Perspectives on Jewish and Perto Rician immigrats, History


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Perspectives on Jewish and Perto Rician immigrats

Perspectives on Jewish and Perto Rician immigrats Although a number of ethnic groups migrated to the United States, their socio-cultural development took an uneven course with certain ethnic groups achieving more success than others. What was it that made one immigrant group succeed, while another never could? Was it only hard work that determined success for immigrant groups that migrated to the United States during the 19th and early 20th centuries, or were there other factors involved? The Jewish and Puerto Ricans were two of among many immigrant groups who migrated to the United States during the 19th and 20th centuries. Both groups perceived the United States as their path to prosperity. However, the fate of these two immigrant groups took a different course with Jews being more successful in life than the Puerto Ricans. While success of one ethnic group over another may have to do with intrinsic ethnic characteristics, there are many significant external factors that shape their outcome. A comparative discussion of the Jewish and Puerto Rican ethnic groups makes it clear how intrinsic and extrinsic factors profoundly impact the actual course of ethnic development. When Jewish people arrived to the United States, they were escaping the severe oppression, poverty, and harsh violence that existed in Europe. Not all Jews lived a prosperous life as individuals, and even when they did their prosperous life was crippled by discrimination. This discrimination dates back as early as the Crusades in the Middle Ages (5th Century to 15th Century). Business restrictions placed on Jews forced Jewish families to live in conditions with no food and no shelter, although this was not their usual situation. During the 19th century, the persecution of Jews grew into a series of organized massacres known as “pogroms” that began in 1881 in eastern Europe and continued throughout the unsuccessful 1905 revolution in Russia and Nazi Holocaust in World War II. The Jews could not tolerate any more of this oppression and immigrated to the United States in large numbers. They saw the freedom that they had been searching for and perceived the United States as their gateway to success. Once Jews arrived to the United States, they still faced tremendous discrimination, but nowhere near the magnitude that they faced in Europe. An upsurge of anti-Jewish feeling that was part of a general wave of resentment from other minority groups, including Roman Catholics and African Americans, swept the United States between World War I and World War II. Anti-Semitism sentiments increased, resulting in discrimination against Jews in employment, access to residential and resort areas, and in tightened quotas on Jewish enrollment and teaching positions in colleges and universities. Between 1921 and 1924, immigration legislation was enacted and it was interpreted by Jews as being Anti-Semitic in intent. This was because it severely limited immigration quotas of Eastern European nations with large Jewish populations. In his book “The Ethnic Myth,” author Stephen Steinberg describes how many ethnic groups faced prejudice, oppression and discrimination. At the same time, however, these ethnic groups never lost faith in the dream that compelled them to immigrate to the United States (Steinberg, 1989, p. 86). Jewish people were no exception. Steinberg presents an extensive illustration of Jews when they first set foot in the United States. He cites Jews as the model for all ethnic groups looking to escape the political turmoil and economic hardship from their homeland and finding better opportunities in the United States. The Jews adopted the values of middle-class American life and merited hard work and a high regard for education as a means to get ahead. Although Jews possessed the right cultural values and beliefs to succeed as immigrants, they did not start out successful. Like most immigrants who came to the United States in the early part of the 20th century, Jewish people had trouble finding work. Even when Jews did find work, the types of jobs that they found were in the clothing and garment industry. Jews earned very little pay, with Jewish males earning more than their female counterparts. In “The Ethnic Myth,” Steinberg cites a few “myths” as to how Jews went from being garment workers and peddlers, from being impoverished to becoming successful. Steinberg believes that these myths are correct; however, Steinberg also believes that there are other factors that contributed to Jewish success. Jewish immigrants had industrial experience and skills from their countries of origin, despite that they came from poverty. This experience occupied a need in America’s expanding industrial economy. The percentage of skilled workers who were Jewish between 1899 and 1910 far surpassed other immigrant groups (Steinberg, 1989, p. 98). In addition, the skills that Jewish people acquired were exactly what were needed at that time in the American economy. During the period when the majority of Jewish people were immigrating, the garment industry was growing at a rate two to three times greater than average for all other industries. Jewish people also had a higher literacy rate than other immigrant groups. Literacy was an