Immigration Experience
Deborah Lewis
U. S. History 1865 to 1945
Carolyn Lawes, PhD
December 17, 2012

This paper will be examining the Immigration from Italy to American. This paper will also give you a look into the political, social, and economic factors that led to migration. The Italians settled in New York City, so we will be looking at the tenement housing, working condition, and the journey from Italy to American. The attitudes of the Americans about the immigrations will also be examined. From 1906 to 1915 almost two million Italians migrated to the United States. Many Italians migrated to the United States because Italy there weren’t any jobs. Overpopulation and poverty was another reason Italians migrated to the United States. They believed that the United States was the land of opportunity and that they will find better jobs and housing. The poverty rate in Italy included lack of medical care, lack of schooling, and poor housing conditions. When they decided to come to America it was a way to escape from these things. The bad economy and the shortage of land caused Italian immigrants to leave Italy. The Majority of the immigrants settled in New York City when they got to the United States. Some of them migrated because of political reasons or because of the dream of one day of returning to Italy with enough money to buy land. Political hardship was also a factor in the Italians migrating to America. In the 1870s the government took measures to repress political views such as anarchy and socialism (Alexander Molnar, 2010). The Italian immigrants became part of what was known as the “New Immigration.” This was the third largest group of immigrants from Europe, which was a combination of Slavs, Jews, and Italians. Most Italians came to the United States by way of “steerage.” Steerage was a big compartment located under the deck by the steering mechanism. The husbands would come to the United States first to find a job and shelter for his family. In the steerage there was very little air circulation. There were rows of bunks for the immigrants to sleep on. On the steerage each passenger was given eating utensils and a lunch pail. After each meal the immigrants were responsible for cleaning their own utensils. Each of the immigrants had to go through a medical examination while on the steerage. They usually had one exam at the beginning of the trip and another at the end of the trip.
Once the immigrants got to Ellis Island they got off the barge and were given a number that corresponded with the number on the passenger list. In January 1892 Ellis Island opened and became the most important immigration station. This was the place where so many immigrants first stepped on United States grounds. After having another exam their names were called and they were allowed to exchange their money and were loaded onto a ferry to their point of destination. Immigrants had to pass an eye exam and they were tested to see if they were physically and mentally stable. Many of the Italians called Ellis Island “Isola della lacrime” (island of tears). It was called the Island of Tears because some of the immigrants were not permitted to enter America they had to return to Italy.
Because most immigrants did not understand English, worked low paying jobs and lived in very poor conditions because they did not have much money, so Americans thought that the Italians weren’t very smart. Most of the newspapers had nothing but negative things to say about the Italians. They were teased and chased by school children, they were called names and the politicians complained and asked the government to limit the number of immigrants allowed into the country. This led to the Immigration Act of 1924 or The Johnson Reed Act. The Immigration Act of 1924 limited the number of immigrants who were allowed in the United States.
The Tenement housing is rundown apartments which were occupied by immigrants. The tenements were very filthy. In the Tenements the smell that greeted at the entrance was from immigrant’s not bathing, garbage that was thrown in the corner of rooms, and stale cooking odors. Most of the tenements were often too small, poorly lit, no indoor plumbing and no ventilation. By the 1900s there were over 2.3 million people living in tenement housing. Two major studies of tenements were done in 1890s. In 1901 the city passed the Tenement House Law, which effectively outlawed the construction of new tenements on 25-foot lots and mandated improved sanitary conditions, fire escapes, and access to light. Under the new law the old tenements had to be updated to regulation standards.
Most of the Italians that migrated to the United States took jobs doing manual labor. Often contracted out by labor brokers they worked jobs digging tunnels, laying railroad tracks, building bridges and roads, and they built the first skyscraper. As early as 1890, 90% of New York City public workers were Italian (digital history). Many Italian immigrant women worked, but almost never as domestic servants. Many took piece work into their homes as a way of reconciling the conflicting needs to earn money and maintain a strong family life (digital history). In Italy the Italians worked in agricultural.
Most of the Italians were Catholics. When the Italian’s came to the United States they noticed that most of the Catholics in The United States were Irish. The Irish was dominant in the Catholic Religion caused even more tension between the Italians and the Irish. In Italy about 85% of native-born citizens are Catholic. After the Italian Immigrants were released from Ellis Island they made their home in New York City. Most of the Italians felt comfortable there. They were all over New York City; however they mainly settled in Brooklyn, Bronx, and Manhattan and nearby towns in New Jersey. The Lower Manhattan became very popular, especially Mulberry Street.

References www.digitalhistory.un.edu/historyonline/Italian_immigrants.cfm www.history.stat.gov/milestones/1921-1936/ImmigrationAct.com www.mtholyoke.edu/molna22a/classweb/politics/Italianhistory.html www.seeitalia.com/essentials/religion.com