Joey Dorion
American Immigration II
Professor McEvoy
Paper 1
The United States has long held the title of a “land of immigrants,” a place where the downtrodden and rejected peoples of the old world could come to ply their trade, to attempt to carve out a meaningful existence for themselves. The American Dream was alive and well in the early waves of immigrants, as they came from the desired parts of Europe: namely England and Western Europe. They came with fire in their spirit, and determination to make a better life for themselves than they were able to have back in the Old World. They adapted, they assimilated, and they were able to become functioning and respected members of American society. It wasn’t until the second waves of immigrants arrived that a major opposition was formed, as fear of the foreigner spurred “old” immigrants and the “old” families of the northeast to preserve their ideals. It was with a deliberate and systematic approach that legislation was passed between the years of 1882 and 1929, keeping out those less than desired groups: Italians, Chinese, those from southwestern Europe. The White Anglo-Saxon Protestant preference was alive and out in the open in the American public, and all other policymaking went towards limiting only those who were thought not to possess the potential to become the epitome of the American citizen. The history of American immigration is one that is littered with racism, and more often than not blatant discrimination against one group or another at a certain time. This was most apparent in the period following the Civil War, where the question was immediately raised whether or not blacks should be granted citizenship or not. It was a question of political power, for with citizenship for the former slaves came the promise of their political support for years to come. It was this desire for