Eugenics: the Racist Threat
At this time a growing cultural movement was called Eugenics. The premise of this movement were definitions of races that described them in terms of their intelligence, aptitude, personality, and other defining traits. It was a biased concept as it had placed the dominant race of Anglo-Saxons as the best race while others like the Blacks, Jews, and Italians were dumber, less creative, more animalistic creatures that were to be looked down upon. This dehumanization of these immigrant races impeded their acceptance into American society as they came to settle. Surnames with suffixes that sounded “Non-American” were second to those that were good strong American names. Some immigrants even altered their identity to assimilate into the native culture by dropping suffixes and changing their family names so they would not be at a disadvantage as compared to any regular citizen.
This racist tendency made itself evident when the screening processes began to select the most wanted immigrants to become future citizens of the United States. Immigrants from England and France were admitted much faster and more easily than the bulk of the Southern and Eastern immigrants based mostly on race. The United States was not only racist but a chauvinistic society that preferred men over women and children. Men of young age and of good health were admitted before women and children due to their sheer workability. In an effort to build a strong intelligent workforce the screening process involved tests of literacy, assessment of health, and connections in America. These tests were mainly administered in the offices of the largest immigration center for America right outside of New York City: Ellis Island.
This racist tendency made itself evident when the screening processes began to select the most wanted immigrants to become future citizens of the United States. Immigrants from England and France were admitted much faster and more easily than the bulk of the Southern and Eastern immigrants based mostly on race. The United States was not only racist but a chauvinistic society that preferred men over women and children. Men of young age and of good health were admitted before women and children due to their sheer workability. In an effort to build a strong intelligent workforce the screening process involved tests of literacy, assessment of health, and connections in America. These tests were mainly administered in the offices of the largest immigration center for America right outside of New York City: Ellis Island.