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Immigration German
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Introduction

Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein

The German immigrant story is a long one—a story of early beginnings, continual growth, and steadily spreading influence. Germans were among the first Europeans to make their homes in the New World, and are among the United States' most recent arrivals. They were aboard the first boats that came ashore at Jamestown, and they built the rockets that took men to the moon. In the years in between, they moved into nearly every corner of the U.S., tried their hand at nearly every trade and pursuit, and helped shape the fundamental institutions of American life.

Though they endured their share of hardship, they escaped much of the tragedy and harsh treatment that plagued many immigrant groups. Today, more than 40 million Americans claim German ancestry—more than any other group except the British.

What factors might have contributed to the Germans' unique immigration experience?

 
Introduction | The Call of Tolerance | Building a New Nation | A New Surge of Growth | Filling the Nation's Breadbasket | Urban Germans | Building Institutions, Shaping Tastes | Shadows of War
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Irish
1790   The federal government requires two years of residency for naturalization.
1885   Congress bans the admission of contract laborers.
1929   Congress makes annual immigration quotas permanent.
1948   The United States admits persons fleeing persecution in their native lands; allowing 205,000 refugees to enter within two years.
1952  Immigration and Nationality Act: individuals of all races eligible for naturalization; reaffirms national origins quota system, limits immigration from Eastern Hemisphere; establishes preferences for skilled workers and relatives of U.S. citizens and permanent resident aliens; and tightens security and screening standards and procedures
1953  Congress amends 1948 refugee policy to allow for the admission of 200,000 more refugees
1980   The Refugee Act redefines criteria and procedures for admitting refugees.
1986   Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) legalizes illegal aliens residing in the U.S. unlawfully since 1982
1917   U.S. enters World War I; anti-German sentiment swells at home; names of schools, foods, streets, towns, even some families, are changed to sound less Germanic.
1864   Congress legalizes the importation of contract laborers.
1819   Congress establishes reporting on immigration
Native American