AnthonyMazzeo

Humanities
CutlerEdwards

RussianTravelers
ImmigrationhappensallovertheworldandalotofemigrantslookattheU.S.tosettle
downin.WewillfocusontheRussianimmigrantsandthemcomingtoAmerica.Russian
immigrantssoughtouttotheU.S.forvariousreasonssuchaspoliticalandreligiousfreedom,
bettereconomyandenvironment,safety,protection,andopportunity.Russianswillface
diseases,discrimination,andwar.Diseasefromcholerain1800,discriminationagainstRussian
Jewsin1881,RussianCivilWar19181922.AlltheseeventsforcedRussianImmigrantsto
leaveandseeknewplacesforsettlement.
OneofthecausesforRussianimmigrationwasduetotheCholeraoutbreakinthe1800s.
Choleraisaninfectious 1andoftenfatalbacterialdiseaseofthesmallintestine.In18301831
riotsignitedduringthecholeraoutbreakduetotheanticholerameasures,undertakenbythe
Russiangovernment.Thesemeasuresincludedquarantineandcordonsofarmedguards.The
problemofpoorsanitationwasnotaddressedandthedevastatingcholeraoutbreakof1848
claimed3millionlivesinjustoneyear.2 3 Theepidemicscontinuedintothecenturyandsparked
anotherRussianCholeraRiotin1909,whichwasaggressivelysuppressedbytheRussian
government.

"RussianImmigrationtoAmerica:Historyforkids***."2014.16Oct.2015
<
http://www.emmigration.info/russianimmigrationtoamerica.htm
>
2
"USImmigration:Facts,HistoryandStatsforKids***."2008.6Nov.2015<
http://www.emmigration.info/
>
3
"RussianImmigrationtoAmerica:Historyforkids***."2014.16Oct.2015
<
http://www.emmigration.info/russianimmigrationtoamerica.htm
>

AmainpullfactorforthecitizensaffectedbytheCholeraRiotswerethatAmerica
providedsanitationandreallycleanenvironmentsinwhichtheimmigrantscouldsettledownand
makeanewlife.TheyalsofeltthatAmericawassaferandthattheyhadlessriskofdyingfrom
disease.AmericaprovidedtheRussianswhattheyneededduringthattimewhichwasfreshfood
andwaterthatwouldnotbecontaminatedwithCholera.
ApushfactorforRussianImmigrationwasviolentriotsagainstRussianJewseven
encouragedbytheRussiangovernmentitself.TheseriotsallstartedwithT
zarAlexanderIIwho
establishedareformwhichwasdirectedtowardsRussianJews4.Thispreventedthemfrom
owningland,whichforcedmostofthemtoliveinurbanareassuchastownsorvillagescalled
shtetls.5Theyalsohadahardtimeworkingandfindingjobs,mostJewishRussiansworkedin
manufacturingorcrafts.TzarAlexanderIIsreigncametoanabruptendwhenhewas
assassinatedin18816.RumorswerespreadthatthemurderwasaconspiracyledbytheJews.7
WhenAntiSemiticriotsbrokeoutinRussia,Jewswereattackedandtheirpropertywas
destroyed.ManyJewsdiedinthePogromswhichwereviolentriotsaimedatthepersecution
andmassacreofJewsinRussia.8 TheRussianimmigrationofJewsincreasedwiththesebrutal
andviolenteventsandcoincidedwiththeindustrializationofRussianJewsgoingtoAmerica.

"JewishMigrationtoAmericaUSImmigration."2015.13Nov.2015
<
http://www.emmigration.info/jewishimmigrationtoamerica.htm
>
5
"JewishMigrationtoAmericaUSImmigration."2015.13Nov.2015
<
http://www.emmigration.info/jewishimmigrationtoamerica.htm
>
6
"JewishMigrationtoAmericaUSImmigration."2015.13Nov.2015
<
http://www.emmigration.info/jewishimmigrationtoamerica.htm
>
7
"RussianImmigrationtoAmerica:Historyforkids***."2014.16Oct.2015
<
http://www.emmigration.info/russianimmigrationtoamerica.htm
>
8
"Polish/RussianAPeopleatRiskImmigration..."2009.13Nov.2015
<
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigration/polis
h5.html
>

