When you ask just about anyone in the US about people who have been oppressed, you will almost always be given a reference to African Americans. Rarely do we think of Russian or the Polish Jews as those who have suffered. Even before Hitler came to power Jews were not viewed favorably by their peers. Although their skin was the some color as most in Europe they in various ways were viewed as another race. Russia has a long standing history of violence towards Jews. Jews in Russia were being removed from their homes and were often the victims of mob violence; Alexander III simply ignored these events or even at times encouraged them4. In 1887 the Russian government issued orders to limit the number of Hebrew students who can enter college4. This limit was horribly low and did not allow many Hebrews to enter college. Events such as these lead up to the mass immigration to America. One night in 1881 synagogues in Russia were filled with victims of riots. They had gathered to pray and to talk with one another about the problems at hand. A group of people suggested that there is no hope for Jews in Russia and called for a move to America. Shortly after here in the US a public meeting was held at Checkering Hall, New York. The delegat
This resolution passed unanimously and shortly after Jewish immigrants poured into America looking for a better life. Many felt that they would be protected from religious persecution in America. Although Jewish people in America were victims of some racial bias they did not face the riots or violence found in their homelands.
One thing everyone agrees on is that the Jewish immigrants were hard working people who have been through some hard times. They kept a strong focus on education and were fairly good citizens. They accepted the American style of government with open arms and were quick to participle in political debates and discussions. A large part of this participation all stems from various events in their past which resulted in their desire to play a more active role in business. After being told they had to limit their enrollment in colleges in Russia, Jews were quick to come to the U.S. and enroll in large numbers, once in school they did extremely well and very rarely missed a day of school. Their competitive business practices lead to quite a bit of resentment from their peers. They brought a strong desire to work and do so for a fairly cheap rate. Conservative spending and long work weeks allowed them to quickly progress in business. These immigrants brought with them the values with we consider more American then any other today.
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