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This virtual timeline examines how American Newspapers and other media represented immigration – uncovering the relationship between policy, public opinion and accounts of immigrant experience. By exhibiting these artifacts within their historical and cultural contexts, the timeline reveals the enduring tensions between the ideals of inclusion and the forces of exclusion that define the American immigration narrative.
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As waves of immigrants arrive to the United States in search of opportunity and freedom, through Ellis Island or other means of entry, the late 19th and early 20th centuries are marked as a pivotal era in American History. However, the “American Dream” often clashed with the harsh realities shaped by media portrayal, political unrest and societal pressure of the time.
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This timeline explores how American newspapers and media in the late 19th and early 20th centuries portrayed immigration, revealing the cultural and political anxieties of the period. Through political cartoons, legislative artifacts, and news articles, we examine the interplay between media, public opinion, and policy, illustrating how these dynamics shaped the immigrant experience.
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This widely distributed political cartoon vividly encapsulates the anti-Chinese sentiment of the era. Depicting Chinese immigrants as threats to American labor, the cartoon fueled fears that led to restrictive policies like the Chinese Exclusion Act. The exaggerated imagery highlights how visual media amplified xenophobia, portraying Chinese immigrants as fundamentally incompatible with American society. This is best depicted in their attire, weapons and face details. -
The Chinese Exclusion Act marks the first significant federal legislation to restrict immigration based on nationality. This law codified racial prejudice into U.S. policy, barring Chinese laborers and establishing a precedent for exclusionary practices. It reflected growing fears about economic competition and cultural differences. The language of the act reveals the legal system’s role in institutionalizing discrimination, shaping lives of Chinese immigrants and influencing future policies. -
This New York Times’ articles on Ellis Island’s opening showcase the contrasting public attitudes toward European immigrants. While celebrated as a gateway to opportunity, coverage often reflected concerns about integration and the "quality" of immigrants entering the U.S. Analysis of these articles reveals the tension between the ideal of America as a melting pot and fears of cultural dilution. -
This satirical cartoon critiques Uncle Sam’s contradictory stance on immigration, symbolizing broader societal anxieties. By depicting Uncle Sam in a parental, overbearing role and immigrants as childlike figures, Pughe employs humor to expose the era’s xenophobia. This artifact reveals how media served as both a mirror of public sentiment and a tool for shaping opinions about national identity. -
- Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. National Archives. Accessed [Date]. https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/chinese-exclusion-act.
- Pughe, J.S. "His Neighborly Suggestion." Puck Magazine. Library of Congress. Accessed [Date]. https://www.loc.gov/resource/ppmsca.25725/.
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- The New York Times. "Landed on Ellis Island; New Immigration Buildings Opened Yesterday." January 2, 1892. https://www.nytimes.com/1892/01/02/archives/landed-on-ellis-island-new-immigration-buildings-opened-yesterday-a.html.
- Nast, Thomas. “The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.” Collections, 16 July 1870, emuseum.mfah.org/objects/13125/the-martyrdom-of-st-crispin.