immigrants so they can make it harder for them. During 1830 through 1860 mostly Irish and Germans. In Addition, during 1890 totally has its larger numbers. Many Americans welcomed immigrants as an asset to America. The old immigrants wanted to become Americans, they would get off the ships and were so happy to be here. They wanted to assimilate into this country as quickly as they could. Later, they learned English sometimes by going to night school after a long hard day at work. They kept some of their old ways but they were eager to learn about their new homeland.

This was the issue of strict immigration rules that prevented many immigrants from coming to the United States. These were called National Origin Quotas (1921-1924). It limited immigration from Europe which consequently led to a high immigration rate from Americas. Demand for labor increased too and was now supplied by immigrants from Americas (Lecture 4). Major industries mainly agriculture became intensively depended on Latino labor leading to expansion of Latino immigrants. Then to limit Latino immigration a pact named “The Bracero Program” was signed. Many Americans sought to maintain “Ethnic Composition” of the 1870s and therefore limit immigration from countries with fewer or none currently residing immigrants in the US (Lecture 4). American public’s anti-immigrant demands could clearly be seen in the American (“Know Nothing”) Party (the 1850s), and the Red Scares at the end of World War I (“Defining Who We Will Be: U.S. Immigration Policy"). There were similar ongoing issues which forced the Congress to pass the Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments of 1965. It was signed by Lyndon B. Johnson at the Liberty Island where the very first immigrant put her step into the US (Remarks at the Signing of the Immigration Bill, Liberty Island). Compared to VRA of 1965 this was not as much of an important topic and therefore received little attention plus its initial effects were thought to be very minimal (Lecture

Thirdly and foremost, the final way immigrants are handled unfairly is that judgmental people uses unnecessary violence against legal or illegal immigrants. Violence has evolved significantly, especially how police handles them. For example, the article states “Witnesses told police that the two men beat the victim with a metal pole repeatedly and walked away laughing, according to a press release from the Suffolk County District Attorney's office. The elder Leader brother, Scott, later told police they attacked him because he was ‘homeless,’ ‘Hispanic,’ and an ‘illegal immigrant.’ ” (Ferrigno, “Donald Trump: Boston beating is ‘terrible’). This evidence clearly and directly shows that people uses inessential violence against immigrants, based

The Bible makes many references to people living away from their homeland and has a lot to say about caring for foreigners or refugees. In fact, the Scriptures speak of displaced people in both covenants, the Old and the New Testament. Thus, throughout the biblical narrative, a phenomenon has always been in evidence: people in movement, crossing territories and interacting with people from other cultural environments. In the midst of this very context, God reveals His heart for the stranger.