Black Studies- Social Issues
Italian Immigrants in America
There was modest Italian emigration to the United States prior to 1870. Nevertheless, Italy was one of the most overfull nations in Europe and a lot started to think about the option of leaving Italy to flee small wages and elevated taxes. The majority of these immigrants were from rural neighborhoods with very little schooling (Italian Immigration, n.d.). Throughout the mass emigration from Italy from 1876 to 1976, the U.S. was the biggest sole recipient of Italian immigrants around the world. In 1850, less than four thousand Italians were reported to be in the U.S. Nevertheless in 1880, only four years after the arrival of Italian immigrants, the population escalated to forty-four thousand, and by 1900, to over four hundred thousand. From 1880 to 1900, southern Italian immigrants became the main Italian immigrant and remained that way all through the mass migration. In spite of the augment in numbers, the Italians were not the biggest foreign born group in American cities. Outnumbered by groups migrating for years before them. Italians only made-up about one and half percent of the U.S. populace at its crest (The Italians, n.d.).
In the U.S. where the profusion of inexpensive land could no longer be found, the typically agricultural Italians in Italy, became generally urban. Starting from the foot of the work-related ladder working up, they performed jobs such as shoe shinning, rag picking, sewer cleaning, and whatever hard, dirty, hazardous jobs that nobody else wanted. Even children worked at an early age, as in Italy, even at the cost of their schooling. The Italians were known for infrequently accepting charity or resorting to prostitution for cash, another indication of things in Italy (The Italians, n.d.).
The living circumstances for the Italians tended to be very crowded and dirty all over the U.S. Italian workers also tended to be sparing with food in a frantic effort to save funds. Yet, after time and new generations of Italians, the filthiness...
The biggest reason for this was financial. Farming takes time to sow, grow and harvest, and there was simply not time for that; the Italian immigrant needed to make as much money as he could in the least time possible; farming simply would not work (2008). Farming also implied a certain amount of permanence, which was not the plan for many Italian immigrants (Mintz 2007). Land in America was also
Immigrant Experience Immigration to the United States was not a pleasant experience for many people, at least not initially. I can testify to this since me and my family experienced difficulties when we moved from Russia in 1994. My biggest predicament was the language barrier since I spoke Russian and did not known proper English. It was not easy to make friends in the new country and not knowing the language
In years before, America was a collection of Chinese, Germans, Italians, Scots, Croats, etc., all craving freedom. Today, even the simple concept of an English-speaking nation is fading off the continent. In the past, immigrants were taught in English in the public schools. In America today, children are taught in German, Italian, Polish, and 108 other languages and dialects. Most of these schools are funded by 139 million federal
So who is an American and what an America can or cannot do are questions which are critical to the issue of legalizing immigrants. Does being an American mean you cannot show allegiance to any other country? The images of people raising and waving Mexican flag had enraged many but it need not have. It should be accepted that people who come from different countries would forever hold in their
However, Cardinal Gibbons, even after this encyclical by the Pope, "took a dim view of strikes (by the Catholic immigrants)" and any "concrete action by American Catholics was slow in coming, (due to) the conservatism of the clergy and the parochial concerns of the lay leaders" (Carnes 654). The Catholic church responded in other ways to the crucial needs of immigrant Catholics in the United States, especially in the area
This represented a sharp turn in public beliefs, and it represented a new type of America that no longer welcomed immigrants with open arms, and that has continued unchecked to the present day. This shift in public thought and government legislation resulted in the first immigration law to exclude immigrants because of their race and class, and laws continued to tighten until after World War II ended in 1945. Potential
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now