ApullfactorforRussianJewswereleaningtowardstoAmericatoimmigratetobecause
ofallthestoriestheyhavebeenhearingaboutfreedom.9 WW1beganandathirdofRussian
Jewshademigrated.Womenwouldsellbeds,chairs,kitchentablestoraisemoneyforapassage
toAmerica.TheycametoAmericabyseaandsettledinplaceslikeBoston,PhillyandNew
York.10TheyJewsplannedtostaytherepermanentlyinthelandoffreedomandopportunity.
AmericawasaplacefortheJewstoescapetobecauseoftheAmericadidnotdiscriminate
againsttheJewishreligion.TheyprovidedanewlifeandanewstartfortheRussianJews.
TheRussianCivilWarwasoneofthebiggestandmostdramatictimesthatpushed
RussianstoimmigratetoAmerica.TheCivilWarstartedin1918endingin1922.11 Itis
estimatedthattheformerSovietUnionlostsome1.5millioncombatants,andaround8million
civiliansdiedfollowingarmedattacks,famineanddisease.Thiswarwillbeakeytimeand
momentinseeingRussianimmigrationfleeingtotheU.S..
Theaftermathsofthisfouryearwarwascatastrophic,familiestornapart,homeslostand
thepeopledidnotknowwhatelsetodobutlookforanewsafeplacetosettledown.12In1917
therussiangovernmentwasoverthrownbyasocialistgroupknownastheBolsheviks.Russia's
civilwarwasagainsttheBolsheviks(socialist)andtheRussiangovernmenttheloyalists.After
thewarwasovermostloyalistswerethrowninjailorbebanishedfromRussia.Loyalistswere
acceptedintoU.S.becausethebothhatedcommunist.RussianschosetogototheU.S.because

"RussianImmigrationtoAmerica:Historyforkids***."2014.13Nov.2015
<
http://www.emmigration.info/russianimmigrationtoamerica.htm
>
10
"RussianImmigrationtoAmerica:Historyforkids***."2014.13Nov.2015
<
http://www.emmigration.info/russianimmigrationtoamerica.htm
>
11
"WorldWarIcasualtiesWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia."2011.22Oct.2015
<
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I_casualties
>
12
"Polish/RussianSovietExilesImmigration...Classroom..."2009.23Oct.2015
<
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigration/polis
h3.html
>

oftheirpoliticalfreedom.About30,000RussiansimmigratedandfledtoAmerica.America
acceptedRussiansbutweresosuspiciousandwasworriedthatRussianimmigrantsweregoing
totryconvincepeopleandturnthemintoacommunistcountry13 .ThiswascalledtheRED
SCARE.TheRedScareistheU.S.governmenttellingAmericansthattheRussianscouldn'tbe
trustedandweredangerousmakingamericansafraidofRussianemigrants14.TheRussian
emigrantsweren'tphasedbythisbecausetheywerehappytobeinAmericaandtoescapeallthe
horrorofRussia.
AllofthesepushfactorsledRussianemigrantstotheU.S.Theywereallpushedawayfor
differentthings:war,discrimination,disease.Manydifferentthingsbuttheywereallpulledto
America.ThemainpeoplethatwenttotheU.S.wereRussianJewsbecauseofreligionand
politics.Americaprovidedfreedomandabettergovernmentandthat'sexactlywhatthe
emigrantswanted.Americaisamainplacewhereallimmigrantsseekouttosettleeventoday
refugeesfromSyriaarecominghereforprotectionagainsttheterroristgroupcalledI.S.I.S..The
refugeesarealsocominghereforreligionandpolitics.SinceitworkedfortheRussiansdont
youthinkweshouldbemoreopenmindedtomoreimmigrantgroupscomingtoAmerica?

13

"Polish/RussianRussianBeginningsImmigration..."2009.23Oct.2015
<
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigration/polis
h2.html
>
14
"RedScareWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia."2011.13Nov.2015
<
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Scare
>