What Issues They Faced?
- Many newly arrived immigrants found themselves at the mercy of corrupt political force. Political Machines used votes of newly arrived immigrants to dominate and corrupt the political process in many of Americas growing cities.
- Language, customs, religions and traditions clashed with those prevailing in the US at the time, based on the culture brought my the older immigrants. This conflict led to discrimination against such groups and the Irish on the east coast and the Chinese/Asian on the western coast. This also aided in the neighborhood distinctions that developed in large cities, as immigrant groups clustered together and continued to speak, worship and practice the traditional ways of their homelands.
- Restrictive laws became a barrier to immigration, as the Chinese were excluded from immigration and limits began to further restrict arrivals.
- Labor unions feared the new immigrants, they feared a competition for jobs and a lowering of wages as new arrivals proved willing to work for lesser pay.
How Did They Impact?
The contributions of the new immigrants transformed America. The ethnic diversity changed America into a multi-cultural society with varied language, traditions and practices. The cultural contributions can be seen in food, art, music and culture of modern America.