In The Late 1800s And Early 1900s, Reformers Helped Immigrants Assimilate Into American Culture By

Question

Task: How In The Late 1800s And Early 1900s, Reformers Helped Immigrants Assimilate Into American Culture?

Answer

The United States of America witnessed millions of immigrants moving in from Eastern and Southern Europe during the late 1800s and the early 1900s. However, after coming to the new country, they faced a lot of trouble blending into the American culture. There were several barriers like language and food. There were also major cultural differences, and many Europeans also faced discrimination in society. However, a group of reformers came to help them assimilate into the American culture and make them members of American society.

One of the best reforms came in the form of settlement houses. The reformers converted many community centers into a refuge for the immigrants, where they offered various services to them. These settlement houses were mostly run by middle-class women who tried to abolish poverty by promoting social welfare. These women also extended their hands to the immigrants and offered to train them in the local language, job training, and to get permanent citizenship. They were also instrumental in providing child care and other recreational activities. The settlement houses had enough provisions to act as nursing homes, and there were personnel who could provide both medical and legal aid to the marginalized immigrants. One settlement house that became quite famous and popular during that time was the Hull House in Chicago. Jane Addams founded it in 1889, and it quickly became a safe haven for countless immigrants with nowhere to go.

The introduction of public schools was another major reform for the immigrants. These public schools focused solely on Americanizing the Europeans. The teachers of these schools were reformers who took their time to educate the immigrants about the nuances of the American language and customs, thus preparing them to easily assimilate into American society. In certain cases, these teachers will also visit the homes of the immigrants to educate them about the American way of life. Their tuition mostly revolved around nutrition, hygiene, and management of the household. Since the beginning of the 1900s, all major American cities established public schools that specifically focused on assimilating immigrants.

Along with the reformers, the federal government also played an important role rather silently in assimilating the immigrants. In 1906, Congress approved the Naturalization Act, which proposed that all immigrants must know English to become permanent American citizens. The federal government also started programs to give employment opportunities to immigrants. For example, the immigrants could enroll themselves in the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization to learn English and all about American history.

The immigrants also started getting help from the most unlikely of places. Religious organizations like churches and synagogues were crucial to assimilate the immigrants. They provided the immigrants with a sense of belonging and community, apart from much-needed spiritual guidance. Many churches propagated various social programs to distribute shelter, food, and clothing to needy immigrants. The pastors and the churches also played a crucial role in offering social and legal help in America.

Another section of the Americans also came forward to help the immigrants assimilate. These persons were individual reformers and were not a part of any groups. Mostly, social activists, journalists, and writers formed this sect of reformers, and they taught them about the plight of the immigrants. They also promoted understanding and tolerance and helped them assimilate smoothly. One of the most notable social reformers were Jacob Riis and Lillian Wald. Jacob Riis wrote a lot of articles and pieces about the living conditions of the immigrants in New York. While these pieces built awareness about the struggles of the immigrants, Lillian Wald offered various services to the immigrants by establishing the Henry Street Settlement.

However, despite the valiant efforts of the reformers, assimilating the immigrants was never an easy task. Even though the reformers tried their best, the immigrants faced a lot of prejudice and discrimination from the Native Americans. Thousands of Americans considered the immigrants as threats and felt they would disrupt their values and culture. Immigrants also struggled with economic factors, as many companies were reluctant to offer them jobs. Many immigrants struggled to find a basic living wage and were left to beg on the streets. Despite these issues, it cannot be denied that these reforms laid the foundation for the assimilation of immigrants and taught Americans to be more inclusive since the late 1800s.

So, we can conclude by saying that the reformers played a major role in assimilating immigrants into the American culture in the last 1800s and early 1900s. These reformers did everything from establishing public schools, settlement houses, and providing medical and legal help. Along with them, the government and the religious organizations also came forward with various social programs and schemes to help the immigrants. They ensure they get all the tools required to blend and succeed in American society. The churches provided the immigrants with the belief that they were also a part of the community and truly belonged to the new country. Assimilation of the immigrants was never easy, but these reforms helped to form a more diverse yet inclusive American society, which laid the foundation of the society we see today.

FAQs:
What Are The Immigration Rights In The United States?
The immigration rights in the United States state that every immigrant, regardless of their status, must be protected from any kind of discrimination in education, employment, housing, and public accommodations on the basis of national origin, race, sex, religion, age, and disability.

What Is An Ethical Question On Immigration?
A very important ethical question on immigration is whether states should open their borders for all or control immigration. It also needs to be answered what values should be considered to determine whom a country should restrict or allow.

What Is The Policy Of The US On Immigration?
The US has come a long way from its age-old immigration policies. The current US immigration policy states that there are two distinct ways to enter America – temporary or as non-immigrants and permanent or immigrants. People who come to America on a permanent basis are formally classified as lawful permanent residents or LPRs and are eventually granted a Green Card.

What Are The Five Rights Of An American Citizen?
American constitution grants five freedoms – speech, press, religion, assembly, and the right to petition the government. Combined, these five guarantees optimum freedom to Americans and is the reason American citizens consider themselves the freest in the world.