Religious, racial, political persecution, desperation to aid in overcoming economic struggles, and famine pushed immigrants out of their homeland and to America (Immigration in the Early 1900’s). By the 20th century more Italians had immigrated to America than any other Europeans. In 1900-1910 many immigrants from Italy moved to the United States in hopes for a better life. Due to all of the natural disasters in Italy, people were left homeless, moneyless, and some without families. Cities were destroyed and people had nothing. The Italian immigrants never wanted to stay in the United States, they were looking for a jobs to make enough money to bring back to their families in Italy(Digital History, McNeil, S).
Most immigrants wanted to farm because it was a way of life they were familiar with, and they believed they could make enough money to survive. Unlike most of the immigrants, Italians did not want to farm, they preferred to work in the cities. The Italians immigrants never expected to stay in the United States and therefore ended up living as cheaply possible doing construction jobs. Half of the 1900-1910 Italian immigrants were manual laborers. They dug out tunnels, laid railroad tracks, built bridges and roads, and made the first skyscrapers(McNeil, S, Digital history). Italian immigrants took over the United States in terms of immigration population. The women did work but were almost never domestic servants. To reconcile the needs to earn money and maintain a backbone for the family, they would take piece work into their homes. Italians, like most immigrant groups, small business served as help for moving up in the immigrant status. Due to a lack of ethnic cohesiveness in America, politics for the immigrants were not pr...
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...e very successful in music and due to the invention of radio, they were able to move up in the social ranks. The music industry and the use of the radio and hand cranked victrola allowed the Americans to listen to recordings of opera stars. The broadway musicals became a bit hit as well as ballroom dancing, which became a replacement for the dance known as the waltz. Scott Joplin, a musician, was a prime example of how african Americans and immigrants used music as a way to succeed. Joplin was known for his ragtime music such as “The Entertainer”. “The Entertainer” was used in another famous leisure activity known as silent films(American Cultural History). Cultural diffusion in the United States had grown tremendously in the early 20th century. Paintings, architecture, music, and many more arts had been brought upon mainly by immigrants(American Immigration, pg 79).
When the Italian immigrants came to America for work they were desperate. They had already come for jobs, they were determined and hardworking. They would take the lowest class jobs wherever they could. City projects like building subway systems, and digging pipelines were not uncommon among the immigrants. Even children at young ages, would take jobs in factories, or even selling newspapers on the streets. Their work ethic and determination was unwavering. They opened the doors for future generations of immigrants. Although, they still had a long way to
In the years from 1860 through 1890, the prospect of a better life attracted nearly ten million immigrants who settled in cities around the United States. The growing number of industries produced demands for thousands of new workers and immigrants were seeking more economic opportunities. Most immigrants settled near each other’s own nationality and/or original village when in America.
The beginning of the immigration movement people came from all part of Europe looking for jobs and new opportunities over seas in the Americas. As immigrants, there were not many jobs that they could do, so many of them ended up in the mining and then later the manufacturing industries. The second industrial revolution played a big part in immigration for a few reasons. One, the invention of the steam boat. The steam boat made the travel much faster and a once long journey was made into a week. This trip was also much less costly for the immigrants and many travels back and forth between their countries and the United states (Immigration and American Experience). Two, the industrial revolution created many jobs in the United States for unskilled
The force that brought Irish immigrants can be described in two ways, both negative in the way of the Famine Years and the control of Protestant England. On the other hand, Irish immigrants were able to use the United States as a chance for economic opportunities as well as a chance to be free to practice their Catholic faith. The economic events that helped fulfill the need for Irish workers were thanks to the Industrial growth of the United States. The Transcontinental Railroad was completed by the continuous harsh labor that was done by Irish immigrants. The Eastern half was largely built by Irish men that were hired by the Union Pacific Railroad Company. The chance to make a life and put some money in their pockets was an attractive situation for struggling Irish immigrants. The inevitable factor for Irish immigrants to leave their homeland was the effects of famine that was occurring among the rural population of Ireland. Ireland depended heavily on potato crops, but as the crops failed they diminished the hopes of surviva...
...they will not settle for less. Time is wasting. For, “Time which brings us from the lowest condition up to the highest civilization; time, so that we can raise men to a higher plane” (Reading 10, p. 2). Gompers has greater aims, for he wants to better America to keep advancing and creating. Of all of America, Chicago was the fastest growing city because of its railroad factory, which needed unskilled laborers like Italian immigrants. “The production of steel defined industrial Chicago” (Slideshow 7: Italian Immigrants in Chicago). If Italian immigrants were not in New York City, they were in Chicago. Wherever they lived they were experiencing horrifying working environments. In order to understand why these changes in conditions were so necessary between, it is essential to analyze the experiences of pre and post 1880 immigrants, especially that of the Italians.
The Italians that migrate to America were uneducated, lacked the ability to own property because they were overtaxed and unable to buy land, and dire poverty.
