The effects of immigration on the US

The effects of immigration on the US Introduction Society during the middle half of the 19th century the US underwent a major transformation, mainly driven by immigration. When many waves of immigrants from Europe and other parts of the world immigrated to the US the nation changed in several ways. These changes were comprehensive and extended to every sector that defined the mandate and performance of a country within the global economy and society. As a topic on its own, immigration also introduced some diversity characterized by debates that are still prevalent to date. Discussing the role migration played in the United States in the late nineteenth century; this essay concludes that there was important economic value deriving from immigration to support the industrial development demand for the populous; however, it also sparked social and political racism – nativism and xenophobia. This paper will show that the wave of immigration was making America prosper at the same time, creating social/cultural and political turmoil and asking questions about American identity, belonging, and right to citizenship today. Historical Background The nature of immigration into the U.S. changed on 1850s. Millions of people arrived in the U.S. from countries such as Ireland, Italy, Germany, and Eastern Europe. Most immigrants leave their countries because of poverty and political instability. Immigrants offered the labor force needed to support the industrialization that characterized economic growth in the U.S. In simple terms, people flocked to the cities through immigration, and the social life of the country started transforming. (Higham, 2002). Concurrently, the political context entirely changed as the Americans discussed the position of immigrants in the country. A large number of Americans thought the new arrivals would totally change their lifestyle, whereas others wanted immigrants to work for the progress of the country and its coming generations. Economic Changes During the last third of the nineteenth century, immigration exerted a tremendous impact on the U.S. economy. The most important shift was possible due to the supply of labor. Newcomers contributed to the growth of industries within the country, especially in production, mining, and construction. The factories in urban areas like New York, Chicago, and Pittsburgh were established by immigrants. New immigrants, most of whom have not been barred from working for less than $1.5 per day, supplied the expanding demand for labor in new industries, thus making the USA an industrial giant. (Daniels, 2006). But, of course, there were gains of immigrant additions, albeit at a social expense. The immigrant workforce caused the wages of native people to decrease and resulted in the formation of labor unions. Most unions, such as the American Federation of Labor, were anti-immigration and thought of immigrants as competition in job markets. This economic tension was further compounded by the fact that most of the immigrants resorted to poor, cramped living conditions in overcrowded urban squalor. While they helped in economic development, many of them were locked in poverty, struggling to move from the cycle they wanted to help change. Much of the evidence of the historical fact is the assertion made by historians that cheap immigrant labor made it possible for American firms to expand dramatically, especially in lines like rail transport and steel-making. For instance, the building of the transcontinental railway involved the use of Chinese immigrants as cheap labor. But as the economy progressed, so did the division; the employers pocketed their share of cheap labor, and the immigrants or the native-born fought for a decent standard of living. This dynamic set the stage for labor strikes and the increasing stirrings of class identification upon which the early twentieth-century labor movement was based. Many immigrants also contributed to the emergence of new economic branches, such as textile, meat packing, and garment industries, as they needed many workers for manual operations. Sweatshops emerged as a phenomenon, especially in cities such as New York, underlined immigrant labor to produce manufactured products cheaply. These industries not only contributed to the U.S. economy but also contributed to the ascendancy of America in the world economy. The low pay and inferior working conditions that immigrants bore aided industries in reducing expenditures and ensuring internationally competitive prices for American goods. However, controlling the exploitation and bridging the rights of immigrant workers resulted in such economic gains with instances of ethical issues and clearly depicted the growing focused industrial inequalities existing in the economy. Immigrants also made significant contributions to the economy. New skills embraced by immigrants were not limited to low-level skills, some of which came with new ideas and ambitions that embraced business innovation and growth. For instance, the Germans, such as artisans and skilled workers, helped in the development of the brewing industry, machinery and science. Eastern Europeans, especially Jews who were escaping persecution, became employers and contributed hugely to altering the fabric of New York as the main fashion hub. People who immigrated to cities began to open stores and factories that targeted their own community but also benefited the city as a whole. Their venture meant that the American economy became more heterogeneous, thus allowing them to adjust to various changes in the global business environment. Nevertheless, the economic development arising from immigration created more pressure to segregate the working class from the aristocracy. Superrich business tycoons like Carnegie & Rockefeller prospered because two key resources were available cheaply: labor and substandard living conditions for immigrants. The injection of concrete money capital into a few hand-picked businessmen aggravated the issue of income disparity, thus eliciting the emergence of populists who sought to counter the superiority of industrial capitalists in politics and economy, respectively. The progressive movement that sought to address the social injustices which accompanied economic growth based on industrialization and immigration was built on this period of economic upswing. Social Changes Migration during the nineteenth century also led to many social transformations. The immigrants, especially the millions that arrived in America, changed the demographics of the cities. People who migrated to the United States also introduced their own language, culture and policies, which led to the formation of ethnic enclaves in large cities. The company provided spatial arrangements which would enable these immigrants to live comfortably in America while retaining their cultural heritage. For instance, New York City's Little Italy, together with Chinatown, were among such complexes that acted both as culture bearers and culture brokers. But at the same time, cultural diversity intensified the social conflicts. The coming of these immigrants was received with a lot of suspicion and hostility by many native-born Americans. The emergence of organizations, such as the Know Nothing Party, emerged from the perception that immigrants were over-entering the American culture, which