Immigration the Impact of Immigrants

Immigration

The Impact of Immigrants and Migrants on America

The First World War ended in 1918 but spanned four years and involved many nation states. When it was over, many of the people around the world who were affected wanted to make a new start, to find wealth or simply to be happy. The Paris Peace Conference and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 were supposed to signify a new world order because the Allies had been victorious over the Germans. This was a time of new starts - so, picture America in 1920: Women were fighting for their right to vote and we as a nation had seen the possible devastation of modern day war. During those times, there were fears of increased immigration and migration because of the war and the citizens of American cities are seeing all new prejudices, race riots and industrial conflicts. As a reporter assigned by World Immigration magazine, I have researched this story and aim to present my findings on immigration and migration in the 1920 America to you the reader. Thus, this essay attempts to present the impact of immigrants and migrants on America during the 1920's and to show how those times in American history still affect us today.

Post WWI

Post WWI America is an important part of the nation's overall history because it illustrates the many struggles and controversies surrounding significant social, political and cultural changes that occurred in this nation at that time. American cities were at the time in the midst of social discovery. Consider the many documented cases of race rioting, bigotry and the formation of distinct prejudices against new immigrants. The study of post WWI America serves as a prelude to examining more modern day issues such as women's rights, immigration and migration tendencies and impacts and even our modern social acceptance patterns. To see and understand the past is a step in seeing and understanding the future.

The world was in a situation that can be now seen as a near financial ruin around the years of 1919 and 1920. The world was experiencing a dilemma brought on by social injustices, and financial disparity. For example, after WWI there were acute food distresses in many European nations such as Austria, Germany, Italy and France. America had become a superpower because they were the least affected by WWI.

For example, Russia suffered over 2 billion casualties of WWI and their internal revolution while America had only an estimated 326,000 casualties while at the same time the nation's GDP and economy became a boom. Although there were obviously some lean times in America, the situation was far better than that of the European Continent. Historians have found records from Vienna Austria that prove that bread rations for that city's citizens was only four ounces 4 per week.

These obviously harsh situations throughout the nations that were adversely affected by the war lead to a mass migration movement that was nothing more than an effort to find a better way of life and maybe even to find that ever elusive social need - happiness. Europe's citizens looked for these new opportunities in America and the majority of those who choose to migrate were poor.

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Immigration

Immigration during the post WWI era lead to many surprising human rights situations throughout the United States' cities as well as governmental legislation. During the war new restrictive laws like the 1917 espionage Act passed, the 1918 Sedition Act passed, and a draft of the Civil Service Act passed. There were many more obvious attempts to restrict the civil rights of new immigrants and certain social or ethnic groups. Of course Germans were seen as guilty before innocent in post war America like when the CPI tried to stamp out all traces of German culture in America and when the American Protection League fomented anti-German hysteria throughout New York. But many other nationalities also saw a great many prejudices directed at them like the Polish, Russian, and other Baltic state immigrants. Events like the Red Scare sweeping across America as well as mass racism against our own citizens as black soldiers returned home from Europe.

Migration

There was more to this era than simply immigration into the United States from Europe. There was a strong migration period at the same time. For example, black Americans were beginning to migrate out of the southern states into the north for an opportunity to increase their wealth in northern cities like Chicago and Detroit. The Great Migration as it was known saw hundreds of thousands of Southern Blacks migrate to northern cities. With that, new Black communities began to flourish in places like Harlem. But the negative side of the migration saw various race riots in cities like St. Louis and Houston. It was obvious that soldiers returning from war expected the same economic advances to match their new found freedoms and social rights.

One example of how America changed during the post WWI period in 1920 can be demonstrated by the 369th Infantry Division of the United States Army. The unit was an all black division that fought with valor during the war in France and Belgium. "These soldiers were called "Hell Fighters" by their French commanders in recognition of their valor." (SlaveryInAmerica) Prior to their momentous fighting, these soldiers were disgraced by the American military leaders. "American authorities warned French officers that the black soldiers were potential rapists, who had to be kept away from civilian populations. Of the 380,000 black men serving in WWI, only 42,000 served in combat units. The rest were relegated to latrine and cooking duty and general cleaning and hauling work." (SlaveryInAmerica)