The Americanization Movement

New immigrants faced not only the threat of poverty and poor living conditions, but also persecution from native-born Americans. This 1888 cartoon shows how US workers felt business leaders favored cheap immigrant labor.

Many immigrants initially lived among those with similar national or ethnic backgrounds. Over time, immigrants adjusted to US society. Many began speaking English and adopted US customs. To quicken this process, the US government developed the “Americanization movement,” which offered training to help immigrants adapt to American life. This program also encouraged immigrants to attend school to learn English and become familiar with US history and government.  

The Americanization movement had many effects. For starters, many immigrants did pick up US customs faster. But some immigrants didn’t like feeling forced to change their traditions. Those who resisted US culture often promoted their own traditions. For example, Catholic immigrants feared that US public schools emphasized Protestant teachings. So Catholic immigrants often created schools that promoted a Catholic education for their children.