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Immigration Groups In The 19th Century

Decent Essays

The experiences of the immigration groups in the 19th century can be divided into three concepts. First, Anglo-conformity, "traditional and most rigid approach to diversity in which immigrants had to adopt the values of the white Protestant majority. Second, Melting pot, “represented natives in assuming that the united states would soon sew every race, color, religion, language, and nationality group into a new whole” (Olson and Beal, The Ethnic Dimension, p.2), and lastly, The Natural Rights Theory. National rights theory “offered justice and equity to everyone” (Olson and Beal, The Ethnic Dimension, p. 8-9). In the 19th century, more than 4 million Irish immigrants came to America “Irish population in America was second in number only to the English” (Irish - Colonial Immigration). The harsh economic problems and blight, “an estimated 1 million Irish died of starvation” (19th Century Europeans PowerPoint, p. 9), were two main factors in the surge of Irish migration. They saw America as an answer to their problems “charity stretched forth her hand from far and near, America giving liberally of her abundance” (Robert Whyte, p.2). However, once in America they faced the difficulties of assimilation into a new country. Since most of the Irish came from small villages with little education and no work experience, they weren’t prepared for the urban-industrial lifestyle. They worked for very little often doing jobs no-one else would. They also lived in the ghettos, in

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