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2016 Midterm2 (assignment) Index to Sample Student Midterm2 Answers Part 3. Research Report Starts |
LITR 4340
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Katie
Morin
11/4/2016
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 options.
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.
I find it interesting that such a significant amount of Jewish immigrants
first resided in America before spreading across the country. 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/.
