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.
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The period between 1860 and 1920 saw the highest inflow of immigration
into the United Stats
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Post WWII: US allowed refugees from Eastern Europe and Soviet areas to
come to America.
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In response to WWII reconstruction the United States opened its doors in
order to combat an ideological war abroad.
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1965
Immigration and Nationality Act
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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.
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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.
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Those that did not meet requirements were sent back to where they came
from.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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People against the act have sited that it rewards illegal immigration.
Citizens Take Action
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The Minuteman Project
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Civilian border patrol project.
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Founded by a former marine in 2004.
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Citizens patrol the border and report illegal immigration.
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Voluntarily build walls on their property.
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The group is becoming smaller and smaller.
