Immigration Unit PPTMr. Macpherson9/10th grade Resource Lab

Day 1

Warm-upYou’ve just been elected the ultimate ruler of a

new country. Think: How would you design your perfect

society? What rules does it have? What type of things does your society value?

Think of it this way… you’re a “founding father (or mother)” of a country.

Create a list of the top 10 rules in your society or country. Be ready to share and justify your answers.

Your rules! If you ran a country…Now it’s your turn to decide and be

immigration police.

Read the following scenarios and decide: Do you want this person in your country?

History of Immigration OutlineColonial

Old

New

Current Issues/ Update

WOW! From 1865 to 1900 13.5 million people arrived from abroad!

Colonial ImmigrationRan from the first people from England to

Declaration of Independence

Places of Origin: English, Scotch-Irish, German, Swedish, Dutch and African

Reasons: political and religious freedom, economics, and as slaves

Settled on east coast

Africans eventually settled in the South

Problems ContributionsNative American

conflicts

Building farms homes and a new life in unknown territory

Language

Government

Religion

Cultural Traditions

Old Immigration ReasonsRan from est. of

U.S. until about 1850

Most from Northern and Western Europe, especially Ireland, Germany, and Scandinavia

Famine from failure of the Potato Crop in Ireland

Revolutions in Germany

Economic Opportunity

Difficulties ContributionsIrish and German

Catholics often faced hostility on arrival

Many feared competition for jobs from the new immigrants

RR s and Canals

Labored in factories.

Brought advanced farming techniques

Idea of Kindergarten and other educational techniques

New ImmigrationFrom 1850 to 1924

From Southern and Eastern and Europe, Usually Poland, Italy ,and Russia as well as substantial numbers of Japanese and Chinese

Reasons Places Hope for greater economic

opportunity

Political Freedom

Religious Freedom

Cities, especially industrial centers and ports

Often were concentrated in Ghettos

Asian Immigrants settled on the West Coast (usually California)

Difficulties Contributions Fear of losing their

religious and cultural heritage

Reactions of fear and hostility from native born Americans

Discrimination in jobs and Immigration

Competition from other minority groups

Italian and Jewish girls Worked in Sweatshops of the garment industry

Poles and Slavs labored in coal mines and steel mills of Pa. And Midwest

Chinese built transcontinental RR and aided expansion as well as contributing to U.S. cultural diversity

Reaction to ImmigrationBrought new wave of Nativism

Often Racism came from descendants of Old Immigrants

Belief was traditions of Immigrants have negative impact on U.S. society

Felt Immigrants kept wages low

Jokes and stereotypes common

Tried to Influence law against natives

Immigrants and Society: Theories of Different Absorption

Assimilation: Immigrants disappear into established culture. Give up traditions and attitudes to be accepted.

Pluralism: recognizes that groups do not always lose distinctive characters. Can live with each group making different contributions. Often called Salad Bowl Theory

Melting Pot Theory: People from Various cultures met in U.S. to form new American.

Groups not easily distinguished (all one new mixture)