Immigrant Groups in the West

Immigration West –  Immigrants and  Policies and Who Is A Citizen

Website Resource List

• Abraham Lincoln Letter to Joshua F. Speed
  http://quod.lib.umich.edu/l/lincoln/lincoln2/1:339?rgn=div1;submit=Go;subview=detail;type=simple;view=fulltext;q1=321
   
• Aspiration, Acculturation, and Impact:  Immigration to the United States, 1789 – 1930, Harvard’s Social Museum Collection
  http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/immigration/smc.html
   
• The Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)
  http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/immigration/exclusion.html
   
• The Immigration Restriction League
  http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/immigration/restrictionleague.html
   
• Japanese Americans and the U.S. Constitution
  http://americanhistory.si.edu/perfectunion/non-flash/immigration_main.html
   
• Chinese Americans
  http://www.hoover.archives.gov/exhibits/China/Chinese_Americans/index.html
   
• Becoming American Series from PBS
  The Chinese Experience
  http://www.pbs.org/becomingamerican/ce_resources.html
   
• Sicilian Immigrants
  http://www.niaf.org/milestones/year_1891.asp
   
• Mintz, S. (2007). Digital History., Ethnic America, Retrieved October 26, 2011
  http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu
   
• Events in the West, PBS
• http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/events/1880_1890.htm
   
• Key Dates and Landmarks in United States Immigration History
  http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/immigration/timeline.html
   
• Library of Congress, Immigration Timeline
  http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigration/timeline.html
   
• Native American History, Discovery Education
  http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/native-american-history.cfm
   
• National Museum of American History
  http://americanhistory.si.edu/about/index.cfm
   
• A Brief Timeline of U.S. Policy on Immigration and Naturalization
  http://www.flowofhistory.org/themes/movement_settlement/uspolicytimeline.php
   
• A Historical Look at Immigration Policy (chart)
  http://web.missouri.edu/~brente/immigr.htm

Today:

• Becoming American: Teenagers and Immigration, Smithsonian Institution
  http://www.sites.si.edu/exhibitions/exhibits/becoming_american/main.htm
   
• Native American History, Discovery Education
  http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/native-american-history.cfm
  Excellent list of questions included.
   
• Photo NA Land loss
  http://www.onlyglobes.com/PhotoGallery.asp?ProductCode=UM%2D30083

Chinese Immigrants and the Building of the Transcontinental Railroad

Learn about the building of the transcontinental railroad in the 1860s and how Chinese immigrants contributed to this huge project. This web site provides an interesting historical article that describes the struggles and triumphs of the Chinese Americans as they worked tirelessly to complete the railroad. There are also links to articles about the Chinese Exclusion Act and Angel Island at this web site.

• Topic: Chinese Americans, Immigrants--United States
• URL: http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu

Mexican Immigrants

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/
Search America's historic newspapers pages from 1836-1922 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities external link and the Library of Congress. Learn more.

Documents on Anti-Chinese Immigration Policy        

Examine the Chinese Exclusion Treaty of 1880 and the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Learn about the anti-Chinese immigration policies of the early American West. The increased immigration of Chinese laborers led to restrictions placed on immigration by the United States Government. Chinese laborers already in the country were protected, but it was against the law for additional laborers to come or ship captains to bring them. Chinese teachers, students, merchants, and travelers were allowed with documentation from the Chinese government that included their profession, rank, and Chinese residence.

• Topic: Chinese Americans, Emigration and immigration, Immigration and emigration
• URL: http://www.pbs.org

Chinese Immigration to the United States

Although there were millions of immigrants to the United States during the last fifty years of the 19th century, none of them received more ill will than the Chinese. While most European immigrants to the U.S. planned to make a permanent life here, most Chinese were just here to make some money and return to China. A labor shortage, the anti-Chinese sentiment grew to such great proportions that Congress even enacted the Chinese Exclusion Act. You can read documents from that time period at this page that is a part of the Library of Congress web site.

• Topic: Immigrants--United States, Immigrants--United States--History
• URL: http://www.loc.gov

Mexican Immigrant Labor History

Mexicans have been traveling to the United State to work since the late 1800s, when California fruit growers and southwestern cattle ranchers began increasing production. This PBS narrative traces the history of this immigration trend, noting the influx of Mexicans looking for work following the Mexican Revolution of 1910, the formation of the Border Patrol in 1924, and the importance of Mexican laborers during World War II, when over four million workers traveled to the U.S. to fill positions in agriculture and ranching.

• Topic: Mexicans--Employment--United States, Seasonal Farm Laborers Program
• URL:  http://www.pbs.org

Sicilian Immigrants

• http://www.niaf.org/milestones/year_1891.asp