Abstract

Mass immigration to the United States from the Russian Empire began in the last decades of the 19th century. The statistical data of both states reflect the rapid increase in the flow of departing/arriving overseas on the eve of the First World War. The shift in the composition of immigrants toward the predominance of incomers from Eastern Europe, mostly Jews, was characterized by contemporaries as a “new” immigration to America, whose specificity was determined by “cultural” isolation, traditionalism, and religious orthodoxy. The problems caused by the “new” immigration were topical and acute in both Russian and American societies. In Russia, mass economic (labour) emigration to America was largely provoked by national and religious conflicts. This issue was raised on the pages of the Russian press and in separate publications, and the discussion was initiated by departmental officials who made use of statistical data and produced recommendations for resolving the situation. In the United States, the increased influx of immigrants led to the changes in legislation and immigration policy, which meant the introduction of restrictive measures, and also led to the growing influence of the nativist movement, and the creation of the special Dillingham Commission to study all aspects related to immigration. This article analyzes the US immigration policy, in particular, the restrictionist legislation. The US intellectual elite got involved in the discussion of the “new” immigration problem and shared their vision of the problem through the press. The Russian and American historiography has not paid due attention to the New England press. Meanwhile, the New England press showed a steady interest in the problem of “new” immigration from Russia, namely, its significant Jewish component. The columnists noted the trends in the labour market, the difficulties related to the adaptation of the settlers, and their perception by the New Englanders. The wave of “new” immigration from the Russian Empire, which had marked features, influenced the socio-economic and socio-political processes in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.