American History 1946-1976

The United States is a nation of immigrants. The resident population of the country comprises people who came from abroad or are descendents from overseas. Black were said to be some of the earlier migrants but they were considered to be slaves prior to the Emancipation Proclamation. The transformation of the American society is not possible without the outburst of population influx. The industrial revolution made it possible for transportation and communication, resulting in a massive economic transformation for America. In the early part of American history, immigration rules had been lax.It was not until 1819 when the first immigration statistics had been collected when the topic of immigration was laid on the table for lawmakers (McClenaghan, 1988, p. 170). Given the abundance of fertile land in the country which necessitated workers, immigration was deemed on a positive note. However, the end of the Civil War saw closing of the land frontier. There was no shortage of manpower an d the sudden boom of population and spirit of nationalism had started to take its toll among immigrants. The end of Civil War was witnessed by European immigrants who had already settled in the county starting 1820.The Irish, for instance, had left Ireland due to the severe British regimen ruling in their country (May, 1989, p. 479). Likewise, the European War saw many Italians, Greeks, Polish, Germans and other non-English speaking people coming to America. In Unit I, which covers the 1865- 1876, life for American immigrants mirrored the agony of reconstruction the country was facing at that time. As the country was struggling with picking the pieces of an embattled nation, immigrants continued to flock America. Some southern and northern states had put up bureaus to draw immigrants.The Contract Labor Law of 1864 stated that the federal government would assist an immigrant in his journey by a â€Å"lien on his or her wages† (Tindall and Shi, 1999, p. 938). The law was revoke d in 1868. Majority of non-English speaking immigrants toiled as laborers, porters, peddlers, while those who spoke English were able to find higher paying jobs. By 1870, the country had around 39 million people, 3 million of whom were immigrants or those born abroad and settled in America (Divine, Breen, Fredrickson, and Williams, 1991, p. 549).There were also immigrants from Asia. In the early 1850s, Chinese immigrants went to California to work in gold mines (Brinkley, 2003, p. 446). By 1865, more than 12,000 Chinese had found work in building the transcontinental railroad. The Central Pacific which was then responsible for building the western part of the road had 90% of Chinese in its labor force. One social issue they faced was discrimination. While it was true that corporations preferred hiring Chinese because of their tenacity and commitment to work, many Americans resented this.More jobs were being given to Chinese because they were also willing to work for fewer wages, som ething which did not sit well with Americans. As one editor of the New York Nation said, the Chinese were responsible for creating a â€Å"disgusting habits of thrift, industry and self-denial† (Tindall and Shi, 1999, p. 947). With the country tiding in on Reconstruction, the economy was not in a good shape and Americans blamed the Chinese and other immigrants (May, 1989, p. 481). Discrimination in California, where most Chinese immigrants had taken residence, started to brew.The Workingmen’s Party, for instance, was intense in goading the government to pass laws to victimize Chinese. The Sidewalk Ordinance which banned people carrying their merchandise on a pole to walk on the sidewalk (p. 481). At that time only Chinese carried their goods this way. The discrimination was this obvious: the anti-Chinese sentiment was growing. The Panic of 1873 fueled this tension and the Congress soon acted with an exclusion act in 1879, which ban the import of Chinese workers (Bragdo n, McCutchen, and Ritchie, 1996, p. 532).In response to the issue, the Chinese did nothing, continuing to work, toiling in vast drainage and irrigation projects (Brinkley, 2003, p 446). It was initially rejected by President Hayes citing the Burlingame Treaty of 1868, which made China a â€Å"most-favored nation† when it comes to travel and immigration (O’Neill, 2002, p. 240; Tindall and Shi, 1999, p. 947). However, as constructions of railroads were finished, demand for laborers waned and in 1882, President Arthur approved a ten-year suspension called the Chinese Exclusion Act. In 1902, the act suspended indefinitely.The outcome was limitation in the number of Chinese immigrants coming in to the country but their number had already increased due to marriage and birth within their community. The tide of American immigrants continued from 1877- 1920. In fact, it was during this period where around 14 million Europeans made America their residence (May, 1989, p. 482). It used to be that immigrants came prior to 1890 came from northern and western Europe. However, the year 1885 saw a tremendous increase of immigrants coming from southern and Eastern Europe (Bragdon, McCutchen and Ritchie, 1996, p.529). Furthermore, America welcomed immigrants from Canada, Mexico, Latin America and Japan (Brinkley, 