Industry and Immigration

Lesson 4 The New Immigrants

Key Terms
great wave between 1880 and 1920.
Steerage – Third-class accommodations on a steamship.
Ellis Island – Island in New York Harbor that served as an immigration station for
millions of immigrants arriving to the United States.
Angel Island – Immigrant processing station that opened in San Francisco Bay in
1910.
Americanization – Belief that assimilating immigrants into American society would
make them more loyal citizens.
“melting pot” – Society in which people of different nationalities assimilate to form
one culture.
Nativism – Inclination to favor native inhabitants as opposed to immigrants.
Chinese Exclusion Act – 1882 law that prohibited the immigration of Chinese
laborers.

Academic Vocabulary
compel: to drive or urge to action
persecution: harassment or unfair punishment because of one’s beliefs
refugee: a person who flees to a foreign country to escape danger or
discrimination
preliminary: happening before and leading up to something; initial
detain: to hold in prison or in custody
exclude: to leave out
activist: someone who fights for a controversial cause

Lesson Objectives
1. Compare the “new immigrants” of the late 1800s to earlier immigrants.
New immigrants came from southern and eastern Europe. Earlier
immigrants came from northern and western Europe.
2. Explain the push and pull factors leading immigrants to America.
A push factor that caused immigrants to leave to America were
land reforms and low crop prices which pushed farmers off their
land and into a search for better opportunities. Some pulls
experienced by immigrants were the cheap farmland due to the
1862 Homestead Act and aid from railroad companies.
3. Describe the challenges that immigrants faced establishing new lives
in America.

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 One of the challenges immigrants faced were the immigration
inspections.

4. Analyze how immigrants adapted to American life while trying to

maintain familiar cultural practices.
Immigrants learned the way we talk and the way we dress and
maintain laws.

New Immigrants Seek Better Lives: Text

1. Compare and Contrast How were the “new” immigrants that came to
the United States between 1870 and 1900 different from earlier
immigrants? Cite specific evidence from the text.
The “new immigrants” came from southern and eastern Europe
like Russia as opposed to northern and western Europe with
earlier immigrants. These new immigrants were often Catholic or
Jewish and settled in cities rather than farms.

2. Categorize As you read “Why Some Immigrants Left Their Homes”

and “Why Some Immigrants Came to America,” use this graphic
organizer to take notes about the “push factors” and the “pull factors.”
Explain what a push factor is and what a pull factor is; then record
each reason that immigrants came to the United States in the correct
column—either “Push” or “Pull.”
Push is something that causes people to leave their home
country. A pull factor is something that entices a person to move
to another country.
Push: Land Reforms, Low crop prices.
Pull: Cheap farmland, economic opportunities.

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 3. Identify Cause and Effect How did the United States encourage
people to move west? How did private companies aid in this
movement? Why? Cite specific examples.
The religious freedom of economic opportunities the states
promises encouraged people to move west. Companies like the
railroad companies aided immigrants by making farmland
inexpensive. The railroads offered reduced fares to travel west
because their businesses needed to grow in the west.

Optimism and the Immigrant Experience: Text

4. Draw Inferences Why were first- and second-class passengers able to

enter into the United States right away, while third-class (steerage)
passengers had to pass through Ellis Island?
First and second-class passengers received a quick inspection
on-board for obvious medical problems but third-class
passengers were sent to Ellis Island and given medical
inspections where less obvious illnesses could be detected
leading to the denial of entry for those passengers.

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 5. Compare Authors’ Points of View Compare the excerpts from the
two primary sources—one written by Edward Corsi about Ellis Island,
and one written by a Chinese immigrant about Angel Island. How do
the authors’ points of view differ? What do they suggest about
differences in the ways Asian and European immigrants were treated?
Edward Corsi took a neutral stance of Ellis Island by stating that
fear and hope was present with the immigrants. However, the
Chinese immigrant’s experience showed a negative experience of
Ellis Island due to his arrest.

Social Issues Affecting Immigrants: Text

6. Summarize What kinds of discrimination did immigrants face in the

new country? Summarize the main points of “Social Issues Affecting
Immigrants.”
Passing immigration inspections, finding a place to stay, and a
job were major issues faced by immigrants. The main points of
Social Issues Affecting Immigrants include the Americanization of
immigrants, nativism which is the tendency to favor native-born
white Americans, and laws like the Chinese exclusion law were
passed to make the lives of Chinese immigrants more difficult by
forbidding naturalization.

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 7. Cite Evidence The text states that many immigrants and established
Americans alike viewed the United States as a melting pot. From what
you have read in “Social Issues Affecting Immigrants,” do you agree
that the United States was a melting pot early in the twentieth century?
Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.
The Americanization movements along with hostility towards non-
natives and Chinese immigrants forced immigrants to adapt the
American culture to better their experiences. The culture of
immigrants was also shared with the natives forming a melting
pot of cultures and lifestyles.

Immigrants Affect American Society: Text

8. Identify Supporting Details In “Immigrants Affect American Society,”

the text argues that immigrants transformed American society. Cite and
explain an example that supports this central idea.
European Jews brought bagels, Italians popularized pasta dishes,
and German immigrants brought sausages. A Scottish immigrant
Andrew Carnegie created a steel empire.

9. Analyze Interactions How did the “new” immigrants affect the politics of
unionization, and what motivated them to do so?
Influential activists like Marry Harris Jones and Samuel Gompers
fought for union rights of coal miners and immigrants. They were
motivated by the harsh conditions of mines and factories as well
as the overcrowded and unhealthy slums.

Interactive Reading Notepad • Lesson 4

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