The New Immigration of Italians to the US - Essay Example

Insert name Instructors’ name Course Date The new immigration of Italians to the United States Introduction Since time immemorial, humanity has migrated to occupy new territories other than native land for settlement purposes. Immigration emanates from a variety of reasons including; natural disaster, breeding, economic animosity, temperature, poverty, or a voluntary wish to change the surrounding environment (Rosselli, 165). Currently, the statics are overwhelming as individuals are traversing the continent in search for better livelihoods. Additionally, the fact that governments have signed numerous international treaties permitting immigration, the statics has hiked in the recent past. Italians have since centuries into the past migrated into the United States of America due to an array of reasons. As from the 1890, the Italian immigration to The United States formed a substantial part of the new immigration. The new immigration had distinct differences from the old immigration. It consisted of mass immigration from Europe nations with Italy being the major benefactor. The old immigration was because of slave trade related activities carried out by the Germans, British, and Irish and Scandinavian counties all through the 19th Century. With the new regulations that abolished slave trade, immigration revolutionized from a force full endeavor to a voluntary activity where individuals travelled at will. The Italian populace flocked the American nation in their millions in a very small period. A number of salient issues in Italy enhanced the migration efforts in the 19th century (Rosselli, 165). Reliable statics indicates that, before the mid 1800s, Italian population ranged below 5000 Italians. The new immigration was a mass wave that resonated to an influx of Italians in the United States reaching to 490, 000 Italians by 1900. There are numerous reasons that accelerated the mass movement of the Italians from their native land to the United States. First, it is worth noting that Italians at the time were agriculturalists. This is because their economy relied heavily on agriculture so did other economies in Europe. There was a growing population in Italy and as such, land became increasingly expensive and unaffordable. With time, there developed an economic gap between the rich farmers and the peasants. The peasants had limited occupational opportunities ranging from, rag picking, cleaning sewers, and shoe shining. The common denominator was that the peasants had limited opportunities to earn a living. The available opportunities required hard work dealing with dirty or dangerous endeavors that paid peanuts. The structures of the employment ladder in Italy at the time aggravated the issues. The peasant farmers and other individuals grappling in poverty were denied the opportunity to develop their careers to earn worth incomes. This implies that, regardless of skill, talent, or experience, the peasant earned almost the same insignificant amounts. Children engaged in early labor to try to alleviate their parent’s financial status. The education system was a luxurious endeavor for the super rich. It is evident that, the economic reason was the cornerstone for the new immigration. The unanimous unemployment opportunities and dire economic times fostered the immigrant’s movements from the Italy (Vecchio, 117). It is worth noting that around the same time, the American dream seamed achievable. Numerous nations and individuals viewed America as the land of opportunities. Bearing in mind the prevalent challenges facing the Europe nations, America was a safe haven. This was a social reason that instigated the mass movement of immigrants with the objective of moving from rags to riches (Szuchman, 1880). The only notable fact was that, the immigrants were well aware that with industrialization, hard work was a prerequisite. This was the only way to make it in America as they intended to save money and return to their native lands. It is worth noting that, though the mass wave had paved way to an incursion of Italians in the United States, the United States was a hub of immigrants emanating from all corners of the continent. This is because the stunning growth depicted by the United States economy through industrial development fueled an endless demand for workers. This gold envisioned dream was the beckon of hope to millions of Italians that flocked in the United States seeking to better their lives. The United States had a stable political economical and social platform that was so luring to the peasant Italians. Bearing in mind the prevalent harsh conditions facing the Italians, new immigration was inevitable. In reality, the American dream envisaged by the Italian immigrants was farfetched. This is because of the fact that, the industrial jobs available remitted very low incomes. As the basic rules of supply dictate, with increase in supply of a commodity, the prices decline. The low paying industrial jobs demanded for high working hours with no benefits or security whatsoever. Additionally, the American economy has advanced housing structures and technical acquisition requirements. This implies that, the new immigrants could not afford the tenement housing offered by the American government. Given their high numbers and outreaching poverty, the conditions exposed to the immigrants were wanting. Their population increased overwhelmingly in 1900 - 1920. This paved way to a development of a shantytown lacking the basic commodities. Insecurity rate skyrocketed in the dingy neighborhoods that hosted the mass populace. Overcrowding resonated to unsanitary tendencies with outbreak of dirt related diseases with insufficient healthcare services. In America, agricultural land was expensive and unavailable to the poor. This implied that the new immigrants would not thrive in their past economic endeavor, which was mainly agriculture. The many newly arrived immigrants were exposed and vulnerable to many adverse conditions (Ramirez, 76). With the influx in population, a new political climate emerged seeking to take charge. Since the Americans were advanced in both infrastructure and systems, corruption was inevitable. For instance, some political dynasties used the votes of the new immigrants to clinch powerful seats in the administration. This implied that the new immigrants suffered under the hands of their host. Corruption thrived vehemently only providing resources to the cooperators. The non-partisan immigrants were oppressed and suffered severely some wishing to revert to their native land given the poor conditions in America worsened by the lack of adequate governance. This was because the American government had not made adequate preparations to host the new immigrants. Though welcoming, the lack of adequate amenities, subsidized products that would enhance an appropriate livelihood led to poor conditions. For instance, the labor unions were overwhelmed and feared opposing the influx of the new immigrants into the Unites States. This was because of two reasons: first, the new immigrants were a source off competition to the older immigrant’s in terms of lucrative employment ventures. Secondly, the new immigrants emanated from