Eastern European Immigrants

Short answer, poorly. The new immigrants, so called because they were different from the Germans and Irish immigrants of the prior century, came from eastern and southern Europe. Despite the advancements and opportunities created by the infusion of immigrant workers and their culture. the attitude toward outsiders remain antagonistic. The promise of higher wages drew thousands of eastern Europeans to American shores.

The Italians came to reap the benefits of the higher wages, but unlike other immigrants many Italians had no intention of staying in the United States. Known as "ritornati" or birds of passage, these Italians saved their money or sent it home to improve their lives in Italy. Another difference that marked the Italians was the lack of national identity. Italy had only recently

consolidated into a united nation. Without a united country the Italians gathered together by their geographic association, Sicilians wouldn't associate with Florentine Italians. Another issue for Italians in the United States was the ethnic reputation of criminality. While the majority of Italians were lawful citizens, the reputation followed the Italians from the murder of Chief of Police D. Hennessy, who named the "Dagoes", to the 1960 movie the "Godfather." The Italian mafia has become a romanticizes myth today, but for the Italian immigrants living and working in the early 20th century the myth anything but romantic.

The Eastern European immigrants of Slavic and Slovak descent come to American with the same dream as many other immigrants, a better life.

What they found was dangerous work in the mines and factories of the east coast. Like the Irish, the newcomers where given hard work with little pay. The miners were only paid for coal mined, any work not directly producing ore was called dead work and unpaid. Collecting mule teams, fortifying the mine shafts and digging rock were all considered dead work. The strict pay schedule, unfair weighting of coal, and general abuse of the miners caused the miners to join the United Mine Workers union. The mine companies attempted to break the strikes with new Eastern European immigrants; however, the new Slavic and Slovak immigrant joined their striking countrymen. The efforts of these new immigrants would improve the lives of miners over time. Like the Italians some of the Slavic and Slovak immigrants came the American to save money and return home to buy larger homes or simple to live well. Yet, even the frugal actions of immigrant were viewed as attempts to disrupt the economy of the United States by taking their money back home with

them.

The immigrants were received as they were centuries before grudgingly, despite the contributions they made to the culture and economy of the United States.