Immigration and Discrimination in the 1920's
Essay by review • August 21, 2010 • Essay • 558 Words (3 Pages) • 1,949 Views
Beginning in the early nineteenth century there were massive waves of
immigration. These "new" immigants were largely from Italy, Russia, and
Ireland. There was a mixed reaction to these incomming foreigners. While
they provided industries with a cheap source of labor, Americans were both
afraid of, and hostile towards these new groups. They differed from the
"typical American" in language, customs, and religion. Many individuals and
industries alike played upon America's fears of immigration to further their
own goals. Leuchtenburg follows this common theme from the beginning of
World War I up until
the election of 1928.
If there was one man who singlely used America's fear of immigrants to
advance his own political goals it was Attorney General Palmer. The rise of
Communism in Russia created a fear of its spread across Europe, and to
America. Palmer tied this fear to that of immigration. He denounced labor
unions, the Socialist party, and the Communist party in America, as being
infultrated with radicals who sought to overturn America's political,
economic, and social institutions. Palmer exasperated this fear in Americans
and then presented himself as the country's savior, combatting the evils of
Communism. He mainly centered his attack on Russian immigrants. During the
infamous Palmer raids thousands of aliens were deported and even more were
arrested on little or no evidence. Their civil liberties were violated,
they were not told the reasons for their arrests, denied counsel, and not
given fair trials. What followed was an investigation of Palmer led by Louis
Post which overturned many of Palmer's actions. Palmer's cretability was
shattered after in a last minute attempt to gain the 1920 presidencial
nomination, he made predictions about a May Day radical uprising, the nation
perpared itself, but on May 1st 1920 all was peaceful. While the raids had
stopped, the hostilities towards immagrants still remained prevelent.
Immigrants were used by organized industries as a source of cheap labor.
But as labor unions began to form and push for
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