1920s Immigration Essay

The 1920s was an era in the history of America in which economic, social, and political change coursed through our country. A dramatic population shift occurred during this decade in which, for the first time, more people lived in cities than in rural areas. This shift contributed to a large increase in ethnic and religious diversity in America’s cities. During this time, the economic engine of America brought consumer culture and advancement in technology, resulting in our economy becoming the envy of the world. However, the American people and the government were extremely fearful during this period and strived to find a way to ensure the safety of themselves and our nation. The hysteria surrounding immigration following the war and the impact

This hysteria was fueled by racism and a fear of an invasion from foreign-born radicals. Many U.S. citizens believed that immigrants coming from eastern Europe were bringing with them ideas of communism and anarchism. Another factor leading to the disparaging of immigrants is the job market. In the early 1920’s half of white men and a third of white women working in mines, mills, and factories, were immigrants. Congressman Fred S. Purnell of Indiana pushed legislators to stop the “stream of irresponsible and broken wreckage that is pouring into the lifeblood of America the social and political diseases of the Old World.” This along with the other grievances mentioned led to Americans pressing the government to exclude more immigrants from entering the U.S. The result of these demands was the Emergency Immigration Act of 1921 which limited the total annual immigration to 150,000 people from outside of the Western Hemisphere. It

Organized crime became a big issue in this period due to huge new sources of income, like bootlegging, and this led to the legacy of many famous gangsters and criminal figures we know today. One of these well-known gangsters is Al Capone who was born in 1899, to two Italian immigrants in Brooklyn. Early in his life, he got involved in organized crime, gained the nickname “Scarface” and eventually brought in $60 million a year through his illegal activities. Capone thought of himself as a sort of Robin Hood who provided for the poor and believed that through his illegal actions, he was only giving the people what they wanted. He stated, “They say I violate the Prohibition law, who doesn’t?” He eventually was arrested for tax evasion and found guilty in