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Kyle Willis

Professor Harbhajan

Composition II

2 February 2018

Immigration to the United States 1789-1930

Immigration in the United States has shaped our country in every aspect of life.

Harvard’s archive over immigration, focuses heavily on the 19th century. It incorporates a

collection of documents in the forms of books, manuscripts, and diaries, along with photographs

from those who lived in the time of Manifest Destiny. Harvard’s purpose in creating this archive

is for its use as a historical resource of our countries past with immigration. It highlights great

achievements that could have only happened with the help of immigration, things like the

California Gold Rush and the construction of a transcontinental railway. The archive also

includes the stories of businesses and organizations that were affected by the mass immigration

in this time. While it shows how the United States can be a melting pot for those from around the

world looking a new life, it also shows the dark sides of some U.S. immigration legislation. For

example, the Chinese Exclusion Act and the establishment of the Immigration Restriction

League limited those coming into the U.S.

Immigrants are responsible for many of the great achievements of the 19th century. From

1948 until the late 1950’s thousands of Americans, many of them immigrants, migrated to

California after Gold was found. The California Gold Rush also triggered more immigration

from around the world, people from China to France came to the United States hoping to live the

American Dream. The American Dream was an ideology that was centered around opportunity
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for everyone and a bright prosperous future. In the 1960’s Americans first transcontinental

railroad was built primarily by immigrants from Ireland and China. Both events are things that

America is proud of and would have never been possible without the help of immigrants.

Starting in 1882 with Chinese Exclusion Act, the United States started restricting

immigration. This Act stopped immigration from China and prohibited any Chinese from

becoming a U.S. citizen, and this continued until 1943. Starting in 1907, the Dillingham

Commission, a group of U.S. officials, was formed to deal with the issue of immigration. The

group concluded that immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe was a danger to the

American culture and society. The groups statements helped to get future legislation passed, the

National Origins Formula was one piece of legislation that put quotas in place, limiting

immigration based on existing portions of the population. It in turn limited immigration and

stopped any Asian immigration. Today it is obvious that the act blatantly discriminated against

those coming from parts of Europe and all of Asia. After the passing of many immigration laws

the number of immigrants shrank.

Throughout the archive, you can tell that those who wrote it want you to see immigration

as a fantastic thing from our history. All the immigration that happened has shaped the United

States and made us who we are as Americans. Many different cultures were brought to the U.S.

in that time and American today would be very different if the high rate of immigration in the

19th century had not happened. Right away you see this archive as credible, the big Harvard

stamp across the top of the page lets you know that the materials here are from Harvard’s

libraries, archives and museums. The language throughout the archive while intellectual, also

enforces a patriot view of Americas history, targeting those proud of our history. The counter

side of immigration in the 19th century, while there, is hidden within the archive. Under the
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section “New Lives” you can read about how thousands of immigrate children lived on the

streets in New York City in the early 1900’s. The section in the archive though isn’t about them,

it is titled “The Children’s aid society” an organization that helped kids living on the street. The

article gives the impression that you should be impressed by the compassion of those in the

society and not worry about why so many kids were on the street in the first place.

It is obvious to me after spending many hours with this archive that immigration is what

made America what it is today. Many great achievements were accomplished and the foundation

for many businesses and organizations were formed. However, it also opened my eyes to many

of the mistakes that were made by those in positions of power in our government. Life was never

easier for those who picked up their whole life in a different part of the world to come here.