2003, p. 502). Chinese immigrants, despite the Chinese Exclusion Act, along with the Japanese continued to flock America (p. 502). In 1880, there were around 75,000 Chinese in California, 1/9th of the state’s population (Tindall and Shi, 1999, p. 946). In 1870, the number of Japanese immigrants were roughly about 56; however by 1900-1909, the figures increased significantly to an estimate 7000 (p. 481).By 1890, four out of five people living in New York was born abroad; the state also become home to more Irish than the Irish people living in Ireland (p. 937). The appeal of America was probably due to the hardship their respective countries were expe rienced. The surge in immigration was responsible for the growth of the country, especially its urban growth as most immigrants were lured by the city, where the realization of the American dream had already begun. Europeans crossed the Atlantic in hopes of a better future in the cities of America (Jordan and Litwack, 1991, p. 504).As the new immigrants began to settle in the cities, they started to live in homogenous neighborhoods. Thus, there existed a Little Italy and a Jewish Lower East Side on the side of New York and Chinatown. These small enclaves allowed the immigrants to retain their sense of community. In 1920, Chicago had around 1 7 Little Italy colonies spread out in the city (p. 943). Ellis Island in New York became the port of immigrants. This reception center situated in an island off the New Jersey coast became the first soil that immigrants stepped on upon entering the United States (pp.940). The ethnic neighborhood facilitated for what could have been an easier ass imilation for these immigrants. They recreated their own churches, synagogues, and even printed their own newspapers (p. 531). However, the influx immigration created not only social problems but economic and as well. Immigrants had a hard time finding decent jobs, often toiling in sweatshops, factories and mines. The atmosphere of nativism, where native-born should be favored instead of immigrants in just about anything, was developing.Native-born Americans started growing prejudice against them, threatened their entry in the country. The differences not only in language, dress and customs made Americans fear for this looming social changes. Immigrants were easily the subject of hostility. Literary problems also started to arise, especially for those non-English speaking immigrants. The Japanese, for instance, started learning the American way of living, learning English and sending their children to public schools (May, 1989, p. 481). However, this did not sit well with Americans. In 1906, the San Francisco school board issued an order to separate Japanese children from the other students. When the Japanese government protested, President Roosevelt intervened. An agreement in 1908 centered on an agreement limiting the number of Japanese immigrants to the country (Jordan and Litwack, 1991, p. 506). California, which in earlier years, resented the presence of Chinese immigrants, passed an Alien Land Law, which banned Japanese from possessing agriculture land (p. 506). As labor unions began to form around the country, immigrants were still not accepted.For one, they received fewer wage. For a dollar that an American-born laborer received, Italians received 84 cents, Hungarians 68 cents and others 54 cents (Katz, 1993, p. 73). Furthermore, Americans organized themselves to counter the growing number of immigrants. They formed group such as the American Protective Association, which was against Catholic immigrants. The largest labor union, the AFL or American Fede ration of Labor excluded immigrants. As America continued to plunge into urban growth, political corruption became prevalent. Americans blamed corruption as the cause of the growing immigration.In response to this, immigrants chose to remain loyal to their employees. As civic reformers talked of cleaning up the government and expressing their contempt on immigrants, the bosses showed appreciation to their employees by helping them process their naturalization proceedings and helping them when they got into trouble (Jordan and Litwack, 1991, p. 507). With regards to the labor union, the Industrial Workers of the World (IWWW) was formed in 1905 to include all workers regardless of race, skill and gender (Katz, 1993, p. 73). The outcome of this was that immigrants had started to stand up for what they believed in.racial segregation still existed but the process of keeping their identities intact had begun. An example was the creation of French-language parochial schools in New England. Put up by French Canadians, the schools had grown to 179 elementary and 28 high schools in America (Katz, 1993, p. 15). It was a clear sign that immigrants were determined to stay in the country. Child labor laws prohibited immigrant children to work, forced them instead to go to schools. With the compulsory education laws, children of immigrants became indoctrinated with the American values and English values (p. 642).Majority of these children were responsible of passing their learning to their non-English speaking parents. The years 1921-1945 saw a decrease in the number of immigrants. Following the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, the