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Sample Student final exam answers 2016 (2016 final exam assignment) Part 3: Model Research Reports |
LITR 4340
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Katie
Morin
12/4/2016
The Galveston Movement: An Analysis of the Jewish Immigration to Texas
Jews, often described as being the initial “model minority,” are
responsible for many contributions to American society, and have subsequently
influenced the culture of the nation we reside in today. As a descendant of
Jewish Americans, I find this topic interesting because it allows me an
opportunity to research my family’s heritage, while also building upon the
material we have covered in class. Due to the fact that Jewish immigration to
America occurred in multiple waves and is such a broad topic in general, I have
decided to restrict my research to information pertaining to the Jewish
migration as influenced by the Galveston Movement. Personally, I had not heard
of the Galveston Movement before taking this course, and I also find it
interesting that no one in my family had previous knowledge of it either. I did
not realize that a significant portion of the Jewish immigration to America
began so close to home, and through my research I hope to better my
understanding of the trials, tribulations, and motivations experienced by not
only first generation Jewish Americans as a whole, but more specifically, those
whose “American Dreams” began in Texas.
As a Texan of Jewish descent, I was perhaps most surprised by how little
I knew of the Galveston Movement. Even more surprising, though, is how little is
known about the Movement in general. According to Judith Fein’s article, “The
Galveston Movement: When Jews left Russia and Landed in Texas,” not even the
interviewed residents of Galveston had any knowledge of the Movement, making it
seem like a forgotten piece of history. However, after managing to contact a
librarian familiar with the Galveston Movement, Fein learned “that 10,000 Jews
arrived between 1907 and 1914 as part of the Galveston Movement. They settled in
every state in the West, and it was the only substantial example of organized
Jewish immigration to the US.” Of the 10,000 Jewish American immigrants, Fein
states that only 300 remained in Galveston, while the majority relocated to
other states in order to pursue more promising job opportunities.
According
to the article, “Diaspora: Catching up with the Galveston Movement,” Batsheva
Pomerantz writes that, “Between 1881 and 1923, about two million Jews
headed for America from Russia and Eastern Europe due to pogroms and harsh
economic conditions.” Those who arrived at Galveston were treated kindly, given
railroad tickets, a meal, and “enough food to last for their journey to a town
that needed their skills.” After traveling to their intended destination, few
returned to Galveston.
Galveston,
itself, seems to be an unlikely location for immigrants to arrive at, especially
when considering larger port cities, like New York, for instance. However,
Galveston became a prime location for Jewish immigration because of its small
size and its distance from more populated areas of the United States. In his
article, “The Galveston Movement,” Bill Izard writes that because “Galveston was
small enough that it would merely be a stopping off point for the newcomers,” it
would better encourage immigrants to disperse across the country. New York had
already welcomed a significant amount of Jewish immigrants, so people grew
fearful of anti-Semitism caused by the overpopulation of New York by newly
immigrated Jews. Galveston was also an appealing port because many believed that
the incoming Jews would not be too tempted to reside there permanently and would
instead try to find different areas of work outside of the city. Due to the fact
that so few Jews remained in Galveston, this turned out to be an accurate
assumption.
The voyage
to Galveston was not a pleasant one, and safety and comfort of the ships’
passengers was a recurring concern. According to Jacob Schiff’s 1914 account of
The Movement, “only one line of transportation from Europe to Galveston was
available–the North German Lloyd steamers from Bremen,” which gave immigrating
Jews little room to find alternative means of transportation. He writes that the
journey took 23 days, and that many of the passengers complained of discomfort,
as they had to spend their voyage in the steerage quarters. According to
Pomerantz’s article, many were motivated to endure the journey because they
desired employment so badly. However, many were not able to obtain jobs once
arriving from their grueling journey, causing a great deal of disappointment
among the new immigrants.
Another
major setback to the Galveston Movement was the government. Immigration
officials were far stricter in Galveston than in other port cities, namely Ellis
Island, making it difficult for incoming Jews to stay in America (Pomerantz).
Pomerantz goes on to write that officials identified “health problems,
especially cases of hernia, at 10 times the rate found in New York.” Jews who
came through the Galveston port were far more likely to be deported than those
arriving at more popular port cities, which I found to be surprising. Over time,
organizers decided that the Galveston Movement, intended to be only a temporary
project, had run its course after receiving 100 loads of Jewish immigrants.
I find it
interesting that such a significant amount of Jewish immigrants first resided in
Texas before spreading across the country. Although it was a short-lived project
and only approximately 10,000 Jews made their way to America via the Galveston
port, it is still a significant piece of history because of the sheer amount of
American-born Jewish people who descended from those 10,000 individuals –not to
mention the great impact and improvement of life quality it had for the original
10,000. Much like Fein states, it is likely that many would not expect
Galveston, Texas to be the starting point of thousands of Jewish Americans’
narratives.
Works
Cited
Fein,
Judith. “The Galveston Movement: When Jews Left Russia and Landed in Texas.” The
Jerusalem Post, The Jerusalem Post, 6 Sept. 2015,
www.jpost.com/magazine/the-galveston-movement-411990.
Izard, Bill. “The Galveston Movement.” Porter Briggs,
www.porterbriggs.com/the-galveston-movement/.
Pomerantz, Batsheva. “Diaspora: Catching up with the Galveston Movement.” The
Jerusalem Post, The Jerusalem Post, 23 Aug. 2007,
www.jpost.com/Jewish-World/Jewish-Features/Diaspora-Catching-up-with-the-Galveston-Movement.
Schiff, Jacob. “The Galveston Movement.” My Jewish Learning, My Jewish
Learning, www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-galveston-movement/.