worse off conditions and as such, they were willing to work for little pay. Additionally, the United States had not inculcated restrictive laws or barriers to immigration implying that the population was still increasing. Italian immigrants always stood out as they had a firm affiliation to their native land. The new immigrants who landed in the United States during the same period were no different. The new immigrants from Italy had a desire to return to their native land after accumulating sufficient wealth. Seeking to accomplish this mission, the Italian immigrants had to leave inexpensively as possible to a level that native born families considered unendurable (Bartlett, Andrew and Billington, 220). The power struggles were not only prevalent in the political arena but in all spheres of the American citizens. There was a severe clash emanating from different cultures, background, religion, and traditions. With such confrontations among the groups in the United States, the new immigrants had to divide trying to elicit discrimination. The Asians were deemed inferior immigrants together with the Irish. In search of coexistence amid the prevalent hustles for scarce resources in America, the new immigrants started establishing zones or territory. Soon after the influx terminologies such as China town and little Italy became common. The Italians had a synonymous formation and clustered themselves into indigenous groups. For instance, the Sicilians and Neapolitans settled in Ney York and its environs. The Calabrians settled in Minnesota, while California was mostly occupied by the Northern based immigrants. Some of the Sicilians occupied New Orleans seeking to survive amid the resource inadequacy (Gabaccia, 95). It is prudent to indicate that, the Italians were involved in strenuous jobs like heavy construction. Compared to a seventh of the German populace and the a third of the Irish immigrants, the Italians were vibrant manual laborers. Many of the Italian immigrants indulged in tunnel digging, laying railroad tracks, constructing roads and bridges, and erecting the first ever skyscrapers. As early as 1910, 99 percent of Chicago’s street workers and over 90 percent of the Ney York public work employees comprised of Italians. The Italian women had to struggle with maintaining decent family life. This was because of the fact that family life conflicted with the dire need to look for money that was very elusive at the time. Given this fact, the Italian women desisted from working as domestic servants; they preferred taking piecework to their place of residence (Jennifer, 23). With time, just like other immigrants, the Italian populace had to formulate a workable mechanism that would foster upward mobility in search for financial freedom and supremacy. The available options included indulging in politics, crime, entertainment, sports, or small business associations. The urge to dwell in political engagements was negated by the fact that the Italian immigrants lacked ethnic cohesiveness. Additionally, given the poor educational system entrenched in Italy, majority of the Italians lacked extensive educational endowment. This implies that the Italians would prosper in apprentice related skills or talent spearheaded careers. It is because of this inherent reason that Italians thrived in popular and classical music, small business ownership, and sales. For a majority of the Italian populace, the new immigration was not a symbol of rejection of their native land. It was in fact a defense mechanism to the Italian livelihood. The Italian immigrants sought to maintain their traditional order by sending money back to their native land. The Italians and other immigrants of the same descent were popularly referred to as birds of passage. This is because a majority of the immigrants were in their mid twenties hoping to make money in America, send some to their aging parents and travel back to Italy for settlement. Additionally, statics reveal that, by 1920, almost 70 percent of the immigrants were men. This indicated that, wives and young children had been left back in Italy while the young men travelled to America seeking to secure a descent life. In general, the agrarian societies could no longer hold the emerging societal pressures emanating from population growth. Chinese, Germans, French, Canadians, Mexicans, Japanese, and the Slavs all found their way to America, which was the beacon of hope at the time. given the fact that there were many traditions and subcultures some of which could not amalgamate, discriminatory tendencies were prevalent. This paved way to division and evacuation by the inferior immigrants who sought to establish their territories in unoccupied zones. Since American natives were submerged, the new cultures were not assimilated per say but rather dispersed to negate confrontations (Jones, 234). In conclusion, it is apparent that America hosted both new and old immigrants. The difference between the new and old immigrants was based on motive. The old immigrants were a product of slave trade while the new immigrants sought to acquire better livelihood. Italy spearheaded numerous immigrants relocating to America due to the harsh conditions in the native country. In America, life was not as glamorous as expected. Given the lack of adequate systems in place to house, the influx of immigrants, poor sanitation, aggravated crime, low pay, and corruption was inevitable. With time, the Italians dispersed based on their origin forming cartels some of which thrive to date. Works Cited Bartlett, Richard A., Andrew F. Rolle, and Ray Allen Billington. "The Immigrant Upraised: Italian Adventurers And Colonists In An Expanding America." The American Historical Review 75.1 (1969): 220. Print. Gabaccia, Donna. "Little Italies In North America, Ed. Robert F. Harney And J. Vincenza Scarpaci. Toronto: The Multicultural History Society Of Ontario, 1981. 207 Pp.The Italian Immigrant Woman In North America, Ed. Betty Boyd Caroli, Robert F. Harney And Lydio F. Tomasi. ." International Labor and Working-Class History 22 (1982): 95. Print. Jennifer, Guglielmo. "Transnational Feminism's Radical Past: Lessons From Italian Immigrant Women Anarchists In Industrializing America." Journal of Women's History 22.1 (2010): 10-33. Print. Jones, G. "Joel Perlman, Italians Then, Mexicans Now: Immigrant Origins And Second-Generation Progress, 1890 To 2000, Russell Sage Foundation, New York (2005) 192 Pages, US$27.50 Hardback.." Journal of Historical Geography 33.1 (2007): 229-231. Print. Ramirez, Bruno. "“Italian Immigrants In Rural And Small Town America”: A Conference Report." International Labor and Working-Class History 21 (1982): 76. Print. Rosselli, John. "The Opera Business And The Italian Immigrant Community In Latin America 1820-1930: The Example Of Buenos Aires." Past and Present 127.1 (1990): 155-182. Print. Szuchman, Mark D.. "Immigrants In The Lands Of Promise: Italians In Buenos Aires And New York City, 1870-1914 (review)." The Americas 57.3 (2001): 436-438. Print. Vecchio, Diane. "Ties Of Affection: Family Narratives In The History Of Italian Migration." Journal Of American Ethnic History 25.2/3 (2006): 117. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 6 July 2013. Read More