Glossary
Assimilation
The process by which a person or a group's language and/or culture come to resemble those of another group, often pressured upon immigrants in the U.S.
Example:
Immigrant children attending public schools were often encouraged to speak only English and adopt American customs, a process of cultural assimilation.
Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882
A landmark federal law that prohibited all immigration of Chinese laborers for over 60 years, making it the first major law restricting immigration based on nationality.
Example:
The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was a direct result of anti-Chinese sentiment and economic fears on the West Coast, severely impacting Chinese communities in the U.S.
Dumbbell Tenements
A specific type of tenement building designed with a narrow air shaft in the middle, intended to improve ventilation and light, but often still suffered from poor sanitation and overcrowding.
Example:
Despite their innovative design meant to provide light and air, dumbbell tenements often became breeding grounds for disease due to continued overcrowding and poor sanitation.
Ethnic Enclaves
Neighborhoods where people of similar ethnic backgrounds lived together, providing mutual support, a sense of community, and a means to preserve cultural traditions.
Example:
Walking through New York City's vibrant Little Italy, one can still see the enduring legacy of an ethnic enclave where Italian immigrants built a community.
Exploitation
The act of treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work or resources, often seen in the Gilded Age with immigrant labor.
Example:
Factory owners engaged in exploitation by paying immigrant workers extremely low wages for long hours in unsafe conditions.
Hull House
A prominent settlement house founded by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr in Chicago, serving as a model for urban reform and immigrant aid.
Example:
Jane Addams's Hull House became a model for urban reform, providing everything from childcare to art classes for the surrounding immigrant community.
Immigration Act of 1882
Early federal legislation that placed a tax on immigrants and excluded certain 'undesirable' groups, such as convicts, paupers, and the mentally ill.
Example:
The Immigration Act of 1882 marked a shift towards federal control over immigration, moving away from state-level regulation.
Jacob Riis
A prominent muckraker and photographer who documented the impoverished conditions in New York City's tenements in his influential book 'How the Other Half Lives'.
Example:
Through his powerful photographs, Jacob Riis brought the harsh realities of tenement life to the attention of the middle and upper classes.
Lewis Hine
A muckraker and photographer known for his powerful images of child labor and poor working conditions, which helped spur reform efforts and child labor laws.
Example:
The haunting photographs taken by Lewis Hine of young children working in factories and mines were instrumental in raising awareness about child labor abuses.
Muckrakers
Journalists and reformers who exposed the problems of urban life, industrial abuses, and political corruption through their investigative reporting.
Example:
Ida Tarbell, a famous muckraker, exposed the monopolistic practices of Standard Oil, leading to public outcry and government action.
National Origins Act of 1924
A highly restrictive immigration law that established a quota system based on national origin, severely limiting immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe and banning Asian immigration entirely.
Example:
The National Origins Act of 1924 drastically reduced immigration from many parts of the world, reflecting a desire to preserve a specific ethnic composition of the United States.
Nativism
A policy or belief favoring native-born inhabitants over immigrants, often characterized by anti-immigrant sentiment, xenophobia, and opposition to immigration.
Example:
The rise of the Know-Nothing Party in the mid-19th century was a clear manifestation of nativism, as they sought to restrict the rights of Catholic immigrants.
Settlement Houses
Community centers established in urban areas to provide services and support to immigrants and the urban poor, offering classes, job training, and cultural programs.
Example:
Many new arrivals found crucial support and resources at a local settlement house, helping them navigate life in a new country.
Social Darwinism
The belief that the wealthy and powerful are naturally superior and deserve their success, often used to justify economic inequality and exploitation.
Example:
A powerful industrialist might argue that his immense wealth is simply proof of his natural superiority, a concept rooted in Social Darwinism.
Tenement House Act of 1870
Early legislation that attempted to improve living conditions in tenements by requiring windows in each bedroom and setting basic standards for ventilation and sanitation.
Example:
The passage of the Tenement House Act of 1870 was an early attempt by reformers to address the dire living conditions in overcrowded urban areas.
Tenements
Overcrowded, unsanitary, and often poorly constructed apartment buildings that housed many urban poor, especially immigrants, during the Gilded Age.
Example:
Families often lived in cramped, dark rooms within a tenement, sharing limited facilities with many other residents.