To be honest, I found this week’s reading confusing at times. At first, I was shocked. I could not believe that there was hostility in eighteenth century America towards temporary immigrants who returned to their homelands. From previous arguments in newspapers and journals Foner has referenced, it seemed to me that many Americans did not like the idea of immigrants coming to this country. However, Foner quotes, “’Immigrants were expected to stay once they arrived…to leave again implied that the migrant…was too crass to appreciate America as a noble experiment in democracy; and spurned American good will and helping hands.’” (182, Foner). This apparent insistence that immigrants stay in the country contrasts greatly with the nativist notions of immigrants from the previous reading that talked about riots. From what I understand, some Americans treat immigrants who come as outsiders of a different race and yet at the same time they condemn immigrants who leave for not “assimilating” into the American culture.
Foner also writes that these Americans who disliked temporary immigrants were concerned with the fact that immigrants were not making enough effort to conform and become “real Americans” (182, Foner). When Foner writes that “several new schools in the city have been specifically designed for recent immigrant children with limited English proficiency”, I am led to believe that maybe Americans were not so adverse to the idea of immigrants themselves despite prejudices towards newcomers (200, Foner). Perhaps Americans felt accepting of immigrants as long as they thought these newcomers were becoming American. But does becoming American mean cutting off ties with one’s home country? Furthermore, Foner mentions the Newcomers School: An Academy for New Americans (200, Foner). If American cities like New York were building institutions such as schools to accommodate immigrants and, in turn, encourage immigration, why did there exist laws as well as people who were against immigrants? There was discrimination against immigrants but at the same time there was the desire to help immigrants get ahead, as reflected in the schools. This section of the reading was very confusing to me.
