experienced by new arrivals when they first reached US -accustomed to living among others solely like them, who shared same culture, traditions, and backgrounds -many came from small towns and villages and now found themselves in foreign land surrounded by many different types of people in large cities - arrival of immigrants, combined with many US citizens migrating from rural areas caused nation's urban areas to grow dramatically during late 1800s - prior to 1870, most immigrants came from Western Europe and had an easier time adapting to US culture - After 1870, emigration from Eastern and Sthn. Europe became more common -b/c they spoke different languages and often practiced different religions (Jews, Catholics, Orthodox faiths) immigrants from this region had a harder transition