The Trump administration is not just attacking illegal immigrants, but anyone who looks different, and speaks differently or thinks differently. It is making America a very unwelcoming place – to our own peril…

but we have been down this route before. Some of what you see below may sound familiar.

In the early 20th century, Irish, Italian, and Jewish immigrants faced significant prejudice and discrimination from many Americans. This sentiment was rooted in a mix of nativism, economic anxieties, cultural differences, and religious biases.

Here’s a breakdown of common perceptions for each group:

Irish Immigrants: While Irish immigration had been ongoing for decades, the early 20th century still saw lingering negative stereotypes.

• Poverty and Unsanitary Conditions: Many Irish immigrants arrived in poverty, often settling in crowded, unsanitary tenements, which led to accusations of spreading disease and being a drain on society.
• Catholicism: As a predominantly Protestant nation, the influx of Irish Catholics was viewed with suspicion. Fears of papal influence and concerns about their loyalty to the United States were common, fueling anti-Catholic sentiment. The “Know-Nothing” Party in the 19th century had specifically targeted Irish Catholics.
• Perceived “Otherness”: Despite being European, many Irish immigrants were not initially considered “white” in the same way as Anglo-Saxons. They were often caricatured as brutish, alcoholic, and unintelligent.
• Labor Competition: Native-born workers worried that Irish immigrants would take their jobs by working for lower wages, leading to resentment and hostility.

Italian Immigrants: The early 20th century marked a large wave of Italian immigration, particularly from Southern Italy and Sicily, which exacerbated existing prejudices.

• Racial and Cultural Inferiority: Italians, especially those from the South, were often considered racially and culturally inferior and not fully “white” in the early 20th-century racial hierarchies. Their darker complexions and unfamiliar customs contributed to this perception.
• Criminality: Italian immigrants were unfairly associated with organized crime, particularly the Mafia, even though only a tiny fraction of the population was involved. This stereotype was widely perpetuated in the press.
• Catholicism: Like the Irish, Italian immigrants’ Catholic faith was a source of distrust in a largely Protestant nation.
• Unwillingness to Assimilate: Their tendency to cluster in ethnic enclaves (“Little Italies”) was often seen as a sign of their unwillingness or inability to assimilate into American society, rather than a means of support and cultural preservation.
• Labor Competition and Exploitation: Italians often took low-paying, dangerous jobs in construction, mining, and factories, which led to resentment from other working-class groups. They were also exploited by unscrupulous employers and “padroni” (labor bosses).
• Violence: Anti-Italian sentiment sometimes escalated to violence, including lynchings, such as the infamous New Orleans lynching of 1891.

Jewish Immigrants: Many Jewish immigrants in the early 20th century arrived from Eastern Europe, fleeing persecution, pogroms, and poverty.

• “Non-White” Racialization: In official U.S. immigration and naturalization law from 1898 to 1941, Jews were categorized as part of the “Hebrew race” and often considered non-white, especially those from Eastern and Southern Europe. This racialization led to widespread discrimination.
• Antisemitism: Anti-Jewish sentiment was prevalent, manifesting as stereotypes of Jews as miserly, overly competitive merchants, or as having communist sympathies.
• Economic Competition and Stereotypes: While some Jewish immigrants found opportunities in peddling and commerce, others entered industries like garment manufacturing. This sometimes fueled stereotypes about their economic practices.
• Fear of “Old World” Values: Like other immigrant groups, Jews were scrutinized for their “foreign characteristics” and encouraged to abandon their “Old World” values to fit into American society.
• Discrimination: Jews faced discrimination in employment, housing, education, and social acceptance, with “no Jews allowed” notices common in many establishments.
• Internal Divisions: Even within the Jewish community, there were tensions between earlier, more established German Jewish immigrants and the newer, often more Orthodox, Eastern European arrivals. Some established Jewish Americans worried that the influx of new immigrants would increase antisemitism.

Overall, a common thread was the fear that these immigrant groups, with their distinct cultures, languages, and religions, would undermine “traditional American values” and compete for jobs, leading to widespread nativism and calls for restrictive immigration policies (which eventually materialized in the 1920s with quota acts).