The face of New York City’s landscape was completely changed politically, geographically, economically and socially post world war one.

Once the war was declared and the United States had allied themselves against Germany, German immigrants were torn between supporting their home country or their new home. Choosing allegiance was difficult for immigrant families as they wanted to avoid criticism from White American citizens, but at the same time wanted to be patriotic towards their native land. Prominent German Americans such as George Sylvester Viereck, a poet, continuously defended Germany and raised funds for relief. After it was discovered that he was under Kaiser’s payroll, the poetry society of America revoked his membership. Soon after, Theodore Roosevelt declared all hyphenated Americans devote their loyalty to the American cause without hesitation. The Germans were generally known for their achievements in science, literature, etc. But the war tension made people look at them with suspicion, even the loyal Germans. To avoid scrutiny and hatred, famous German institutions such as The German Hospital and Dispensary became “Lenox Hill Hospital”. Furthermore, German- speaking churches switched to the English language.  Like the Germans, many other ethnic groups felt the pain of war and returned to fight for their native country. Jewish New Yorkers, who fled Russian Persecution were not eager to support Russia in the war. While most Americans encouraged the war, there were also many who opposed the cause. Jewish anarchists living in East Harlem printed circulars criticizing America’s intervention in the war. In August 1918, they were arrested under the sedition act and were deported to Russia. The Irish Americans were not in favor of America’s alignment with Britain as the British suppressed Dublin’s Easter Rebellion of 1916. They thanked Germany for supporting the cause of the Irish freedom.

The war greatly disrupted immigration to America from Europe. Before the war began, there were about 1.2 million immigrants. During the war, only 110,330 people arrived on American soil. Numbers began going back to normal after the war ended. However, Congress then passed the National Origins Act, which limited immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe. After the war, German influence had diminished. Many moved from Brooklyn and Queens to sections in Manhattan. This was made possible by the ever-expanding subway. Moreover, innovation was sparked and new laws enabled buildings with self-operating elevators to replace old walk up tenements. Queens and Bronx were changed to give way to garden apartments as getting to work was made easier by mass transportation. With new Schools and hospitals, almost everything was being constructed. Jacob Ruppert built Yankee Stadium right opposite Harlem, South Bronx. While most “ghetto” immigrant neighborhoods were mixed, East Harlem was taken over by the Jews and Italians. The Irish started moving to nicer neighborhoods and left the slums of lower Manhattan. Following the path of the upward moving Irish, the Jews traced their footsteps and migrated to the Bronx for a better way of life. Neighborhoods such as Fieldstone and Riverside in the Bronx were closed to the Jews because of anti-sematic laws. While the Italians weren’t as successful as the Jews, they started moving away from the congested mulberry blend.

Even though European migration was reduced following the war, the Black population drastically increased. In 1930, the Black population was about 327,706 people (4.7% of NYC’s population). A number of Blacks worked as domestic help in the homes of affluent white residents. Many Whites became anxious at the black influx into Harlem, “their neighborhood”. From Harlem emerged a new artistic output stressing a unique Black culture. Black people had to pay more for a three-bedroom apartment than White people had to- about eight dollars more per month. Incomes started to rise for the Germans and Irish post war. Germans moved into skilled laboring positions and the Irish were given jobs on the city’s payroll through politics. Irish women started gaining influence in teaching at schools. However, political power started shifting away from Tammany Hall and the Irish when Hyman Schorenstein became the first democratic Jewish district leader In Brownsville. After the war, Athletics were reformed too. Immigrants who weren’t allowed to participate before, played in the big leagues for baseball. While many Jewish and Italians lacked the facilities to improve their game, players like Hank Greenberg and Joe DiMaggio revolutionized the game and became idols to millions of immigrants. Most Jews made the big money and attained great fame through the sport of Boxing. Many Jews on the other hand sought out to become educated.

Through the city schools such as Hunter, Jewish women started to become recognized as teachers. But because of the anti-Semitism that occurred in New York City, schools such as NYU and Columbia restricted Jewish enrollment. A vast number of immigrants and their American offspring indulged in illegal activities to make ends meet. Quite a few of the Irish involved in politics started taking bribes. Also, the enactment of national prohibition opened the door for ethnic bootleggers. From Brownsville, came Murder Inc: A combination of Jewish and Italians who specialized in killing rival gang members. The roaring twenties did little for the Black community. They remained poor and discriminated against. After a lot of pressure, Edward Johnson became the first Black elected to New York State’s assembly. Blacks then started to move away from the Republican party to the Democratic party. Like the Black’s, Puerto Ricans in 1917 didn’t see much progress. They were employed largely in unskilled labor.

New York’s Asian population remained largely isolated from the ethnic groups. Chinatown was a bachelor society, with six men for every women. However, passing the area off as “opium dens” Chinatown became a tourist attraction. The Japanese generally settled in NYC in Brooklyn. They worked in the food service industry and others worked for the Japanese government. Indians who settled in NYC formed a Pan Aryan Association, which focused on ending British rule in the homeland. The Orthodox Jewish community was growing with the creation of Jewish day schools, yeshivas. New York City also received a lot of Ukrainians including about five thousand exiles from the communist revolution in the Soviet Union. New York City also inhabited the nation’s largest Greek population.

It’s evident that the war changed lives drastically for the immigrants in New York. For the Germans, Italians and Irish it was a period of prosperity where they moved into more refined neighborhoods. Jewish women were gaining importance out of the household. While it was a period of advancement it was also a time of turmoil for people of color as they were treated unfairly. The exclusion of specific people from high paying jobs and adequate housing really makes us contemplate the life lived in the 1900’s. It makes us feel that some are luckier than others being born into a certain religion or having a specific skin color. It’s scarring and still exists in some parts of “modern” New York today.

– A.S