How were new immigrants treated by old stock Americans?

Answer 1

The Irish were treated quite poorly and were actually considered a separate race until they assimilated more fully into mainstream US culture. During the 1800's many stores even had signs that said "Irish Need Not Apply" which sounds like something one would expect in Nazi Germany or the South before the Civil Rights Movement. During World War I many immigrants and their children were treated poorly because they came from countries that the US was fighting. German immigrants were referred to as enemy aliens. German-Americans were so discriminated against that many changed their names to sound more "American" and at least one lynching due to anti-German feeling is on record. Pretty much any group that was not English-speaking was discriminated against in some way which is why there are such areas as Chinatown and Little Italy in many US cities; immigrants had to stick together to survive. Immigrants usually worked at low paying jobs in terrible conditions; for example, most of the employees of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory (which burned down in 1911 and killed many of the workers in the building) were young immigrant women.

Answer 2

Every immigrant group has had it's own challenges and setbacks. The ones who were English speaking and/ or white , suffered somewhat less , but there was a time when signs were posted in places saying '''No Dogs or Irish here.'' In future, we can only hope new immigrants will find a way to assimilate more easily, while retaining their heritage at home, or in social groups or organizations. Diversity is a double-edged sword.While we want to share and learn from new immigrants, we don't want another language, faith or body of laws forced on us. And I say this as only a second-generation American myself.