Immigration to New York City
- Throughout history, New York City has been a point of entry for immigrants.
- Immigrants tend to form ethnic enclaves with those who speak the same language and have the same cultures.
- They were developed due to:
- Comfort
- Discrimination
- Many of the early immigrants lived in tenements (room or set of rooms which form separate units)
Jews
- Jews began immigrating to New York in the 17th century.
- Large waives started to come in the 1880’s due to anti-Semitism.
- They lived in tenements in the Lower East Side of Manhattan
- New York has the largest Jewish population outside of Israel.
Italians
- Italians immigrated in large waves between 1820-1978.
- In total there have been around 5.3 million.
- Italians moved to the Little Italy section of Manhattan as well as sections of Brooklyn & the Bronx.
Irish
- Irish immigrants began to immigrate during the 19th century during the Potato Famine.
- Large communities began to form in the Bronx , Queens and Brooklyn
Puerto Ricans
- Largest wave of Puerto Rican immigration is referred to as “the Great Migration”
- This wave occurred in the 1950’s.
- Many Puerto Ricans settled in neighborhoods in the Lower East side & the Bronx.
Song from the movie West Side Story depicting the Puerto Rican experience as new immigrants in New York City.
To get a downloadable version (click here)