American Immigration
Men At
Lunch video: Toronto International Film Festival
This is a documentary that was released at the 2012 TIFF in
September. The film is based on a
photograph called “Lunch atop a Skyscraper” that was taken in New York in 1932
of working men whose identities are largely unknown. This photo epitomizes the immigrant
population during the 20th century and speaks for the rich American
cultural heritage.
The film was directed by Sean O Cualain, in Ireland.
Introduction
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The United States has a rich immigration history.
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Most Americans can trace an ancestry back to another
country.
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Between 1820 and 1930 almost half of migrants leaving
their homelands would end up in the United States.
Definitions
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Immigrant: person who moves across national borders.
§ This term is
generally reserved for those who have moved to the USA voluntarily.
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Forced Migration: the movement of people who
have no choice or control over their movement.
§ Also known as involuntary
migration.
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Cultural Identity: your own sense of culture
shaped by the environment that you live in.
Being
“American”
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Native Americans or American Indians are considered
the original inhabitants of what is today the United States.
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Colonies founded in the United States by the Spanish,
French and the British brought on a movement of Europeans into the United
States.
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Later, the United States will receive immigrants from
other continents such as Asia and Africa.
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Immigration has shaped American cultural identity.
Major
Immigration Flows
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1600s : The Pilgrims escaped religious persecution in
their own countries.
o
Protestants from countries such as England and Germany
and a large Jewish population
o
Also here we see deportation of populations such as
Gypsies.
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1700s :
Importation of African slaves is at its highest in America.
o
By 1790 there were around 700,000 slaves in
America.
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1815-1865 : Immigrants from Northern and Western
Europe. (Ireland and Germany)
o
During this time 1/3rd of the immigrants
coming to America were Irish, this was largely in part to the Great Potato
Famine that left many Irish in search of a better life.
o
German heritage is the most claimed heritage in
America according to the 2000 census.
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1850s : Chinese immigration in search of gold.
o
Asians came to America looking towards California for
gold. They later came in search of work
constructing the railroads.
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1880-1920 : Immigrants from Central, Eastern and
Southern Europe. (Italy, Poland, Greece)
o
At this time America received almost 20 million
immigrants.
o
A large population of Italians and Jews fleeing religious
persecution entered into the United States.
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Post WWII: refugees from Eastern Europe
o
After WWII refugees fleeing the Soviet Union or other
threats in Europe were allowed to enter the United States.
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1959 : Cuban
refugees.
o
After the
conflict and communist takeover in Cuba, the United States opened its doors to
hundreds of thousands of Cubans.
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1965 – present : less immigration, primarily from Asia
and Latin America.
Major Immigration Laws
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1882 Chinese
Exclusion Act
— This act was put in
place to ban Chinese laborers from entering the country. This was in response to the job shortage in
California and the willingness of the Chinese community to work for small
wages.
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1917 Congress enacted a literacy test.
— All entering
immigrants over the age of 16 had to prove that they could read in English,
this test was put in place to limit the entrance of immigrants into the United
States.
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1924 Immigration Act: quotas were put in place.
— It restricted entry
to 2 percent of the total number of the population of each nationality already
in America. The system favored Western
Europeans and limited Asian immigrants.
-
Post WWII: US allowed refugees from Eastern Europe and
Soviet areas to come to America.
— In response to WWII
reconstruction the United States opened its doors in order to combat an
ideological war abroad.
-
1965 Immigration
and Nationality Act
— The act ended the
quota system and allowed relatives already in America to sponsor relatives to
come to the United States. This shifted
the immigration trends and now most immigrants are from Latin America and Asia.
How Did it Work? Ellis Island
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1892 : Opening of the first federal immigration
station.
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More than 12 million immigrants passed through on
their way to the United States.
— That is ¾ of the
migrants entering the US between 1892 and 1924.
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On the island the arrivals were inspected for disease
or mental illness and were investigated to see if they were convicts.
— Those that did not
meet requirements were sent back to where they came from.
— People lived in
constant fear that they would be sent back home.
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There was corruption on the island and things were not
always fair.
Effects of Immigration on American Society
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Americans feel strong ties to other countries and is a
country of mixed cultures.
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You can easily find symbols such as food or art from
other cultures across the United States.
Immigration to the United States Today
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Today most of the countries immigrants are from Asia
and Latin America.
— Leading countries
are Mexico, India and the Philippines.
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There were an estimated 38 million first generation
immigrants in the United States in 2007.
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Family reunification accounts for the majority of
immigration.
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Immigration for refugees is permitted in certain
situations.
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The rest must apply for the Diversity Visa Program for
one of 50,000 visas given annually.
Immigration Controversy
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Immigration is a very hot topic in American politics
today.
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Primarily there is a problem concerning the border
with Mexico.
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Caused by a fear of a loss of jobs and tax dollars on
illegal immigrants.
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Image that immigrants don’t speak English and don’t
adapt to the “American lifestyle.”
Controversial Laws
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Arizona’s “show me your papers” law.
o
Police have the right to demand papers and take action
against illegal immigrants.
o
Obama stated that the US government will not deport
children who were brought illegally by their parents to the United States.
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DREAM Act
o
Permanent resident status given to immigrants who
complete high school and 2 years of military service or 4 years of university.
o
The law has been repeatedly blocked by the Senate and
is no longer in place.
o
People against the act have sited that it rewards
illegal immigration.
Citizens Take Action
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The Minuteman Project
o
Civilian border patrol project.
o
Founded by a former marine in 2004.
o
Citizens patrol the border and report illegal
immigration.
o
Voluntarily build walls on their property.
o
The group is becoming smaller and smaller.
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