The Irish migrated to America to flee from famine and were poor due to lack of money and skill. They were forced to work in factories and became political chess pieces to political machines like Tammany Hall. The Germans relocated to America to escape economic hardship and political tensions. Many farmers, artisans, and rebels of the failed revolutions of 1848 came to America for a better life. The Germans were wealthy and were able to move westward to further increase their capital. The Nativists condemned the presence of immigrants in America because of the crime and disease they brought with them, and for being politically liberal and integrators of
A rivalry with the Irish began to find unskilled work in industrial areas. As the number of Italians in the United States increased, they began to dominate many of the occupations that were earlier controlled by the Irish. They Italians worked in various industries, such as woollen mills and shoe factories.
Immigration has always been a major part of America. In fact, without immigration the creation of America would not have been possible. The majority of immigrants came to America for religious freedom and economic opportunities. However, for the most part before the 1870’s most immigrants were Protestants from northern and western Europe. These immigrants often migrated to the United States as families and usually lived on farms with family or friends who had already migrated beforehand. A lot of immigrants came to America with a plan or goal in mind. They often had saved up money for the long immigration overseas, were skilled in a certain trade, or had already been educated at a high level. Sadly, this would not last. Immigration became so prominent in America between 1870 and 1900 that the foreign-born population of the United States had almost doubled. A lot of German and Irish Catholics had immigrated in the 1840’s and 1850’s, and more decided to immigrate after the Civil War. A portion of Americans were biased against Catholics. Thankfully, the Irish spoke English and the German Catholics reputation was improved because of their Protestant countrymen’s good reputation. However, their children often lacked any skill or education, but they were able to blend in quite well with the American society. More and more immigrants would migrate to the United States without any skill or education and on top of that they were usually poor. These immigrants were called “new” immigrants and they came from all over the world including Italy, Greece, Poland, Hungary, and Russia. However, you cannot blame immigrants for migrating to America. Many immigrants faced religious persecution in their home countries which pushed them away, otherwi...
Migration to America first started in the 1800’s with large numbers in Irish, Italian and Jewish cultures. Before coming to America many of the immigrant children did not have much of an education and families did not see education as being as important as learning a trade or finding a husband. Jewish families sent boys for religious education, however were not as worried about sending the girls. For Italian girls education was an option, however the poor needed the kids to stay home and work. Most Italian families could not afford to send their child to school. Irish girls were sent to school if the family could pay. Many children did attend, however the great famine forced many families to the point of starvation and funding was not available for the children. Eventually many families in Ireland were forced to leave Ireland and many sought salvation in America.
“Chi la dura la vince.” This soft-spoken Italian proverb sums up the series of events that Italian immigrants endured on their journey in America. Between 1880 and 1920, more than four million Italian-Americans immigrated to the United States of America in hopes of temporarily escaping Southern Italy’s impoverished and overpopulated society. Once in America, these new Italian-American citizens started ‘Little Italys’ or ethnic enclaves of Italians. Some Little Italies were even large enough to support a full economic structure of their own, providing a plethora of job opportunities. These ‘small’ Italian communities shielded themselves from general stereotypes and provided a sense of belonging which helped Italians establish their roots. America’s attitude toward these new Italian-American citizens can be summed up in part by Congressman James McClintic, a Democrat Oklahoman: "I say the class of immigrants [Italians] coming to the shores of the United States at this time are not the kind of people we want as citizens in this country." Inplace of responding by aggressive human nature, America’s new Italian citizens viewed this as an opportunity to enrich family and community bonds. As for Italian traditions, they struggled to be accustomed between the two Italian generations as the already ‘Americanized’ Italian children clashed with their parents, which resulted in altered traditions. One major example is Italian-American food which chain restaurants have come to paint as a type of restaurant that specializes in spaghetti with meatballs, pizza, and has red checked tablecloths.
The United States experienced major waves of immigration during the colonial era, the first part of the 19th century and from the 1880s to 1920. Many people immigrated to America for
Until the 1860s, the early immigrants not only wanted to come to America, but they also meticulously planned to come. These immigrants known as the “Old Immigrants” immigrated to America from many countries in Northern and Western Europe, known as, Sweden, Norway, Scandinavia, Wales and Ireland. Some of them traveled to Canada, but most of them came to the U.S. seeking freedom they didn’t get in their own countries. Ireland had also recently suffered through a potato famine, where the citizens were left poor and starving. Most settled in New York City and other large cities, where they worked in factories and other low-paying jobs. The immigrants caused a great increase in population in these areas. The “Old Immigrants” tried not to cluster themselves with others of their own nationality. They would mostly try to fit in with Americans as best as they could. Many of them had a plan to come to America, so they saved their money and resources before they arrived so they could have a chance at a better life. On the other hand, another group of immigrants began to arrive
Throughout most of my childhood, I always gravitated towards my Italian heritage more than any other of my birthrights. My great grandparents came to Lawrence, Massachusetts from Naples, Italy in search of a better life. They found it here in America by working in the factories and mills. Sadly, I only knew my great grandparents for a brief period of time before they all passed away. I thank them and her generation for taking us here, to the United States of America.
The 20th century was a century which United States had great influence in the world of music across the globe. America was the birth place of most influential music, from jazz to rock which was promoted by the q7uality of technology like radio and phonographs. Advanced technology ensured fast distribution of music to Americans and all-round the globe. 20th century also brought African Americans and their music culture which was more practiced by slaves. However, even before the African American s came into music, blues music was already evolving leading to development of other genres like country music, jazz to rock and classical music.