Question

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the United States experienced one of its largest waves of immigration. Why were native-born American citizens concerned about the influx of migrants from southern and eastern Europe?

1) Migrants came from repressive European political regimes, so American citizens thought immigrants would foment political unrest.
2) Many American citizens had read propaganda that immigrants were carriers of disease, so citizens feared health epidemics.
3) Some white American citizens were concerned that immigrants would change the racial and religious character of the country.
4) Few of the immigrants spoke English, so American citizens worried that English would be displaced as the national language.

Answer 1

Native-born American citizens were concerned about the influx of migrants from southern and eastern Europe for reasons including political unrest, health epidemics, changes in the country's racial and religious character, and displacement of English as the national language.

Step-by-step explanation:

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the United States experienced one of its largest waves of immigration, with nearly 12 million immigrants arriving between 1870 and 1900. Native-born American citizens were concerned about the influx of migrants from southern and eastern Europe for several reasons:

1. Many American citizens believed that immigrants from repressive European political regimes would foment political unrest.
2. Propaganda spread the fear that immigrants were carriers of disease, leading citizens to fear health epidemics.
3. Some white American citizens were concerned that immigrants would change the racial and religious character of the country.
4. A significant number of immigrants did not speak English, leading to worries that English would be displaced as the national language.