list of requirements and restriction on immigrants had tightened. For instance, immoral persons and anarchists were banned to enter US in 1903, illiterates in 1917 (McClenaghan, 1988, p. 170). By 1920, roughly 20 various immigrant groups were not able to step in the country (p. 170). The lives of American immigrants became harder, especially with th e mounting antiforeign and anti-Black sentiment around the country.This period ushered in the Progressive spirit, which focused on every aspect of American life, including those of immigrants. This time saw reforms in what Progressives deemed as the evils of the American system. Discrimination and prejudice still reigned in the country, despite the fact that American immigrants have been in the country for years One political problem they faced was religious problems. As World War I erupted, many Europeans fled their countries and sought refuge in America. The â€Å"new immigrants,† as they were known, were mostly Jewish or Roman Catholics (Divine, Breen, Fredrickson, and Williams, 1991, p.630). American Protestants feared that their religious values would shadow the presence of Catholics. Some employees also declined Irish applicants, to the extent of posting an â€Å"Irish need not apply† signs (Jordan and Litwack, 1991, p. 483). The Catholic Church was then dominate d by the Irish, thus became the subject of religious persecution. Additionally, various religious discrepancies among immigrants themselves caused more misunderstanding. To cite, Russian and Polish Jews had different traditions from Sephardic and German Jews (Tindall and Shi, 1999, p. 945).In response to this issue, the immigrants continued to go about their own ways. They formed groups, recreated their own churches and synagogues. The outcome of doing this was it strengthened the unity among immigrant groups. They became more close-knit, living in homogenous areas of the city. It was also during this period when immigrants faced greater social and political problems. Agitation towards immigrant became full-blown. Xenophobia or the fear of strangers became the growing sentiment in the country. The â€Å"new immigrants† made Americans alarmed over â€Å"race suicide† (Jordan and Litwack, 1991, p.63). For instance, Kenneth Roberts wrote in the popular Saturday Evening Po st that Polish Jews should be avoided for they were â€Å"human parasites† and that immigrants of Nordic, Alpine, Mediterranean and Semitic ethnicity were not only â€Å"worthless and futile† but â€Å"good-for-nothing mongrels of Central America and Southeastern Europe† (p. 630). Another problem which immigrants faced which further planted the seeds of the sedition was the celebrated case involving two Italian anarchists named Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti. An anarchist is someone who does not believe in any form of government.The two were arrested for a payroll robbery and murder in Massachusetts (p. 629). They were sentenced to death although evidence against them was inconclusive. They were electrocuted in 1927, amidst a series of worldwide remonstration (p. 629). Some people believed that they were innocent and the reason that they convicted was because of their political beliefs. Moreover, it was during this year when Red Scare pervaded the United S tates. A few years ago, communists, called Reds, took control of the Russian government. The communists believed that the government should take control of everything, like farms and factories.This train of thought contrasts with the American system of free enterprise (Divine, Breen, Fredrickson, and Williams, 1991, p. 692). Americans soon began fearing that communists living in the US would do embark on this. It did not help that during this time, labor unrest was notorious, stimulating more trepidation on Americans. To assuage their fears, some Americans revived the Ku Klux Klan, which was exclusive for â€Å"native-born, white, gentile Americans† (p. 693). The organization, started during the Reconstruction heyday, attacked not only black people but immigrants, Jews, and American Indians (p.693). In the mid 1920s, the group boasted of around five million members (p. 694). The revival of the Ku Klux Klan, the Red Scare and the conviction of the Italian immigrants made Congr ess pass the Emergency Quota Act in 1921 which restricted immigration to the country (Bragdon, McCutchen and Ritchie, 1996, p. 717). Immigration was limited to 3 percent of the nationality already in the US (p. 717). The act became a permanent policy three years later and in 1927 a total of 150,000 immigrants were to be admitted per year, divided based on the 1920 census (p. 717).Japanese immigrants were completely excluded with the passing of the Japanese Exclusion Act in 1924. In response to the overwhelming problems that beset the immigrants, the immigrants had no choice but to comply with the laws. In some cases, like with the Japanese, the exclusion greatly damaged diplomatic relationship between the two countries. At the height of the war, Japanese-Americans were forced to move to â€Å"relocation camps† (Divine, Breen, Fredrickson, and Williams, 1991, p. 738). Japanese-Americans who lived on the West Coast were accused of helping the Japanese sabotage the country (p. 7 38).For some immigrants, the