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The immigration of foreign peoples in to the United States was a major trend in American History. The major influx began in the 1840's with the immigration of Northern Europeans, who were called later "old" immigrants. During the latter portion of the nineteenth century this inflow was followed by Southern and Eastern Europeans who became known as the "new" immigrants. Accompanying these mass migrations, especially in connection with the latter group, there developed an intense native opposition of the foreigner, which became known as nativism. A major contributor to the new immigration was the Italian who was often looked upon as the most degraded of the newcomers. This phenomenon existed throughout the United States and did not escape the state of Utah. Although the Italians did not emigrate to Utah in large numbers, their presence in the Utah labor movement, primarily their participation in the 1903 Carbon County coal miners strike, made their presence known and intensified the nativism generated against them. Utah nativism was directed basically against Southern and Eastern Europeans as well as the oriental; however, the bulk of nativistic repression was leveled at the Italian and Greek immigrants who were active in labor strife and became "stereotyped" as lawless creatures. The anti-foreign sentiment in Utah followed closely the patterns evident on the national level. In the nationalistic period of World War I the movement to Americanize the immigrate became of vital concern. Utah joined in the spirit by enacting into law a compulsory Americanization Act which stipulated that non-English speaking aliens must attend Americanization classes. The movement failed on the state as well as on the national level. The failure of Americanization couple with the loss of post war nationalism re-kindled an intense nativism which culminated in the restrictive immigration legislation of 1921 and 1924. The Italian in Utah adjusted to nativism in the only way that he could: a gradual adjustment to American life. This was achieved through the establishment of various mutual aid societies and organizations, attempts to adopt basic patterns of American life, such as leaving the labor ranks and entering into businesses, and affiliation with the Catholic Church. This Italian was "acculturating" at a steady and natural pace, but since the nativistic surge in Utah was linked to the American scene, the immigration restrictions emerged victorious and Utah joined the movement for discriminatory immigration legislation which became a reality in the National Origins Act of 1924. |
