History Research Paper
As a result of the vast population growth, many of the immigrants endured many halogens through these eras of the United States. To begin with, during the Imperialism era, the Chinese were excluded from the United States of America. Through the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1 882 congress banned all Chinese immigrants from entering the Lignite States. At first, Chinese immigrants were brought in for tough labor like the gold fields in the West, railroad construction, and factories. This eventually led to entire Chinese families to immigrate to the Ignited States.
As a result, congress banned all Chinese women from entering the United States for the white citizen’s health. The congress stated that Chinese women are prostitutes but this bill was also used to deny wives and daughters. By the time it reached 1882, congress completely blocked out Chinese immigrants from entering the United States. These exclusions led to intense discriminations and mob violence to the 1 05,000 Chinese immigrants that were already in the United States. By the late 19th century, Chinese immigrants were expelled from towns, mining camps, and mobs attacked Chinese neighborhoods and businesses.
Chinese immigrants sued the local governments and petitioned for indemnity. The Chinese immigrants felt the injustice treated towards them and they continually fought for their rights and through hard efforts, congress reviewed the 14th amendment. As a result, congress declared that children born on American soil of Chinese descent should be granted citizenship. Although Chinese immigrants were granted some rights, they still faced the racial restrictions on immigration. (GYM 651) In addition, during the progressive movement, 13 million immigrants arrived in the United States during the progressive movement.
Due to arbitration and city growth, immigrants had to live in slums. Slums were poor neighborhoods with tenement housing. Personally, I have never lived in tenement housing, but my father has mentioned to me his living conditions when he first arrived in the United States of America in 1987. According to my dad, my aunt and grandma would Stay in their one bedroom apartment while my uncle and my dad would sleep on the bed-couch in the living room. He said the kitchen was so small only one person can be in it at a time and there were not any maneuvering space either.
To make matters worse, immigrants worked in jobs that were unsafe, had long hours, low wages, and no retention, and sometimes even child labor was necessary for the immigrant families. On the other hand, there were more fortunate immigrants that came to the United States of America. For example, Eric Finer writes about “Manuel Gamma on a Mexican-American Family and American Freedom,” which talks about one of the millions of Mexican immigrant families that arrived in United States between 1900 through 1930. IF 73) Mr.. Essential and his family which includes his wife, his five girls, and his two boys, set foot in the United States, San Antonio, Texas. At the time, they were considered higher end living mongo the other Mexican immigrants, but they were just people of the working classes. After five years in the United States, the Essential family except for the father and mother assimilated American living style and customs; three of the seven children had married to an American partner.
Although the mother did not grow accustom to the lifestyle, she grew like the life in the United States because Of the freedom and safety it had over Mexico, but disapprove the way young women act in the United States of America. Unfortunately, the youngest daughter adapted to the American custom the most. She wanted her freedom and independence. This led to a job where she can pay for her own dresses, cosmetics, and luxury good. In my experience, I can relate the youngest daughter. Even though my parents are immigrants of the united States, I am born and raised in the United States.
Often times, my mom and grandma would criticize me for the way I view and do things like food. They go crazy when eat salad because in China everything must be cooked before consumed. Moreover, during the Roaring Twenties, citizen’s fear of immigrants grew. Citizens of the United States were afraid of competition for jobs, no tax being aid by immigrants, and the ignorance of lifestyle by immigrants. This led to the Quota Act which limited immigration to 150,000 people from Europe per year.
According the Randolph Bourbon’s, “Trans-National America,” the diversity of the population in the United States brought out the unpleasant inconsistencies of our traditional beliefs. (IF 121) Bourne mentions that some people like Mary Anti, insist that immigrants do not have a choice whether or not they want to assimilate into the Anglo-Saxon traditions which is labeled “American. ” The truth is, immigrants were starting to be exposed to one another and as they become more exposed, they do not only forget their European custom, but become even more accustom.
He talks about how people need to face the fact that immigrants have the power and will continue their own customs. Their will to continue is not the failure of Americanization but rather develop a deeper meaning of what Americanization really means. The origin of the United States was immigrants and it started to build because of additional immigrants. There was never a real culture. The panic was simply the failure of “Anglo-Simonizing. ” Another unfair immigration event is the trial of Cacao and Bartholomew. It took place in an atmosphere of heavy anti-immigration. Bartholomew Vendetta’s Last Statement in Court (1 927)” Vendetta repeatedly says that he is innocent in front of a prejudice persecution and a bias judge. (IF 146) Even in his final speech, he mentioned that his early defense was weak because his lawyer did not attempt to try and defend him. Finally in 1921 , “Congress Debates Immigration,” the United States’ congress proposed to limit immigration from Europe to 357,000 per year; which is one third of the annual average. (IF 148) Three years later, congress limited European immigration to 1 50,000 per year.
This law was used to ensure that the number of citizens’ children will outnumber the new. According to Mr.. Parrish, he thinks that immigrants will destroy democracy. The immigrants will bring old ideas into the Ignited States and that will have a negative influence. He says that the United States should act quickly and prevent further immigration to protect American ideals. In contrast, Mr.. London thought immigration would help the United States. In fact, he mentions how if we prevent immigration, the United States’ biggest state would be nothing.
