Jews Left Russia and Eastern

¶ … Jews left Russia and Eastern Europe to come to the United States. How is the impetus for Jewish immigration different from that of the Irish, Japanese and Chinese? Describe obstacles faced by Jewish immigrants in their efforts to assimilate themselves into the fabric of American national life.

As the world continues to globalize a blending of cultures has also begun, however there was a time in American history when immigrants flocked to America to begin new lives, even though it meant leaving their culture and traditions behind. Throughout American history there have been influxes of various populations that fled from their homeland when political or religious issues arose.

Years ago America received many Jewish immigrants who fled Russia in fear of their lives and livelihoods. At the time it was referred to as a mass migration and involved millions of Jewish people fleeing across the ocean to reach American soil.

Just as ethnic Russians and Poles were finding their way to American shores, one of the most dramatic chapters in world history was underway -- the mass migration of Eastern European Jews to the United States. In a few short decades, from 1880 to 1920, a vast number of the Jewish people living in the lands ruled by Russia -- including Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and the Ukraine, as well as neighboring regions -- moved en masse to the U.S. In so doing, they left a centuries-old legacy behind, and changed the culture of the United States profoundly (a People at Risk (http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/immig/alt/polish5.html)."

For the years leading up to that period the Jewish population had played an important role in Russia and the rest of Eastern Europe.

When the 19th century arrived however they found themselves in serious danger of becoming destroyed in that part of the world.

Of all the ethnic and national groups that lived under the rule of the Russian czars, the Eastern European Jews had long been the most isolated and endured the harshest treatment (a People at Risk (http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/immig/alt/polish5.html)."

Those who wanted to rid the world of Jewish people worked to illuminate the language, culture and tradition differences between the Jewish community and others who resided in the area.

Russia also began to pass and enforce rules and laws that were designed to brutalize the Jewish population.

As time moved forward the Jewish population found themselves completely isolated both in physical and mental aspects of life in Russia. Consequently many of them stopped considering themselves to be Russian by birth and instead decided they were simply Jewish with no homeland to claim. As a people they were forced to endure lives in what amounted to Ghetto housing (a People at Risk (http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/immig/alt/polish5.html).They were not afforded the opportunity or ability to better their lives regardless of their efforts.

There were Russian laws in place that prohibited the Jewish people from working in anything but the lowest positions and for the lowest wages and they were often times barred from even those positions. They were not only subjected to random attacks of violence by angry non-Jewish residents but also by Imperial officers who had the government's support in those attacks (a People at Risk (http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/immig/alt/polish5.html).There came a point where it was not safe to be Jewish in Russia and the exodus began.

For some time the Jewish who were persecuted tried to defend themselves as a society. The government however, had other ideas and began false rumors about Jewish residents committing crimes and trying to start trouble among the peaceful non-Jewish residents. This seemed to be a breaking point for many Jewish people and they began looking for ways to escape the oppressive and often violent environment in which they found themselves living.

For tens of thousands of the Empire's Jewish residents, who were already struggling to survive famines and land shortages, this represented the breaking point. In an article for the Atlantic, the journalist Abraham Cahan described a meeting of the Jewish community of Kiev, during which one speaker proclaimed: There is no hope for Israel in Russia. The salvation of the downtrodden people lies in other parts, in a land beyond the seas, which knows no distinction of race or faith, which is a mother to Jew and Gentile alike (a People at Risk (http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/immig/alt/polish5.html).In the great republic is our redemption from the brutalities and ignominies to which we are subjected in this our birthplace (a People at Risk (http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/immig/alt/polish5.html).In America we shall find rest; the stars and stripes will wave over the true home of our people. To America, brethren! To America (a People at Risk (http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/immig/alt/polish5.html)!"

Millions of Jewish Russians took the challenge and cry for freedom to heart and began devising ways to get their families out of the mother land and into America.

The cry spread across all of Eastern Europe and America found itself faced with the influx of more Jewish Russians than ever before in the nation's history.

In the 1880s, more than 200,000 Eastern European Jews arrived in the U.S. In the next decade, the number was over 300,000, and between 1900 and 1914 it topped 1.5 million, most passing through the new immigrant processing center at Ellis Island. All in all, between 1880 and 1924, when the U.S. Congress cut immigration back severely, it is estimated that as many as 3 million Eastern European Jews came to the U.S.(a People at Risk (http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/immig/alt/polish5.html)."

When they arrived they found themselves among many other immigrants from all over the world including Ireland and Asia. They encountered differences that the other immigrants did not encounter. One of those differences was the fact that they had come to America almost en-masse. In addition, while many immigrants from other areas of the world worked hard and saved some money and then made the trip back to their homeland, most of the Jewish that had fled Russia never returned nor did their extended families or offspring.

The rate of their return migration was close to zero which was lower than any other migrant group in the history of America.

In addition unlike every other group that had immigrated to America, the Russian Jewish population remained almost exclusively in America.

Their strict orthodox religious practices separated them from most of the residents in New York City but in a land that embraced diversity they found they were allowed to practice without problems for the most part. They were also encouraged to work and develop lives which provided them with the ability to give their children educations and stable upbringings.

Evaluate how Southern Blacks experienced a new sense of pride once they arrived in America's northern industrial cities. Compare their experience with that of Mexicans and their ties to the homeland.

During the days of slavery, and the years following emancipation Southern Blacks were treated much differently in the south than they were if they migrated to the North. It was not long before word of this began to spread and southern blacks found ways to escape, first by using the underground railroad and then by simply moving after they were freed (Harlem Renaissance http://afroamhistory.about.com/cs/harlemrenaissance/a/harlemren.htm

From Jessica McElrath, Your Guide to African-American History).