essential part of their religious practices and occurred within their religious framework (Steinberg, 1989, p. 101), since intellectual achievement was their goal. This helped them in many ways, since literacy is a valuable asset for an immigrant in a foreign country. Literacy makes it easier to acquire a new language, and according to Steinberg, historical data showed that Jewish immigrants learned to speak English faster than any other ethnic group, except Swedes and Norwegians (Steinberg, 1989, pp. 98 — 102). In addition, literacy also helped Jewish people to enter business and better paying occupations that required the ability to read and write. Finally, the high rate of literacy among Jewish immigrants helped foster a head start for their education. Other historians also agree with Steinberg’s discussion of how Jews achieved great success. In “Origins and Destinies,” a chapter titled “Mobility and Continuity among Eastern European Jews” by authors Steven J. Gold and Bruce Phillips, further extends this discussion to the type of lifestyle that Jews lived in their homeland. Jewish migrants were more skilled and familiar with urban life. They also wanted to permanently escape from their homeland with no intention of returning. In addition, because of their high regard for education, Jews gained easier access to employment and self-employment. Jews also immigrated with their families, as opposed to other immigrant groups, and the children who accompanied them gave Jewish immigrants a head start for success over other immigrant groups (Pedraza and Rumbaut, 1996, pp. 184 — 185). The experiences that Puerto Ricans encountered when they arrived in the United States were far drastically different than that of the Jews. From a historical perspective, Puerto Ricans did not suffer the same types of discrimination or persecution that Jews went through. Rather, they suffered exploitation because their island had been a colony under Spain. In “Origins and Destinies,” a chapter titled “Migration, Community, and Culture: The United States-Puerto Rican Experience” by authors Héctor A. Carrasquillo and Virginia Sanchez-Korrol, cites the economic poverty on the island as distorted by colonialism from Spain (Carrasquillo and Sanchez-Korrol, 1996, p. 99). Agriculture comprised the primary root of Puerto Rico’s economy. Puerto Ricans worked in farmlands and plantations, producing sugar, coffee, and tobacco for export. However, the Spanish reaped the profits of those goods, and Puerto Ricans did not benefit because the Spanish took the profits back to their country, leaving Puerto Ricans with nothing. Although Puerto Rico had once been a large exporter, Puerto Rico was now forced to import necessary items from outside countries such as Mexico and Peru. During the period where the United States acquired the country from Spanish rule, the country experienced tremendous economical growth with a large wave of immigration into the country from Africa between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. After World War II, however, Puerto Rico’s agriculture-based economy quickly disappeared and transformed itself into one based on industrial production. Factories began replacing plantations under an economic arrangement that anticipated many aspects of the U.S.-Mexico Maquiladora program. Favorable tax laws encouraged the establishment of new industries in the electronics and pharmaceutical fields. Poverty was a problem on the island. This was not because the island lacked the necessary resources to be self-sufficient, but because the island did not have a strong workforce. Puerto Rico’s economic structure could not support their people (Carrasquillo and Sanchez-Korrol, 1996, p. 101), and because of this Puerto Ricans found themselves deserting from the industrial and poverty-ridden circumstances in their homeland to metropolitan cities in the mainland United States, mainly New York City. Puerto Ricans brought a tremendous amount of culture and heritage from their homeland when they arrived to the United States. Puerto Ricans began creating their own communities, or barrios, consisting of urban centers, small businesses and other formal and informal centers so that Puerto Ricans would not lose touch from where they came from. However, beneath their culture and heritage lied the problems that Puerto Ricans faced when they arrived to the United States. According to Carrasquillo and Sanchez-Korrol (1996, p. 105), Puerto Ricans found it difficult to enter the work world, for a cloud of social situations much different than those from Puerto Rico overshadowed it. Resources that were available to them in Puerto Rico through the extended family, such as health care and housing, were not adequately available in the United States, because of bureaucratic issues that did not conform to those of Puerto Rico. Constant discrimination defaced the acceptance and hard work of Puerto Ricans, for they were severely labeled by other ethnic groups as lazy, uneducated and a menace to society. The capture of Puerto Rico by the United States gave the United States control of determining where Puerto Ricans would live and what types of jobs they would get, and it further complicated the discrimination and abuse that Puerto Ricans faced. Even though Puerto Ricans found it difficult to find the type of work they wanted, Puerto Ricans eventually did find work in