Hostility Towards American Immigrants
Acceptance of immigrants into the melting pot of America is an important national myth. As with many myths, there is truth to this, but exploring immigration reveals that the story is much more complicated. We can see evidence of hostility toward immigrants throughout much of American history, into colonial times, and this hostility seems to only increase as we progress through the course. In a nation of immigrants and their descendants, why was there so much hostility towards more recent arrivals?
You should plan to write a cohesive, formal essay, 1650 words (excluding the citation page), in which you develop an argument and advance it through making points and using evidence to back them up.
The formatting is the usual – double-spaced, standard margins, normal sized font (12 point) and strictly follows the APA citation format. Your essay should contain AT LEAST 8 citations from the 4 sources I give you. Use ALL 4 sources. Use the PPT to get familiar with the knowledge we taught in class.
DO NOT USE or CONSULT outside sources for this assignment. Use only the class materials – the textbook, the “Immigration documents”, other primary sources I gave you, and a letter from Benjamin Franklin (here - founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-04-02-0173 Links to an external site). Use ONLY the knowledge we taught in class. STAY OFF the Web when writing these. Trying to find answers online is the fast track to an academic integrity case, and if there appears to be evidence of an infraction, which can pretty much only come from looking at things that are not the textbook, lecture notes or primary sources.
Hostility Towards American Immigrants
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Hostility towards American immigrants
The process of nation-building has never been an easy one; often having twists and turns along the way, with some fine-tuning too. America has been commonly known as a nation of immigrants due to its rich history based on the works of immigrants. It is ironic then, that the same immigrants who built the nation are the ones who have experienced racial discrimination and persecution over the years. The story of immigration in America is typically portrayed as a positive narrative of diverse cultures blending to form a new society. However, this view is oversimplified, as immigrants have faced hatred and prejudice throughout history. There has been a consistent and intentional fear as well as apathy against immigrants within American society, which has resulted in a lot of social issues in the country. The issue's complexity lies in the contributing factors of this hostility towards immigrants. Numerous factors have contributed to immigrants' hostility in the United States, from economic competition to cultural differences.
One of the main reasons for hostility towards immigrants is economic (Class Resource: Powerpoint). The economy is hinged upon a number of factors including job availability and the wages therein. In economic hardship, immigrants are often seen competing for jobs and resources, leading to resentment from American-born workers who feel their jobs are being taken away (Cobbs, 2012). During the mid-19th century, immigrants were brought to work in factories and mines as the country rapidly industrialized (Class Resource: Power point). However, this influx of cheap labor led to further resentment from American-born workers. Issues such as minimum wage became a problem, as the natives believed that immigrants took way less than what was supposed to be received as minimum wage.
The fear of cultural change is another factor that contributes to hostility toward immigrants (Class Resource: Power point). It is human to fight against anything that tries to alter the general way of life in a given society. Many Americans have historically been wary of immigrants from vastly different cultures (Cobbs, 2012). This fear is often fueled by stereotypes and prejudice, leading to discrimination against immigrant groups (Cobbs, 2012). For example, Chinese immigrants in the 19th century were often targeted for discrimination and violence because they were seen as culturally and racially different from white Americans (Class Resource: PowerPoint).
Religion has also influenced the hostility towards immigrants throughout American history (Class Resource: PowerPoint). In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many Americans were deeply suspicious of Catholic immigrants, particularly those from Ireland (Cobbs, 2012). These immigrants were seen as potential threats to American democracy and values because of their loyalty to the Pope and the Catholic Church, which was seen as a foreign power (Class Resource: Power point). This led to anti-Catholic sentiment and discrimination against Catholics in the United States.
One could argue that the hostility towards immigrants can be attributed to various factors. For example, some Americans may have feared that immigrants would take away jobs from native-born citizens, while others may have viewed them as a threat to American culture and traditions. Additionally, some Americans may have harbored racist beliefs towards certain immigrant groups, such as the Chinese, Irish, and Italian immigrants who faced widespread discrimination in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The basis of animosity towards immigrants was purely out of racism, fear and paranoia.
During the period of urbanization in the North, there was a rise in new forms of culture and entertainment that emerged in cities (Cobbs, 2012). Cities became centers of theatre, music, and literature. New York City was particularly prominent as a cultural capital, with many famous writers, such as Edgar Allan Poe and Herman Melville, associated with the city (Cobbs, 2012). The emergence of popular entertainment, such as minstrel shows and dime novels, was also a result of urbanization (Cobbs, 2012). In addition, new public space forms, such as Central Park in New York, were created to provide a respite from city life's crowded and often unsanitary conditions (Cobbs, 2012). However, the growth of urban areas also led to new social problems, including prostitution, gambling, and crime, which reformers attempted to address.
During the 1830s, the anti-Catholic sentiment was resurgent in America, which led to violent attacks on Catholics (Cobbs, 2012). This sentiment culminated in the Philadelphia riots of May and July 1844, which were instigated by rumors that Catholics were attempting to take over the country (Cobbs, 2012). These riots resulted in the deaths of at least 20 people (Cobbs, 2012). It is worth noting that most of the immigrants into the U.S. f...