A nation of immigrants: The rise of 'contributionism' in the United States, 1924--1965

This dissertation examines the emergence of the "nation of immigrants" ideology in the United States between 1924 and 1965. In the midst of the immigration wave from southern and eastern Europe during the first quarter of the twentieth century, many Americans came to view immigration as a force that weakened the country economically and culturally. Eventually, Congress passed a comprehensive immigration restriction law in 1924, dramatically reducing migration from southern and eastern Europe and completely ending it from Asia. At this time, a minority of congressmen and intellectuals espoused a "contributionist" view that suggested that the newcomers who entered the country through Ellis Island between the 1880s and 1924 strengthened the country through their cultural and economic accomplishments. Using a combination of archival and print sources, this project examines congressional debates, public celebrations, and school textbooks to demonstrate the rise of contributionism throughout this period. Disturbed by the rise of fascism abroad and growing nativism at home during the 1930s, policymakers and intellectuals sponsored programs emphasizing both the need for tolerance of different ethnic groups as well as the importance of appreciating the achievements of recent immigrants. The wartime need for unity caused the tolerance message to supersede the contributionist ideal during World War II. During the 1950s and 1960s, the contributionist message slowly gained prominence as the Cold War compelled policymakers and intellectuals to emphasize the diversity---as well as the unity---of the United States vis-a-vis the Soviet Union. Increasingly, both supporters and opponents of immigration reform paid tribute to the accomplishments of immigrants from southern and eastern Europe. At the same time, restrictionists became more and more concerned about immigration from Latin America and Asia. By the passage of immigration reform in 1965, congressmen and intellectuals frequently referred to the United States as a "nation of immigrants" that encompassed the descendants of Ellis Island-era immigrants. Asians and Latinos, who were about to start yet another wave of immigration to the United States, remained excluded from this conception of American identity.