Southern black has experienced generations of being disrespected at every turn, told what to do and working for free without being allowed to keep their wages.

As southern Blacks began to arrive in the North they were greeted with a world they had never even dreamed of let alone experienced. They were given the freedom to work, to attend school and to socialize at will. While racism still existed, and was extremely harsh during those times there were entire geographical areas set up throughout the north that the Blacks could settle into, work, play and raise their children without fear of being whipped by a slave master.

As this continued and many thousands of Southern Blacks moved North to cities and towns they began to gain a new sense of confidence as a group or population as well as individuals (Harlem Renaissance http://afroamhistory.about.com/cs/harlemrenaissance/a/harlemren.htm

From Jessica McElrath, Your Guide to African-American History).

This new confidence came from the ability to work for wages, care for and support heir families and look their children in the eyes knowing that they were the adults of the family and their children were never going to see them have to beg their master not to sell the children or beat them.

The pride and self-confidence continued to grow and it was not many years later that the Renaissance began.

During the 1920s and into the 1930s, African-American literature and the arts flourished during the Harlem Renaissance. Known mostly for the emergence of great literature by black authors, the Harlem Renaissance, also known as the New Negro Movement, was a result of several factors. Before the movement, thousands of blacks migrated from the South to the Northern industrial cities as more employment opportunities became available from World War I. In addition, the black middle class was increasing and more educational opportunities for blacks became available (Harlem Renaissance http://afroamhistory.about.com/cs/harlemrenaissance/a/harlemren.htm

From Jessica McElrath, Your Guide to African-American History)."

In addition to the renaissance the new found self-confidence and pride that was found by Southern Blacks who moved north also impacted the work environment.

Social protest was not only possible it was available to those who were not happy with their working conditions in the North (the BLACKS and the UNIONS (http://www.socialdemocrats.org/blktu.html).While it was extremely oppressed compared to the life of African-Americans today, it was still a far cry and significantly better than anything they had experience in the south up to that point.

Currently the nation is facing a social crisis when it comes to the plight of Mexican immigrants. Whether they are here legally or illegally there are an estimated 12 million Mexicans working and living inside the American boundaries. If one were to compare their plight to those of the Southern blacks they would find several similarities. They arrived on foot, by boat or through any means they could just as long as they could get here. They did it because they heard many stories about the prosperity of the American people and they believed if they could only get to America they too would have a chance at that prosperity.

It is rare to hear of a Mexican immigrant who was doing well financially back in his or her homeland. In fact it is almost unheard of and instead the millions of Mexican immigrants are usually from poverty stricken families and have often times been sent here to work and send money home to their children.

Many of the Mexican immigrants grew up in Mexico in poverty. When they first arrive they ar4e hesitant to look people in the eye and they are afraid to speak up for their rights. This is also how it was for many of the Southern Blacks that arrived in the Northern part of the nation.

They have heard about America probably in much the same way that the Southern Blacks would hear stories about the North. Once the immigrants arrive however they find that it is not the land of gold they believed it to be though it is much better than the circumstances that they left behind. They get jobs that nobody else will take, which was also something that many Southern Blacks found themselves doing when they arrived in the north. They work for lower wages because they are willing to do so which was also experienced by Southern Blacks.

Even given the hardships that the Mexican immigrants experience when they get to America they are also given a new sense of pride because they are making more money than they ever made at home and they are able to send money home to their waiting families.

For those who bring their families with them they are able to look their children in the eye and tell them that they will receive an education and will be able to become anything that they want to if they work hard and pay attention in school. The sense of pride and confidence that they are given is not really given to them it is earned by them with their hard work and dedication. They have left their homeland and come to a nation where they don't usually speak the language. They have managed to find work, find places to live and placed their children in the public school system. They are able to eat, send money home and have a little left over to purchase things that their children eye in the local store. These are all things that give them a sense of pride and accomplishment though the plight of Mexican immigrants is extremely similar to the Southern Black of yesteryear in the way they are often treated once they arrive in America.

Why did so many immigrants, both free and slave (and the descendents of slaves), return to their countries of origin after immigrating to the United States? And why did so many remain in the United States often despite severe obstacles to success? Pay special attention to national origin and the historical periods when different groups arrived. Do you see any parallels in this respect between overseas immigrant groups and indigenous native and Latino groups? Use several specific and concrete examples to support your views.

America has been known as the land of the free since its inception, though when the African-Americans arrived they found that they were anything but free for the most part. Immigrants have traveled to America almost since it began in the effort and quest to find a better life. Often times they have come because they herd stories of prosperity and gold if they could only get here and find work. Back in their homeland they would save money or entire families would put all of their money together to send one or two of the young strong family members to America so that they could strike it rich.

Once the immigrants arrived however they were often met with obstacles, problems and anger from those who were already living in America.

During American history many immigrants have come across the ocean or over the borders only to turn around and go back to their homeland after several months or years. There were many reasons for this to happen including politics, economics and other pressures that they did not foresee before making the trip.

At various times in history the government has made it extremely difficult for immigrants to get started in this country, while at other times it has been made much easier.

Whether or not the immigrants stayed also had a lot to do with what was going on in their homeland at any given time.

To illustrate this concept there are two significant examples in American history, the Russian Jews and the African-Americans.

The Jewish exodus from Russia caused millions of the Jewish population to flee the motherland and come to America to start anew.

They had to leave because of the extremely oppression and brutalization that they had begun to encounter in their homeland. Jews were prohibited from taking jobs, going to school or living any where but the designated run down ghettos. They were often physically attacked with little to no reason and instead of being able to turn to law enforcement for protection they had to hide because it was often law enforcement officers committing the attacks.