How Did The New Immigrants Travel To America

During the late 1800s a “new” wave of immigrants journeyed to America. These immigrants traveled mostly by boat in large numbers from southern and eastern European countries. These countries consisted of Ireland, Italy, Greece, Poland, and Russia as well as Asian nations like China. The “new” immigrants were mostly poor with little to no education prior to entering America. However, the “new” immigrants did have various cultures, beliefs, and languages which were carried over into America. Immigrants traveled to America to fulfil the American dream, despite the hardships and nativism they received, they helped contribute and transform American society.
There were many push factors that led the European immigrants to travel to America. Unemployment
The majority of these people were unskilled, poor, catholic or jewish, and likely to settle in cities. Those traveling to America needed money for the passage and could only bring what they could carry. The majority of immigrants traveled in crowded, dirty cabins where illnesses and disease spread rapidly across the boat. In order to be accepted into America at arrival the immigrants were required to be healthy, show they had money, a skill, or a sponsor. When the immigrants arrived at Ellis Island the first part of America they saw was the Statue of Liberty symbolizing the country’s freedom. Nonetheless, the Chinese and other Asian immigrants who crossed the Pacific Ocean arrived on Angel Island and had poor conditions as they were sometimes kept up to weeks waiting for entry in America. Overall in the 1880s the New Immigrants totaled only 19 percent of the incoming immigrant population. However, by the 1900s these immigrants totaled 66 percent of the total amount of immigrants coming into America. Furthermore, immigration into America was booming due to people’s search for a better life and for greater opportunities not only for themselves but also for their
Nativists blamed the immigrants for societal problems and had a fear of becoming outnumbered and therefore would be outvoted. In 1887, the American Protective Association, an anti foreigner organization, was created. The APA had a goal of voting against Roman Catholic candidates in office. There were other laws and acts which subtly pushed out immigrants and made the immigrants’ perception of the natives quite hostile. In 1882, Congress passed a law against the immigrants. This law stated that any criminal or convict was to be sent back to their home country. Another restriction against immigrants was in 1885 when Congress banned the importation of foreign workers under contract. The immigrants were usually brought on to work for much below the standard wage. In 1882, Congress banned the Chinese from immigration into the United States all together. This undertaking by Congress was known as the Chinese Exclusion Act. Overall, the natives had become hostile to the immigrants due to taken jobs, outnumbered in voting, and new influxes of religion brought into