Our Savior’s Lutheran hosted the first of four weekly talks with regard to immigration on Wednesday, March 4. Attendees were welcomed by Pastor Ken Schmidt, after which Robert Seidl presented a history of immigration in the United States, along with background such as historic Indian removals, slavery, the civil war, and Statue of Liberty.
Originally a symbol of revolution after the American Revolution led to the French Revolution, the Statue of Liberty changed in meaning as it was the first thing many immigrants saw upon their arrival in New York Harbor. A western port of entry was also established at Angel Island in San Francisco, with immigrants treated differently by things like class distinction, the poor undergoing additional things like delousing.
Included in the one hour presentation by Seidl were details on both old immigration (1800-1880) and new immigration (1880-1920) along with U.S. government policy, the last comprehensive immigration reform taking place in 1990.
With many different waves often driven by economic conditions elsewhere, historical themes of immigration in the United States have been many, old immigration seeking cheap farmland while new immigration addressed a need for labor in the cities. Old immigration was distinct in sociological terms from new immigration, with each group that came over experiencing a period of hostility followed by adjustment and acceptance.
Immigrants played a major role in the Union army during the Civil War, with Germans and Irish contributing greatly to the war effort.
New arrivals meanwhile were often pushed into conditions that fed a perception of criminality, later moving up the economic ladder and opposing newer waves of immigration.
Among the challenges faced by historical immigrants was nativism, the need for labor met with the belief that allowing too free immigration would lead to the loss of American jobs. The Great Depression was the only time departures outnumbered arrivals.
With this week’s talk “The Bible and Immigration” taking place Wednesday, March 11 from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. with Deacon Darrel Diers, upcoming talks in the ongoing four part series at Our Savior’s Lutheran include “Reasons for Immigrating” with Dr. Tom Gelhaus on Wednesday, March 18 from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. and “God’s Children, Our Neighbors” with Deacon Lidixie Montoya on Wednesday, March 15 from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. The presentation is free, with all welcome to attend.