Race, Immigrants, Lynching, and Prejudice

The Nativists

“Though the Irish had once been the main targets of American nativists, the story of American nativism is one in which the old immigrants, once objects of hatred, easily become the persecutors of the new.” (Serwer)

Between 1886 and 1916, there were 39 Sicilians lynched across the United States. In 1896, three Italians lynched in Hahnville, Louisiana, over two separate murders, but documents say they may have been innocent. Three years later, in Tallulah, Louisiana, five more Italians were lynched. In almost all instances, they were in close economic competition with other, established whites. In 1891, eleven Sicilian men lynched after a jury found them not guilty for the murder of New Orleans Police Chief. For more details click here.

The US had 4730 lynchings, 70 percent black, 30 percent other that consisted of Italians, Chinese, Mexicans, Jews, and Native Americans.

Two Italians lynched in Tampa, Florida.UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

From an Italian song sheet (Courtesy of Dr. Cynthia Savaglio, Assistant Professor of Radio & TV at Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY.)

Public Domain

A cartoon in Life Magazine, 1911:

From the collection of Italian American Museum of Los Angeles

Ku Klux Klan Anti-Catholic-Anti Italian Cartoon, From the collection of Italian American Museum of Los Angeles

In 1924, the Immigration Act passed to restrict immigration, mainly Chinese and Italians, to preserve racial homogeneity.