The Czech people were already starting to immigrate to Chicago in 1850. the early Czech immigrants were also known as bohemians. in the next 50 years imagination of Czechs increased and the total population in Chicago was 110,000 by 1910! The Czech people bought alot of property because, they came to stay. They soon took over an area called "Czech California" and owned 80% of buildings in this area. In order to do this the Czech people would penny pinch a lot. Once they earned enough for a house, they would save even more to add onto this house. Once they had an add on, they would rent it out for more money.
They built many buildings for themselves. Like a three story building including a gym and a social halls. Two catholic schools, Pilsen Park, a brewery, and two public schools were also built. They had a tight knit communicate but still socialized outside of their own groups. Even so much that a Czech man was elceted mayor in 1930.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Greeks in Chicago
In 1880 Chicago was home to several hundred immigrants , mostly Greeks. Most Greeks lived on the North side near Clark, Kinzie, and South Water Street. By 1910 15,000 Greeks lived in the city. The newer Greeks immigrants created a community that was know as Greek Town or Delta.In the late nineteenth century, Chicago's Greek population began to grow in the are surrounded by Halsted, Harrison, and Blue Island Streets, where the campus of the University of Illinois at Chicago is now located. Greektown or also known as "The Delta" was the largest and best-known urban community of Greeks in the United States for mostly the early twentieth century.The Greek community was surrounded by Halsted, Harrison, Blue Island, and Polk Streets. A description of this community was suggested as tightly knit. But the Greeks made a big immediate impact on the city, their impact was made by taking jobs away from the Italians.Also in taking their jobs the Greeks also took the Italians housing too. Many people during this time would describe the Greeks as a very individualistic group of people.Making it hard to work with them.
Many Greeks turned to private business and especially to the fruit-peddling trade, with this happening it put them in great competition with the numerous Italians peddlers. The Greeks took that away from the Italians as well, due to their entrepreneurial spirit. Greek immigrants settled in the central city, in order to be close to their work.Greek immigrants moved quickly into mercantile activities or trade. By the late 1920s Greeks were among the restaurant owners, ice cream manufactures, florist, and fruit/vegetable merchants in Chicago initially Greek immigration to Chicago was a male phenomenon. Young men and boys came to escape extreme poverty or in the Turkish-occupied territory of Greece, to avoid being drafted in the Turkish army. The majority planned to return to their homeland with enough money to pay off family debts and provide marriage dowries for their daughters or sisters. Money, property, or material goods that a bride's family gives to the groom or his family at the time of the wedding. In many cultures the dowry not only helps cement the relationship between the bride and groom families but also serves to reinforce traditional family roles and gender roles.
Many Greeks turned to private business and especially to the fruit-peddling trade, with this happening it put them in great competition with the numerous Italians peddlers. The Greeks took that away from the Italians as well, due to their entrepreneurial spirit. Greek immigrants settled in the central city, in order to be close to their work.Greek immigrants moved quickly into mercantile activities or trade. By the late 1920s Greeks were among the restaurant owners, ice cream manufactures, florist, and fruit/vegetable merchants in Chicago initially Greek immigration to Chicago was a male phenomenon. Young men and boys came to escape extreme poverty or in the Turkish-occupied territory of Greece, to avoid being drafted in the Turkish army. The majority planned to return to their homeland with enough money to pay off family debts and provide marriage dowries for their daughters or sisters. Money, property, or material goods that a bride's family gives to the groom or his family at the time of the wedding. In many cultures the dowry not only helps cement the relationship between the bride and groom families but also serves to reinforce traditional family roles and gender roles.
Swedes and the dispersalon an ethinic enclave
A small number of Swedish pioneers had established in the city before 1880. The settlement patterns of Swedes between 1880 and 1920 differed markedly from that of other new immigrants. When Russian Jews or Poles came to Chicago in the 1880s and 1890s, they wew ethinic pioneer. Swedes who came to Chicago in the 1880s, found three established Swedish neighborhoods. The largest was Swede Town on the Near North Side thru the north branch of the Chicago River; about half of Chicago's original Swedish community resided here. Two smaller communities were located on the Near West Side and the Near South Side.
Those immigrants of the 1880s, 1890s, and 1900s benefited from the path breaking initiatives of earlier Swedish immigrants. The older Swedish immigrants fled the inner city and dispersed throughout the outlying regions of the city as the waves of new immigrants camt to Chicago. Many newer Swedish immigrant for those who came during the "new immigration" joined them and avoided the downtown slums. The early migration of Swedes to outlying areas inhibited the formation of distinct Swedish enclaves; Swedish community was Andersonville, located newa Clark Street and Foster Avenue. The dispersal of the majority of Swedish immigrants throughout the Chicago area also quickly assimilated the Swedes, since they distinguished themselves from other immigrants who were forced into older inner-city housing.
Other immigrant groups came to Chicago around 1900 as well. Though this selective survey has omitted discussion of Lithuanians, Austrians, Hungarians, and the Dutch, the theme of this chapted should be clear. Although all major American cities experienced the inlux of European immigrants, the number of immigrants coming into Chicago was especially large.
By 1900, Chicago had more Poles, Swedes, Czechs, Dutch, Danes, Norwegians, Croantians, Slovaks, Lithuanians, and Greeks than any other city in the United States. It is even more astonishing that the vast number of European newcomers to be city enabled Chicago to proclaim itself at one time or another the largest Lithuanian city in the world, the second largest Czech city in the world, and the third largest Irish, Swedish, Polish, and Jewish city in the world.
