Question

Discuss anti-immigrant sentiments in the United States in the late nineteenth century.

Answer 1

The anti-immigrant sentiments, or nativism, in the United Staets in the late nineteenth century is very well documented. Americans were mostly worried that immigrants come to the United States, move to cities and take American jobs away from Americans. Immigrants were willing to work for less and therefore more profitable for the robber barons taking advantage of the cheap labor. Therefore, nativism grew in the United States. This resulted in the passing of immigration legislation like the Chinese Exclusion Act and also the Gentleman's Agreement. The immigrants were also mostly from Ireland which meant that they were Catholic. Americans have always been hostile to Catholics because of previous conflicts between Catholics and Protestants.