Summary NHL American Studies Hoorcollege 5

American Studies
Immigration to the US

The American Dream
 Creating a better life for themselves
 Refuge for the poor and oppressed

Proud to be an immigrant
 All Americans have ancestors who were immigrants
 Ladder of ethnic succession
 Improvement over their situation in the ‘old country’
 Rags to riches?

Ambivalence
 Prosperity due to immigrant (welvaart als gevolg van immigranten)
 Few restrictions until 1920s
 Low wages, bad conditions
 Immigrant clung to language and customs
 Threat to ‘American culture’
 Disturbing the balance

Immigrants Work
Irish Mill towns, cities, railroads and mines
Christian Germans Farmers (American Mid-West), traders (rural
towns)
German Jewish Peddlers, shopkeepers
Chinese Railroads, mines


Irish Immigrants:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5q9i-o9UvX8

In America
 Geographic isolation
 Chinatown/little Italy
 Languages and customs survived