★★★
GENRE: History
SUBJECT: immigration
Setting: Ellis Island, NY USA
CHARACTERS: Col. John Weber, William Williams, Henry Goddard, Dr. Howard Knox
DATE READ: January 13 - January 15
NO. OF PAGES: 419
Challenges: TIOLI, CATEGORY, GEOCAT
SOURCE: ARC from author for review
PLOT:....................................................................3.00
CHARACTERIZATION:.......................................3.50
TOPICS: ...............................................................3.50
STYLE:..................................................................3.50
ORIGINALITY:.......................................................3.00
ADDICTIVENESS:..............................................3.00
OWNERSHIP:......................................................3.00
Threshold Quality.................................................3.00
Average..............................................................................................3.19
For anyone who has ancestors who came through Ellis Island, this is book that will shed light on the difficulties that were presented to them.
Until 1920, just about all white immigrants were allowed to enter the USA without visas, without medical checks, and without criminal checks. There were no quotas either. Col. John Weber, a Civil War veteran, was he first director at Ellis Island. He was sympatric to the refugees and stated that he believed that "the evils of immigration are purely imaginary" and "greatly exaggerated". Reports in 1903 showed that of the 857,000 immigrants - 60% of the Italians, Jews, and Slavs were illiterate and came to the USA with $9 ($150 today) and no job arrangements.
About that time the Immigration Restriction League (IRL) worried that the Eastern and Southern Europeans would supplant the white race in America. A new director in 1911, William Williams, worked with the IRL, complaining of their different customs and inability to assimilate. Wm Wms was accused of anti-Semitism and argued that it was only "sociological fact" that Jews were genetically inferior.
A testing was started by Henry Goddard on the new arrivals and his findings were that 83% of Jews and 79% of the Italians were feebleminded. Why? Being asked to define a table - a Jew replied a place to sit and eat - obviously not Goddard's definition.
A new tester was brought in, Dr. Henry Knox who found that in one example a man that was rated of low intelligence actually spoke 3 languages and was very clever.
After World War I immigrant numbers were reduced - ex. Italians in 1914 296K, 1920 40K, 1924 -4K. Greeks went from 3K - 100.
Lady Liberty's light was slowly extinguished by legislation and quotas.
A fascinating look at early 20th Century America.
Reading this book makes me wonder how my grandfather managed to pass through Ellis Island and get into the USA.
No comments:
Post a Comment