A Research Of American Eastern European Jewish Immigrants Social-Life,1880-1930

The research of the social life of American Eastern European Jewish immigrants from 1880 to 1930 is of great importance.At the end of the 19 th century,American Cities experienced rapid expansion,and convenient transportation reduced commuter time,as city centers gradually declined and became immigrants and poor slums.Affected by Russian social economy,Eastern European Jews immigrated to the United States on a large scale,forming a community and ghetto model.The half-century historical process of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe to the United States has changed the population ratio and American Jewish community social structure,which also initiated the modern transformation of its society.However,the academies for a long period has paid relatively little attention to this field,less full-angle observing this period history.Therefore,based on the perspectives of global history and immigration history,this dissertation uses the former research founding,makes full use of archives,and adopts modernization,urbanization,ethnology and socioeconomic theories and research paradigms to explore Eastern Europe Jewish Immigrants social life in America during this period,in order to enhance the depth of this research.To a certain extent,it provides a glimpse into the cultural identities of minorities and immigrant groups under the background of American multiculturalism,and the contradictions and tensions between the mainstream society and themselves.The main text is divided into eight chapters according to the time period and logical relationship discussion.Each chapter is also subdivided into different subsections,and chapters can be divided into three parts,Chapter 1 to 4,Chapter 5and 6,Chapter 7 and 8.Chapter 1 is the introduction to the historical background of the dissertation,analyzing the political,economic,and cultural conditions of Eastern European Jews under the regime of Tsarist Russia,analyzing its immigration historical background.It points out that the economic factor are the main reason for Eastern European Jews immigrating to the United States.Since the reform of Alexander II,traditional society under the influence of Russian industrialization began to disintegrate,which worsening Jewish life.Chapter 2 discusses the process of Eastern European Jewish immigration to America.Most Jewish immigrants came into New York,Boston and other east area cities,but however some comes to Chicago,Los Angeles and other west area cities for livelihood.Although new entrants to the city’s slum and ghetto,it soon had upward mobility of the class with spatial change of the urban community.It also focuses on Jewish immigrants entering the United States clothing manufacturing industry to become industrial workers,and the population,income and occupational status of Eastern European Jews in the United States.Chapter 3 analyzes the living conditions of Eastern European Jewish immigrants in the Lower East Side of New York,restores Jewish ghetto in the Lower East Side through oral history and memory history,and recalls the appearance and conditions of the local synagogue vie personal autobiography and the memories of the parties.The dissertation points out that most of the Eastern European Jewish immigrants who entered the American society still believe in Judaism,mainly Orthodox Judaism,but the tendency of the younger generation to believe in Reformed Judaism is increasing,and a small number of them even become secular Jews.The focus of Chapter 4 is on the collective mutual aid activities of Eastern European Jews,Landsmanshaftn,free-loan society,and credit unions.Different from traditional charity activities,collective mutual assistance activities are designed to prevent work-related injuries,unemployment and other risks in modern society,which also provides short-medium term commercial loans,education funds,and so on.Chapter 5 analyzes the social activities of Jewish women from varied dimensions by looking into the newspapers,personal memoirs and related archives,focusing on the Jewess ideological liberation movement,and the social phenomena of New Ladies and professional women.It points out that the political movement of Jewess not only dismantled the traditional Jewish community,but also increased the strength of the Socialist Party of America,which had a profound influence on the progressive movement,feminist movement,and labor movement.Chapter 6 analyzes the Jewish American spirit and ethnic identity in the public sphere through sociology and ethnology.Reformers try to establish a public education system through education-reform to assimilate immigrants,by adopting school system,curriculum standards,and professionalism and other public education system reform,which helps increase the quality of teaching,help students acquire more knowledge so as to be qualified for professional positions and become a middle class with stable income in the upcoming future.It is concluded that the public education system reform has an impact on the modern transition of East European Jewish immigrants society.Chapter 7 explores the connection between the American labor movement and Jewish people,and analyzes the reason why Jewish immigrants joining the labor movement.It points out that at the beginning of the 20 th century,Jewish Immigrants’ labor movement turned to mature,with more frequent strikes and diverse methods.Through regional elections,they came into the congress or government,mostly by using public opinion and news newspapers to criticize the actions of illegal capitalists.Chapter 8 is the main text’s last chapter.After the initial discussion,it expounds the factors of East European Jewish immigrants’ class mobility,and discusses the formation and characteristics of their middle class concept: the rebellion of the younger generation,the weakening of religious beliefs,and then education concept renewal and the formation of American cultural identity,as well as modern philanthropy concepts and practice.Finally,the dissertation indicates that it should adopt the interdisciplinary perspective to treat the historical phenomenon of the middle class of this group.In conclusion Chapter,I reviewed the origins of the research on the social life of Jewish immigrants in Eastern Europe,proposed a suggestion from the perspective of global history to think about Eastern European Jews social life,immigration history,and the categories of modernization and urbanization,and then summarized the reasons and significance of the social life of Jewish immigrants in Eastern Europe and Modern transition,indicating this field research’s historical significance and realistic concerning.