Immigration

by

Encyclopaedia Britannica Films, Inc.

Shotlist

Map-Chart technique surveys chronologically and compactly the history of immigration up to the restrictive law of 1924. Economic, political and religious motives of immigrants shown in scene in steamship office abroad. Scene at Ellis Island.


Ken Smith sez: A very dry film with very little to say about immigrants who aren't European. This film depicts city tenements as healthy enclaves of ethnicity, and spends a lot of time showing arrows pointing from other parts of the world toward the U.S. The narrator asks "Could these people of many nations become a part of the American way of life?" which is kind of revealing, when you think about it.
22:54:27
Pedestrians on city street
22:54:35
Crowd in bleachers at sporting event
22:54:43
Map of Europe and North America with moving graphics showing immigration from various countries.
22:57:08
Steamship agent's office in European port circa 1900. Eastern European immigrants stand at counter (reenactment)
22:57:27
Poor European peasants working in a field
22:57:54
Man being searched by police wearing German World War I style uniforms and helmets.
22:58:20
Jewish family carrying menorahs is evicted from home by police
22:58:27
Policeman kicks over menorahs.
22:58:54
Steamship poster on office wall
22:59:07
LS Ellis Island
22:59:08
Immigrants passing through Ellis Island immigration procedures (reenactment)
22:59:25
Doctor examines immigrant woman with stethoscope
23:00:44
Factory smokestacks
23:00:49
Tenement buildings with wash hanging out on clotheslines. Slums. Children on streets. Street vendors in ghettos. (Scenes of crowded Lower East Side, New York City)
23:10:06
Shop signs in various languages: Italian, Chinese, Hebrew, Hungarian, Russian, Spanish
23:01:20
People buy from fruit vendor
23:01:25
Elderly Jewish man sits on stoop reading newspaper
23:01:24
Woman on street with baby carriage. Man and children are on sidewalk.
23:01:32
People coming out of large church
23:01:38
Display of VS foreign language newspapers on newsstand
23:01:54
Trade union meeting. Adults at school desks raise hands to vote
23:03:10
People leaving work
23:03:17
Man playing violin
23:03:25
Montage of VS individual people at work
23:03:29
Children entering school building
23:03:31
2 school children point to map or chart on schoolroom blackboard
23:03:39
High school classroom with students raising hands and teacher
23:03:47
Adult education class
23:03:57
"United States Department of Justice Immigration - Naturalization Service" sign on doorway of building. People enter and leave.
23:04:05
People take citizenship oaths before judge. Shot of courtroom. Everyone rises to his feet.
23:04:19
People raising their hands
23:04:20
Pan up Statue of Liberty. Film ends before shot finishes.
THE END

Describes immigration to America. Focuses on European migrations; [mixture of recreated footage and actual]. Describes immigrants reasons for coming to America: political freedom, economic opportunity and religious freedom. Shows German soldiers harassing and arresting man; Russian soldiers kick over two menorahs;

Ellis Island; immigration officials; immigrants being examined by doctors; immigrant with sad look on his face.
plowing; churches; factories; tenements with laundry hanging;
steamship office with immigrants seeking passage. Eastern European peasants working land. store signs: Italian; Chinese; Hebrew; Eastern European, Spanish; on the Lower East Side; sweat shop sign. Jewish immigrants on the Lower East Side; slums; pushcarts; a variety of ethnic newspapers on a newsstands; union hall. 1924 Congress passes legislation restricting immigration. people leaving work; very good montage of people at work; Department of Justice, Immigration and Naturalization Service building

film includes African-Americans in many shots

Naturalization process

Lots of animation using world maps of the paths of immigration over the years.
IMMIGRANTS IMMIGRATION ELLIS ISLAND MAPS CHARTS MAPS CHARTS AMERICAN HISTORY LAWS CITIZENSHIP POLITICAL RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION REFUGEES STEAMSHIPS UNITED STATES
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