This document defines key terms related to immigration and urbanization in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the United States. It describes push and pull factors that influenced immigration, as well as characteristics of new immigrants from Europe, such as coming from Eastern or Southern Europe, being non-English speakers, poor, and facing discrimination. It also defines ethnic ghettos, nativists, Americanization, the Chinese Exclusion Act, urbanization, demography, tenement housing, political machines controlled by political bosses.

1. Immigration/Urbanization
Vocabulary

2. Immigration-to move from one country to another with the
intention of staying
Push and Pull Factors-"push" (reasons why people wanted to
leave their country) and "pull" (reasons why people wanted to
come to a new land)
New Immigrants-Refers to immigrants who arrived in America
between about 1870-1920. Tended to be from
Eastern/Southern Europe, darker skinned, didn't speak
English, poor, faced discrimination.
Ethnic Ghettos-Neighborhood, district or suburb which
retains some cultural distinction from a larger surrounding
area.

3. Nativists-a person who favors those born in his country and is
opposed to immigrants, specifically, a native born American
who wants to limit immigration (and outside influence).
Americanization-the act of becoming knowledgeable about
American culture. this was the key to success of immigrated
children
Chinese Exclusion Act-In 1882 Congress passed this act
prohibited Chinese immigration

4. Immigration/Urbanization
Vocabulary

5. Urbanization-the social process whereby cities grow and
societies become more urban
Demography-the branch of sociology that studies the
characteristics of human populations
Tenement-poorly built, overcrowded housing where many
immigrants lived
Political Machines-Well organized political organization that
controls election results by awarding jobs and other favors in
exchange for votes
Political Bosses-Leaders of political machines that
bribed citizens in order to receive votes