Final answer:
The xenophobic reaction during the Bolshevik Revolution era in the U.S. was strengthened by the Red Scare, which led to heightened suspicion and discrimination against Russian Americans and immigrants with leftist ideologies.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the period of the Bolshevik Revolution, Russian Americans experienced the backlash of xenophobia. The xenophobic reaction was strengthened by Red Scare, a term describing the fear that Americans felt about the possibility of a Bolshevik revolution in the United States. Fear over Communist infiltrators led Americans to restrict and discriminate against any forms of radical dissent, whether Communist or not. The Red Scare was further fueled by events such as the discovery of letter bombs and the simultaneous explosions of eight bombs on June 2, 1919. These events heightened the suspicion and aversion towards anyone associated with leftist ideologies, which often included recent immigrants, particularly those from Russia or Eastern Europe.
Nativism also played a critical role in fostering xenophobia during this era, prizing White Americans with older family trees over more recent immigrants and rejecting external influences in favor of local customs. The climate of fear was agitated by nativists who pointed to anarchist assassinations and other acts of violence as proof of the threatening nature of immigrants. All these elements contributed to a tense atmosphere wherein people were quick to distrust and blame Russian Americans and other immigrants for potential subversive activities.