restriction and growing anti-immigrant sentiment thrown at them were not enough to make them waver and give in. They remained steadfast and continued living in proximity, becoming stable in the process. They formed groups such as the La Orden de Hijos de America, which comprised white Chicano workers fighting for their U. S. citizenships (Katz, 1993, p. 15). Despite the discrimination and maltreatment, many Japanese- Americans volunteered during the War. It paid off. In 1988, the Senate issued a public apology and provided a tax-free payment of $20,000 to surviving Japanese-Americans (p.738). Following World War II, Unit IV, covering the years 1946-1976, life for immigrants was much better. Despite the inequalities in America, many people chose to live in the country, some sought political asylum and freedom from oppression. Others simply wanted to have a better future in the US. In the 60s, where call for civil rights where at the forefront, many Americ ans demanded for immigration reforms. In July 1963, President Kennedy recommended to scrap the national origins quota system (Divine, Breen, Fredrickson, and Williams, 1991, p . 882).The Immigration Act of 1965 restricted the number of immigrants to 170,000 per year per country and phased the national origins quota altogether (Brinkley, 2003, p. 835). In the 70s, immigrations increased to 433, 600 a year (Jordan and Litwack, 1991, p. 892). The 60s saw a surge in Mexicans migrating to the country. One literary problem they faced was language barrier. Some Latinos who established their presence in America could not speak nor understand English. This proved to be a big barrier in applying for jobs and immersing in the American life.Several employers took advantage of this and exploited Mexican workers. In response to this, several Mexican Americans founded labor organizations to help them get jobs and receive due benefits. In doing so, they strengthened their ethnicity. With regards to their language, in 1974, the United States Supreme Court approved the right of non-English speaking students to seek education in their own language. Thus, the idea of bilingualism was injected into American culture. After the Vietnam War, several Asians took refuge in America. The door of immigration opened again for the country.In the 80s, legal immigration in the US was estimated at 7 million people (Tindall and Shi, 1999, p. 1653). It was also the first time that majority of these immigrants did not come from Europe (p. 1653). The new wave of immigrants, mostly from Asia and Latin America, reopened the old wound of ethnic conflict. One social problem these new immigrants faced were still discrimination. In 1994, California passed Proposition 187, which banned illegal aliens to have access to school, medical care and other social services (Bragdon, McCutchen and Ritchie, 1996, p. 1019).This created friction between the legal immigrants and the illegal ones. Some preached that th is is completely bigotry. Adding more salt to the wound was the 1998 approval of ending bilingual education in California. In response to this problem, immigrants worked to enter the country legally. Although there are aliens flooding the country from time to time, Immigration Services has employed a stricter guideline. Several ethnic groups have also asserted themselves. The entry of ethnic studies program in school and universities is one way of embracing cultural differences between Americans and differences.This is one outcome that immigrants had wanted to achieve from the first time they stepped foot in the country. The presence of immigrants in the United States has earned the country the moniker of being a melting pot. The country is a multi-cultural society with each group respecting the other. Mayor Share James of Newark, New Jersey, noted that America’s diversity is its strength (Bragdon, McCutchen and Ritchie, 1996, p. 1020). This makes sense. Since the discovery o f America, it has always been varied. Different cultures and ethnic background make it unique, in the same vein that the differences provide a sense of heritage.It makes America culture colorful. It is sad for a fact that it took people years to understand this and that the forefathers of immigrants had to endure torture and humiliation but the appointment of the first Black American president in the country is probably a sign that yes, the country is ready for change. References Bragdon, H. , McCutchen, S. and Ritchie, D. (1996). History of a free nation. Ohio: Glencoe/ McGraw-Hill. Brinkley, A. (2003). American history a survey USA: McGraw-Hill. Divine, R. , Breen, T. H. , Fredrickson, G. , Williams, R. H. (1991). America the peopleand the dream. Illinois: Scott, Foresman and Company. Jordan, W. and Litwack, L. (1991). The United States 7th ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Katz, W. (1993). A history of multicultural America. USA: Sleek- Vaugh Company. May, E. (1989). A proud nation. Illinois: McDougal, Littell and Company. McClenaghan,W. (1988). Magruder’s American government Massachusetts: Prentice Hall. O’Neill, W. (2002). United States. In The New Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 29 USA: Britannica Inc. Tindall, G. B. , and Shi, D. (1999). America a narrative history. USA: W. W. Norton and Company.