Those immigrants of the 1880s, 1890s, and 1900s benefited from the path breaking initiatives of earlier Swedish immigrants. The older Swedish immigrants fled the inner city and dispersed throughout the outlying regions of the city as the waves of new immigrants camt to Chicago. Many newer Swedish immigrant for those who came during the "new immigration" joined them and avoided the downtown slums. The early migration of Swedes to outlying areas inhibited the formation of distinct Swedish enclaves; Swedish community was Andersonville, located newa Clark Street and Foster Avenue. The dispersal of the majority of Swedish immigrants throughout the Chicago area also quickly assimilated the Swedes, since they distinguished themselves from other immigrants who were forced into older inner-city housing.
Other immigrant groups came to Chicago around 1900 as well. Though this selective survey has omitted discussion of Lithuanians, Austrians, Hungarians, and the Dutch, the theme of this chapted should be clear. Although all major American cities experienced the inlux of European immigrants, the number of immigrants coming into Chicago was especially large.
By 1900, Chicago had more Poles, Swedes, Czechs, Dutch, Danes, Norwegians, Croantians, Slovaks, Lithuanians, and Greeks than any other city in the United States. It is even more astonishing that the vast number of European newcomers to be city enabled Chicago to proclaim itself at one time or another the largest Lithuanian city in the world, the second largest Czech city in the world, and the third largest Irish, Swedish, Polish, and Jewish city in the world.
Eastern European Jews in Chicago
In the times of 1880 and before it would of been hard to find Jewish people in Chicago because, there were less than 11,000 in the city. However the small the population was in 1880, by the year 1930 the population of Jewish people in Chicago would rise to 275,000! To put that in perspective, the jump in Jewish population put Chicago as the third largest Jewish population city. (With New York and Warsaw, Poland being the top two.) Many of the recent Jewish immigrants came from eastern Europe and were very much different from the highly mixed German Jews before them. The eastern European countries that these immigrants hailed from include but not limited too; Russia, Poland, and Parts of Austria-Hungry.
When it came to housing you could find that many of the Jewish immigrants took over areas once populated by Germans, Czechs, and the Irish. They lived among Canal Street, Damen Avenue, Polk Street, and most importantly, Maxwell street. Many people would have push carts and would sell a wide range of items including; cheese, onions, apples, fruits, shoes, handmade crafts, mismatched shoes, and whatever the immigrants could find. These peddlers were often sell whatever they could find. Even if that meant selling such wares as second hand parts or junk. Only established Jewish immigrants could open a stand on Maxwell street. Other things Jewish immigrants did to make money was selling things door to door. They would have to deal with immigrants of other nationalities and that would speak different lanuges. Usually, however, in one generation the Jewish peddlers and salesmen would soon find a better fortune.
Even though there were Jewish immigrant one group of Jewish people, the German Jews experienced a large amount of trouble dealing with the new Jewish immigrants. They felt embarrassed by how the new eastern European Jews dressed and acted. The eastern Jews would would have long beards and long black coats. the woman would wear wigs or scarves over their heads and black pheasant dresses. The establsihed German Jews modified their fate in order to assimilate. They would often not remain kosher. The eastern Jew however embraced ever aspect of their fate, they would even send their kids to Jewish schools. The Germans Jews were often promante business men by this time and had money to spare. they would often use this money to help set up institutions to help assimilate the eastern Jews. They helped set up the Chicago Hebrew institute. This was sort of a YMCA for the Jewish. Jews could come in, meet, and relax. However, soon railroads and factories started taking over the Jewish neighborhoods. The Jews were able to afford better housing and soon moved away. Many African-American families moved to that area after world war one and it is still a African American place today.
When it came to housing you could find that many of the Jewish immigrants took over areas once populated by Germans, Czechs, and the Irish. They lived among Canal Street, Damen Avenue, Polk Street, and most importantly, Maxwell street. Many people would have push carts and would sell a wide range of items including; cheese, onions, apples, fruits, shoes, handmade crafts, mismatched shoes, and whatever the immigrants could find. These peddlers were often sell whatever they could find. Even if that meant selling such wares as second hand parts or junk. Only established Jewish immigrants could open a stand on Maxwell street. Other things Jewish immigrants did to make money was selling things door to door. They would have to deal with immigrants of other nationalities and that would speak different lanuges. Usually, however, in one generation the Jewish peddlers and salesmen would soon find a better fortune.
Even though there were Jewish immigrant one group of Jewish people, the German Jews experienced a large amount of trouble dealing with the new Jewish immigrants. They felt embarrassed by how the new eastern European Jews dressed and acted. The eastern Jews would would have long beards and long black coats. the woman would wear wigs or scarves over their heads and black pheasant dresses. The establsihed German Jews modified their fate in order to assimilate. They would often not remain kosher. The eastern Jew however embraced ever aspect of their fate, they would even send their kids to Jewish schools. The Germans Jews were often promante business men by this time and had money to spare. they would often use this money to help set up institutions to help assimilate the eastern Jews. They helped set up the Chicago Hebrew institute. This was sort of a YMCA for the Jewish. Jews could come in, meet, and relax. However, soon railroads and factories started taking over the Jewish neighborhoods. The Jews were able to afford better housing and soon moved away. Many African-American families moved to that area after world war one and it is still a African American place today.
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