Prompt.edited

docx

School

California State University, Fresno *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

136

Subject

Arts Humanities

Date

Nov 24, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by Dr.Coons

1 Discussion Prompt Course name Student’s name University affiliation Date

2 Discussion One of the reasons why nativism and xenophobia increased in the U.S. during the post- World War I period is the economic insecurity for many Americans. Economic insecurity fueled the uncertainty in job availability and the struggle for resources for many Americans. They felt that the influx of immigrants threatened their available jobs and wages. Immigrants were willing to work for lower wages, unlike the native-born Americans who expected the employers to pay them higher wages (McWilliams, 2015). One example of the people who faced a tough job market was the returning soldiers from World War I. The economic downturn during the postwar era caused many immigrants desperate for employment to displace them from the workforce. The struggle for resources also caused economic uncertainty. Many Americans felt that the economic downturns and recession would cause a strain on public services like health care and welfare which were not stable and limited at the time (Daniels, 1999). This caused tensions as the native Americans blamed immigrants for burdening the economy and the provision of social services. Another reason that caused nativism and xenophobia was the cultural and racial differences in America at the time. For example, the 1920s experienced the rise of the Ku Klux Klan which targeted many immigrants, especially African Americans, Jews, Catholics, etc (Daniels, 1999). They pushed for a more exclusive society for the Whites, Anglo-Saxons, and anti-immigrant. The fear of a mixed and diverse society from the Klan led to the push for nativism and xenophobia to preserve their race and their values (May 2010). Nativism and xenophobia also increased due to the fear of the Red Scare and communism infiltrating U.S. society. Adams (2014) notes that many immigrants who arrived in the U.S. during the 1920s came from Eastern Europe which was largely a socialist or communist society. For instance,

3 Americans believed that the Italians and Russian immigrants who arrived in the U.S. during the 1920s had radical ideas or could be sympathizers of communist leaders and ideologies. Native Americans believed this could lead to a rise of communist ideologies and political movements in their society and therefore developed stereotypes and generalizations of Immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe. This was exacerbated by the crackdown on immigration in 1924 after the government restricted immigration limits through the Immigration Act of 1924 where strict quotes were imposed for immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe. Immigrants from Northern and Western Europe were preferred instead. The examples above, especially the immigration Act of 1924 can be tied to the current attitudes towards immigration laws in the U.S. There has been a recent push for changes in immigration laws aiming to minimize immigration from certain regions. Immigration has been a major crisis in the U.S. Many immigrants come from South America. There is an increased fear and tension among Americans that this could lead to a disaster if immigrants are allowed to enter the U.S. without a robust background check. There are stereotypes and generalizations of most immigrants due to where they come from especially South America where there is a high crime rate and drug problem. Most conservative Americans feel that immigrants will infiltrate their society with crime and drugs. The current immigration laws have emphasized border control, tightening admission eligibility, and prioritization of enforcement laws in response to terrorism and unauthorized immigration. For example, the Trump Administration invoked the Title 42 Statute that saw the swift removal of migrants from the Mexican border. This saw the removal of 2.8 million people from the U.S. including asylum seekers from the U.S. under the Trump Administration. The issue of economic insecurity is also common in the current society. Some Americans fear that their jobs are being taken by immigrants as the country allows more

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

4 immigrants to the country. They believe that the immigrants from China, and South America are rapidly replacing them from their job market by taking jobs at lower wages. There is also the issue of cultural differences and racism in the modern society. There is a section of Americans who believe that their American identity is under threat. This has caused a lot of a rise in right- wing militia and radical groups like the Proud Boys, QAnon, KKK and The Oath Keepers (Somos, 2021).

5 References Adams, B. (2014). Old and New New Englanders: Immigration and Regional Identity in the Gilded Age. In ACLS Humanities EBook . University of Michigan Press. https://www.fulcrum.org/concern/monographs/g445cd85j Daniels, R. (1999). Immigration in the Gilded Age: Change or Continuity? OAH Magazine of History , 13 (4), 21–25. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25163306 May, R. E. (2010). Culture Wars: The U.S. Art Lobby and Congressional Tariff Legislation during the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. The Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era , 9 (1), 37–91. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1537781400003789 McWilliams, J. (2015). Bluford Adams. Old and New New Englanders: Immigration and Regional Identity in the Gilded Age. The American Historical Review , 120 (1), 256–257. https://doi.org/10.1093/ahr/120.1.256 Somos, C. (2021, January 8). These are some of the extremist groups responsible for the violence on Capitol Hill . CTVNews. https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/these-are-some-of- the-extremist-groups-responsible-for-the-violence-on-capitol-hill-1.5259142?cache= %3FclipId%3D86116

Prompt.edited

Related Documents