Italian Immigration and the United States of America

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Italian Immigration and the United States of America

Today we live in a world of which some have come to understand where it all came from. So many different little contributions have accumulated over the years to create “today” in the United States of America. Not one factor is more important than the next, however, some have had a larger, lasting impact today. Immigration and racial discrimination have played the most important role as to why American society has altered. In 1917 America entered World War one. By doing this America played a grave role in conquering Germany and ushering peace to Europe. However, the Great War also meant that the US would change dramatically through historical issues and changes which resulted in American society. Industries had started to realize that it was not as simple as it was before to abstract the immigrants. As the country developed and became more successful it attracted outsiders who were searching for chances. During the 1920’s the United States began to confine immigrants due to cultural and economical purposes.

The immigrants faced several afflictions such as: racism and religious oppression. The examination of immigration expressed an important shift in American society after WWI.

In this essay I am going to discuss how world war one altered the American society with the main influence of race. The main issues being immigration, and racial discrimination. The Italians serve as my main example.

Could you put yourself in the shoes or another if they didn’t cost as much as the ones on your feet? Imagine if you are an immigrant and you have entered a bizarre and new environment. You do not belong anywhere and to this place you are not given the same privileges as the other people. These people see you as an alien and someone who takes away their jobs. As well as this you are also accused and blamed for things that you have never done. No matter how much you beg, or convince them that you have not done anything they still do not believe you. This society is against you and have nothing positive to say. This is what the immigrants had to face. This was particularly true for the Italians.

During the nineteenth century the amount of immigration to the united states was increasing rapidly. The largest proportion of these “new” immigrants were from Italy, Russia, and Ireland. There was a combined reac...

... middle of paper ...

...which have been learned and developed from the Americans. At first the behavior and reactions of the American citizens towards the “foreigners” was pure hatred but then they started to realize that the immigrants were there for a purpose. Gradually they learned to accept them in the American society as time passed on through the 1920s.

Works Cited

Grant, Madison. (1999). The Passing of a Great Race. October 17, 2007.

Hasall, P. (1999). US Immigration. Internet Modern History Sourcebook. October 18, 2004. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbook28.html

Claris, S. (1998). Italians Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America . October 17, 2004. Boston: Gale Research, Inc., 1995.

http://nhs.needham.k12.ma.us/cur/kane98/kane_p3_immig/Italian/italian.htm

Mintz, S. (2003). Italian Immigration. Digital History. October 17, 2004.

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/historyonline/italian_immigration.cfm

Poholek, Catherine H. (1998) Thirteen Years That Damaged America. Prohibition in the 1920s. October 18, 2004. http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Troy/4399/

Newby, Richard. (2004) Sacco-Vanzetti Case. October 18, 2004. http://www.writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/88/sacvan.html

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