Final answer:
Assimilation involves integrating into a wider society, and immigrants to America often faced challenges such as language and cultural differences. The Americanization Movement sought to help immigrants assimilate, while the Settlement House Movement and Hull House provided support services. Nativism, exemplified by the Chinese Exclusion Act, displayed prejudice against immigrants and favored native-born residents.
Step-by-step explanation:
To assimilate means to absorb and integrate into a wider society or culture. In the context of American history, many old and new immigrants faced challenges in assimilating into American culture due to language barriers, cultural differences, and resistance from the native-born population.
The Americanization Movement was a significant effort in the late 19th and early 20th centuries aiming to assimilate immigrants into American culture, particularly through education and social programs. Schools like the Granite City Americanization Schools advertised these efforts, reflecting an attitude that promoted assimilation and, in some cases, the erasure of immigrants' original cultural identities.
The Settlement House Movement, including well-known establishments like the Hull House, offered various services such as education, healthcare, and legal aid to poor and immigrant communities to ease their transition into American society. The Hull House was located in Chicago and was founded by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr.
Nativism is defined as the policy of protecting the interests of native inhabitants against those of immigrants. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which prohibited all immigration of Chinese laborers, is an example of nativism as it arose from a widespread belief in the racial superiority of white Americans and the fear that immigrants would compete for jobs and threaten the cultural norms of American society.