Among the many elements that make up American history, immigration is undoubtedly one of its fabric’s most critical and integral aspects. Unlike the perception of America as a haven for immigrants, a darker side dominates the picture, especially the clashes against the newly arrived ones. Even though their ancestral home was a safe and comfortable place for many immigrants in the past, they do face racism, segregation, and even hostile, discriminatory, and anti-immigrant sentiment. The essay examines the Americans’ perspectives following the immigration that happened in the country. The 1840s to 1850s America was a nativist period when populist movements fighting against immigrant groups like the Irish, the Germans, and the Chinese experienced the concrete manifestations of the authoritarian views of the economic surface, cultural matters, and security on which they were based.
The American historical background had the implied influence of a sociocultural site where deep roots existed out of the political, cultural, and security-related factors that affected the public attitude toward immigrants. This age period passed under a multi-concept offspring process of industrialization, culture clashes, and geopolitical problems, resulting in the growth of nativist sentiments. Europeans, whose policies were poorly chosen by England, the Scottish, the Irish, and the Germans, and who immigrated for the freedom of their religious affiliation, economic opportunity, or escape of political persecution in America. Rosenzweig states, “Pressure for change came from several directions; immigration from Europe, especially to the Middle Atlantic region, increased the supply of urban labor” (Rosenzweig 332). The increased population led to a negative impact on the labor market.
The most influential groups include the Irish, the German, and the Chinese, which can be used in determining immigration patterns at those times. The scrutiny of the discriminatory status, social prejudices, and economic competition faced by these groups could help to pinpoint the reasons for antipathy towards the immigrants and subsequently come up with the nativist movements as a counteraction. It gives a better understanding of multiple studied options and contributes to broader narratives on the immigration history of America in the mid-18th century. The mass immigration of Europeans was the prevailing tendency, and more than ten million people came from Ireland, Italy, and Eastern Europe for a better life and freedom from starvation, famine, and political conflicts (Rosenzweig 435). Along with this mass immigration, the country witnessed exponential development and expanded social and economic prosperity. Still, discriminatory and xenophobic attitudes towards the immigrants were aired by a majority of their Anglo-American local counterparts. Nativist movements like the Know-nothing Party, which was founded in 1844 and ceased its operations in 1860, would advocate for restricting immigration to preserve white Protestant supremacy in the country. One of the policies first introduced during that era was the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the only goal of which was to lower the number of immigrants considered unwelcome. These pieces of legislation were intended to maintain the whiteness of the nation, and therefore, they protected the race and its cultural homogeneity.
Another factor that was affected negatively by immigration into the country was economic status. The increased levels of insecurity resulted from the increased population of immigrants. The economic inequalities resulted in cultural anxieties about social norms and cultural differences, becoming interwoven with the running theme of the nativist backlash to immigration. In addition to forced labor, many immigrants were involved in production processes for the cotton industry. Since there was a majority of Irish and German laborers for urban and farming jobs, many were seen as competition by the local population, triggering resentment and aggressive reactions (Franklin 3). The situation is worsened by the rising number of new immigrants ready to work at a lower salary. The massive emigration of people from Europe increased unskilled labor to support emerging industries (Reporter, 1860). This mass migration of Irish immigrants who were trying to escape the tremendous Irish famine resulted in discrimination and hatred as they were seen as job competitors and also a feeder to the depressed economy (Samuel, 1835). The essence of the Germans, mainly merchants and farmers, provoked fear of unemployment and the same rights for the local workers. With the enactment of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, the situation deteriorated even worse, and the enmity of Caucasian Americans against the Chinese immigrants increased further; the blame was laid at the feet of the Chinese immigrants for the decrease in wages and elimination of the white jobs. The economic uncertainties were further demonstrated by the surge of nativist movements and the enactment of restrictive immigration policies that people used to shove down their fears related to national identity or economic security.
Cultural factors made people at that time hostile to the immigrants in America. Cultural factors placed immigrants in the spotlight, drawing perceptions from the dominant society and, therefore, shaping the reactions of these societies to immigrants. Immigrants encountered a hard time being accepted by the Americans, mainly due to their cultural differences that stood as barriers to their integration into American society. The cultural conflicts just revealed the existing unrest and increased native nationalism sentiment. The prejudices and the discrimination that the immigrant community faced were rooted in the white settlers who had been against the Latin and Asian populations. “The North was characterized not only by changes in relations between workers and employers, blacks and whites, and native-born and immigrant residents but also by increases in poverty and crime” (Rosenzweig 379). Hostility was expressed in concerns of cultural loss and social unrest. Xenophobia and discrimination may have resulted from different languages, religions, or ways of living that they brought. Thus, it was always challenging for newcomers to assimilate into the American community (Shackles & Dollars, 2016). Xenophobes, having the idea of cultural uniformity in their mind, wanted to block immigration completely and preserve their country’s old values. The cultural tensions that were associated with the fusion of diverse cultures within such a dynamic and heterogeneous nation exhibited the difficulties of the complete integration of minority communities into the majority nation and, at the same time, having to contend with a feeling of supremacy from one group over the other and national unity.
The historical immigration in the United States revealed that the security conditions and immigrant policy attitudes were interconnected and determined the future of those who immigrate. Immigrants were accused of the economic crises local nationals faced and were viewed as enemies of the competition for limited resources and job positions. Hence, the leading consequence was that immigrants were often perceived as competing for jobs that would usually be given to the residents; as such, the undercutting of the wages received by the natives was inevitable (Douglass, 1852). People view immigration as a means of survival rather than as an opportunity to embrace American life, raising security concerns about cultural integration and national identity. The cyclic behavior of economics in US history raised this question about immigrants and their influence on the economy, mainly regarding stability and cultural integration.
Immigrants into the US faced much negativity from the residents, following their negative influence on security and employment. Immigrants led to increased unemployment and job competition by offering cheaper labor. Consequently, there are concerns about job replacement and wage lowering. The immigrant’s view of way of life as a survival is also an area of concern on the issue of nationalism and cultural integration. Immigration in the history of the United States reveals a more in-depth understanding of the reasons behind policymakers’ attitudes toward immigrants, the national economy, and the issue of cultural integration.
References
Rosenzweig. Northern society and the growth of wage labor 1790-1837. Chapter 7|
Rosenzweig. The spread of slavery and the crisis of southern society 1836-1848. Chapter 9
Rosenzweig. Immigration, Urban Life, and social reform in the free-labor North 1838-1860. Chapter 8
Douglass Fredrick. (1852). The Fourth of July.
Franklin Benjamin. (May 9, 1753). “From Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson”
Jacobs. Harriet A. (1861). Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
Reporter’s account. (1860). Lynn Women’s Mass Meeting During the Great Strike.
Samuel F. B. (1835). Morse Fears That Immigrants Will Ruin American Inequality.
Shackles and Dollars. Parry, Marc. The Chronicle of Higher Education; Washington (Dec 8, 2016)
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