Impacts of Three Turning Points of US on Immigrants

Impacts of Three Turning Points of US History on Immigrants

Introduction

For centuries, America has been a green pasture for the immigrants. That is why industrialization, Western Expansion and post World War II era also affected the immigration process and their lives in US. In this paper, the impacts of these three major eras of US on immigrants are discussed.

Discussion

Industrialization

Chinese immigrants

By the year of 1870, California was inhabited by over 100,000 Chinese immigrants. During economic depression of 1873, Workingman's party was led by an Irish immigrant. He accused Chinese immigrants of working at low wages and taking away jobs from American. His conclusions, “the Chinese must go” increased negative sentiments against Chinese immigrants. The Chinese exclusion Act in 1882, passed by congress, halted more Chinese immigration to the U.S. enclave.

Reaction against the New Immigrants

The new immigrants formed ethnic enclaves in the cities and kept on practicing their own culture and maintained their previous ways of life. This situation was of a grave concern for Native Americans who believed that the immigrants will not be able to grasp the American culture and will destroy it. These beliefs increased nativism. Extremist groups also emerged such as Ku Klux Clan which threatened the Southern Blacks by means of violence, abductions and murders.

Immigration during Cold War

During the Cold War, Congress made many measures to host the refugees from several communist nations. Despite of this leniency, the quota system for the immigrants did not change. Many act and laws were passed to admit the immigrants from Asian nations also.

Japanese Immigrants

During 1890s Japanese immigration was also encourage by the Western Farmers. On average, every year about 7,000 Japanese immigrants entered the country and then US had to make an agreement in order to slow down the immigrations. In ...