Immigration Research

Research personal questions:
- Pack mind/human behavior roles?
- How would human behavior play a role?
- Could grouping be safer for both sides?
- Perhaps ideas of defense?
- Could it create a bigger target or shrink ideas to mess with the group?
- Could grouping have been forced?
- Birds of a feather?
- Could comfort or fear play a factor?
- Could it have been a way to bring and keep home alive in a new place that is not home?

After Refocusing:
- What is the "other"?
- How could immigrants be seen as the "other"?
- Could the idea of the "other" be projected because of jealousy?
- How is the immigration process played out?
- What are the different reasons/types of immigration?
- Could there be different groups of immigrants projecting the idea onto other and different immigrants? (Spanish projecting onto Italian, Irish onto Russian, onto U.S.)
- Why come into the U.S.?

'Birds of a feather flock together' - William Turner

"What is the idea of an 'Other'? How was this idea projected onto immigrants coming into the U.S.?" 

Before the topic essay:

Beginning the research my initial question brought me to begin questioning the much more psychological side of things, to which my interest was drawn heavily. I originally thought of the advantages to be along the lines of support, comfort, and protection a group offered. I originally thought that the question is one relating back to human behavior and psychology... As referenced by Robert Wilson in his blog "Pack Mentality", humans, whether it is known or not, are intelligent animals of a pack mentality. It's because of this sort of instinct to remain close to others like you that many of the immigrants began to group together, finding safety and comfort in remaining around others like them. Even more so when coming to a new, potentially dangerous, place. It would be as if the immigrants were acting like a defense force or shield. For these people, they were coming into a country completely new to them, it is reasonable to be scared, terrified even. Basic human nature would have them cling onto what did remain familiar... or to people who knew the exact struggles they had gone through themselves. In grouping together they could support one another and help each other adjust and learn the new lives they were to begin living. All of which helps define reasons for why they would stick together.

Now, once refocusing my research process, I was able to realize I would need to find out exactly what the "other" is, and how might Americans have projected this idea of an “Other” onto Immigrants coming in. (I went through a long trial to even discover the process and honestly have to say, the process seems long and very trying for a person, with some ways for it to be made easier: blood kin already American citizen and such). All these factors served to allow me to begin learning the different ideas that served to explain how the idea of the other was projected onto Immigrants.

First, it's important to understand exactly what the idea of the "Other", which as quoted by Academic Brooklyn is defined as "Perceived as lacking essential characteristics possessed by the group, the Other is almost always seen as a lesser or inferior being and is treated accordingly. The “Other” in a society may have few or no legal rights, may be characterized as less intelligent or as immoral, and may even be regarded as sub-human." Giving it a negative and outcast sort of feel, and explaining how any stranger can so easily become the “Other”.

Doubtless to say, in terms of Immigrants, Americans would see them as untrustworthy invaders who were nothing like themselves. If the Immigrants weren't like them, then they were thrown into the only other role left: Outsider, Other, Enemy... "They were seen by some Americans as being so alien in religion, culture, education, politics, and law, that they could never be assimilated." Which in some ways is understandable, people coming in were likely very different, and for Americans who only knew each other... They viewed new people coming in as completely alien and cast them out of their ranks because they didn't know how to deal with them, or even possibly know how to better understand them…

Americans have a hard enough time when dealing with one another, but with culture, upbringing, and looks all being similar to themselves it makes interaction much easier. It would bring Americans to think of it as one society when immigrants began to come in things became much harder. They spoke different, looked different, had a different religion, even different food... All of this made Americans reluctant to socialize or even accept immigrants into their ranks, instead, Americans began blaming their problems on these new invaders, these strange infiltrators, these "Others".

     It was from my research, both initial and after refocusing on the main point, that I was able to better understand what reasons and mindsets would have set the standard thinking and projection onto immigrants, but also to get an understanding of how the Immigrants themselves must have felt under the pressure.

Despite thoughts of grouping and separation, in the end, it is all the same in one place whether born or coming to it. We're all just humans.

Sources before refocusing:

1.) In attempting to find evidence of where immigration grouping occurred, "Why Immigrant Workers Cluster In Particular Industries" by Michael in Forbes was very helpful in providing information.

2.) While searching I decided to delve into the thoughts of human behavior, since I thought "Pack Mentality" from a blog in psychology today would be helpful.

Extra.) I thought this was a relatable and rather fitting poem, kind of nice to read.

3.) Ikeda Center helped to give different views and ideas of human community, the bog as a posting of several writers and researcher's ideas.

4.) Science direct, "Links between local language competence and peer relations among Swiss and immigrant children: The mediating role of social behavior" helped me to start looking into an experiment that showed the social behavior of Immigrants (ABSTRACT).

5.) Britannica was helpful to get a quick refresher on the definition of Immigration (2 Abstracts used here).













Sources after refocusing:

1.) The Other by an academic Brooklyn education source helped me to understand the definition of what the "other" is.

2.) The Gramblinite, why do immigrants come to the united states ran over issues and some of the huge reasons for immigrants to immigrate.

3.) A brief history of America’s hostility to a previous generation of Mediterranean migrants gave specific examples of the kind of struggles some Italian immigrants faced coming to America.

4.) American Immigration Council explained how the American Immigration process works and the different types of immigration.