contributed to its emergence. The social changes which preceded and came with immigration also brought conflict in religion; the new-day immigrants were predominantly Catholic or Jewish, while most Americans were Protestants. The social and cultural context was defined even more by the new types of entertainment and leisure time activities as the immigrant impact. For example, the penetration of ethnic foods, music and festivals was a plus in enhancing the thematic complexity of American culture while at the same time fueling political discourse on American identity. These tensions escalated due to the following facts: many immigrants stayed in the poor urban majority, which resulted in the growth of crime rates, problems with health, and moral depravity. This era witnessed the beginning of several reformist movements, the settlement house movement spearheaded by Jane Addams and other social activists to solve the problems of the immigrants and the growing poor urban standard of living. Some immigrants, particularly children, over time, Americanized and learned English while at the same time preserving their identity. It became easier for people to assimilate via religious orders to form a new society from a growing multicultural base necessary for the development of the cultural pluralism that is seen in the United States today. Political Changes The political aspect which resulted from immigration during the nineteenth century can be concluded as significantly essential. This affected issues such as citizenship, votes and roles of government. The immigrants became a political factor very quickly, especially in cities where most of them tended to reside. Organized crime established their influence by using the large immigrant vote, for example in the New York’s political machine Tammany Hall, offered employment, housing, and legal aid in exchange for their vote. Patronage, the system that was used to get the new arrivals involved in American political process was as corrupt and sinister as it sounded and sealed political influence in the hands of few bosses. (Gabaccia, 1994). The emergence of political machines also gave rise to disastrous native sentiment bestowed on the assumption of democracy by these organizations. The inhibitors’ belief was that immigrants especially those in eastern Europe were incapable of self-rule and therefore projecting the American democracy with inferior quality. Such fears were to be realized through efforts directed at restraining immigration that was to be achieved by means of legislation such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the Immigration Act of 1891. These laws were followed by other limiting immigration laws that characterized the United States until the 20th century. (Lee, 2015).  Another major political development taking place during this time was the formation of labor unions which were manned by immigrant labor force. As the process of industrialization developed the living and working conditions which were undergone by many immigrants were too severe to result in the creation of trade unions and organization of strikes. They were aiming at trying to get better wages, working hours or safety conditions They were central in putting in place the early codes and legislation on labor in the United States. Several important labor conflicts of that period involved immigrant workers, for example the Haymarket affair of 1886 considered to be a turning point in the struggle between labor and capital, the role of immigrants in which was stressed. They expected a national debate on immigration and contributed to subsequent discussions of the concept of citizenship and national identity in the 19th century. Because nativity and immigration status were issues of some concern during the late 1800s and early 1900s some began to question who was qualified to be an American citizen to which some advocated against immigrants especially non-European immigrants. This would go on all the way into the 20th century as laws on immigration tightened and absolution was made or who is really an American. Analysis of Sources Various scholars have analyzed the properties of the economic, social and political transformation that occurred after immigration at the end of the 19th century and provided different views on the immigration question. One can single out those historians who speak about the apparent advantages of immigration through mentioning its positive impact on economic development of the United Kingdom. For instance, in his writings focused on the economic impact of immigrants, John Bodnar points out that the Irish laborers provided necessary muscle to build most of the basic infrastructure of the country as well as many industries. (Bodnar, J1985). However, other scholars like David Roediger take historical circumstances from which immigration led to social and political complications including but not limited to the emergence of nativism and racial prejudice. Such views explain the overall discussion and attitude towards immigration in the United States' history. Some think that immigration is a source of strength for the USA, with others believing that immigration has caused social and political tensions which weakened the society of the United States. Another reason is the context in which these sources were written: The main distinction between them is the time of writing. For instance, literature produced at 1990s as political discourses surrounding immigration policies started increasing may have highly emphasized the problems brought about by immigration than literature produced in other periods. (Roediger, 2006).  However, there are also similarities between the sources insofar as there are differences. There is a near consensus among scholars that immigration was a primary factor that defined the American society during this period despite the differences in the impacts. They also state that immigration led to enormous discussions on what constituted as nation, ethnic identity and place of individuals or community and what expected from the government, which still happens. Conclusion The immigration increase in the last decades of the nineteenth century introduced comprehensive changes in the economic, social and political condition of America. Economically they helped in industrial development but on the other hand induced conflict with regard to wages and other employee relations. Culturally, they helped to enrich the population of the nation, but they were discriminated by other Americans. They integrated politically across the social divide and especially in the urban areas but they also elicited periods of citizenship and immigration policies.   References Bodnar, J. E. (1985). The transplanted: A history of immigrants in urban America. (No Title). Daniels, R. (2006). Immigration to the United States in the twentieth century. the cambridge companion to modern American culture, 73-95. Gabaccia, D. (1994). From the Other Side: Women, Gender, & Immigrant Life in the U.S., 1820-1990. Indiana University Press. Higham, J. (2002). Strangers in the land: Patterns of American nativism, 1860-1925. Rutgers University Press. Lee, E. (2015). The making of Asian America: A history. Simon and Schuster. Roediger, D. R. (2006). Working toward whiteness: How America's immigrants became white: The strange journey from Ellis Island to the suburbs. Hachette UK.