labor-intensive manufacturing sectors such as apparel, electrical work, and furniture assembly. They also found work in maritime trades, laundry services, distribution, baking, meat packing, and as domestic workers. Puerto Ricans generally worked in harsh and unfavorable labor sectors, earned low wages, and treated like indentured servants. Many Puerto Rican immigrants who came to the United States were separated from their families. In successive generations, the Puerto Rican family structure that supported their cultural identity began to break down. Poverty, social indifference, and economic difficulties, combined with a lack of family support, made them increasingly dependent on government-sponsored social services. Although the intent of these social services was to temporarily help the less fortunate, it in fact created generations of families permanently dependent on them. This resulted in inhibiting many Puerto Ricans from higher education that could help them obtain high-paying jobs. Along poverty came other misfortunes such as drugs, crime, and involvement with gangs, which further inhibited the youth from seeking a good life (Carrasquillo and Sanchez-Korrol, 1996, p. 104). In their interactions with other American people, Puerto Ricans were often treated impersonally rather than as human beings with deep-rooted family values. Such an experience by many Puerto Ricans was emotionally dehumanizing. Early Puerto Rican immigrants came to the United States with deep-rooted family values and a cultural identity. However, successive generations became confused about their heritage and adopted a culture that was a mixture of American and Puerto Rican cultures. Even the language became a mixture of broken English and Spanish (“Spanglish”). Because of their history of discrimination, abuse, breakdown of family structure, values, and integrity, along with generations of poverty, lack of education, and cultural confusion, Puerto Ricans were unable to gain the rewards and success that their forefathers dreamed of. So why did Jews achieve greater success and mobility than Puerto Ricans? There are four factors that can help answer this question: 1. Jews who immigrated to the United States left behind a more prosperous life wounded by discrimination. The catalyst of their migration was social oppression instead of economic deprivation. The Jews who migrated brought with them skills, education, and intellectual wealth. On the other hand, early Puerto Ricans migrated to the United States to avoid dire poverty at home. They were mostly engaged in unskilled plantation and industrial work and were primarily driven to similar unskilled work in the United States. 2. Jews were voluntary immigrants who faced a milder form of discrimination from other American people. The discrimination they faced was of a more religious nature than racial, economic, or cultural. Puerto Ricans were involuntary immigrants who faced a discrimination that was more widespread and abusive, and they were often treated as indentured slaves. In addition, the United States’ colonial policy on Puerto Rico interfered with their free development. 3. Jews were able to maintain a cohesive family structure that safeguarded family values and cultural heritage in successive generations. This had a positive impact on newer generations on Jews who were able to educate and establish themselves in social, political, and economic domains. Puerto Ricans were not able to maintain a cohesive family structure because of their poverty and discrimination. In fact, their family structure disintegrated in successive generations. Lack of family support prevented Puerto Ricans from gaining social and economic success, and thus they became dependent on public support. While Jews were able to maintain their values and heritage, they were also able to quickly assimilate in the new society by learning English and interacting with other American people. Puerto Ricans progressively lost their cultural identity and were absorbed into a mixture of cultural values that were confusing to newer generations. They were also unable to maintain either Spanish or English as a primary mode of communication. The lack of social, cultural, and economic development of one Puerto Rican generation created a domino effect on successive generations, whereas the successes of Jews were carried and uplifted to other Jewish generations that came after them. Bibliography: Earl Shorris. Latinos: A Bibliography of the People. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1992. Myrna Katz Frommer and Harvey Frommer. Growing up Jewish in America, an Oral History. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1995. Steven J. Gold and Bruce Phillips. “Mobility and Continuity Among Eastern European Jews.” Origins and Destinies. Immigration, Race, and Ethnicity in America: pp. 182 — 194. Héctor A, Carrasquillo and Virginia Sanchez-Korrol. “Migration, Community, and Culture: The United States-Puerto Rican Experience.” Origins and Destinies. Immigration, Race, and Ethnicity in America: pp. 98 — 109. Silvia Pedraza and Rubén Rumbaut. Origins and Destinies. Immigration, Race, and Ethnicity in America. New York: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1996. Stephen Steinberg. The Ethnic Myth. Race, Ethnicity, and Class in America. Boston: Beacon Press, 1989.

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