Immigration Keywords for Chronicling America

Related Terms: illegal alien, enemy alien, unassimilated alien  

Definitions: Belonging to another person, place, or family; not of one’s own; from elsewhere, foreign.  

Contextual Considerations, or "How this Term was Used": First used circa 1300, alien is derived from a French word meaning “strange” or “foreign.” The later connotation implying someone from a different country comes from circa 1500s and has been used this way since. Early usage of the word in American papers gives a neutral context, simply implying the person is not from the colonies, or later the United States. Eventually a negative connection comes with the word, often being led by an antipathetic adjective. Around the 1930s, descriptors such as “illegal” were added to alien to describe someone who had entered the country without official authorization.  

Examples from Chronicling America:  

"Alien" in The American Issue (Westerville, Ohio), 01 July 1929. Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. 

“Alien” in The Potters Herald (East Liverpool, Ohio), 15 March 1951. Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. 

“Alien” in Passaic City Record (Passaic City, N.J.), 22 Dec. 1906. Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. 

Related Terms: Americanize, Americanizing, assimilation

Definitions: The process of making American in character; the state or condition of being Americanized.  

Contextual Considerations, or “How this Term was Used”: The first known use of the term was in 1849 according to the OED. While examples of the term “Americanization” used in reference to immigrants can be found in 19th century newspapers, the majority of usage is found in the early 20th century, when an “Americanization” movement began in the United States. Work toward the goal of the “Americanization” of immigrants took place at both the national and local level, with many different groups such as national committees, labor unions, schools, churches, and civic organizations participating in various ways. A national “Americanization Day” was held on July 4, 1915. The movement continued through World War I and into the 1920s.  Other uses of the term may refer to the influence of the United States and American culture outside the United States, especially post-World War II.

Examples from Chronicling America:

“Americanization” in Washington Standard (Olympia, Wash.), 12 May. 1893. Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.  

“Americanization” in Ottumwa Tri-Weekly Courier (Ottumwa, IA), 3 Jul. 1915. Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. 

“Americanization” in Evening Public Ledger (Philadelphia, PA), 20 Jan. 1916. Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. 

“Americanization” in New Britain Herald (New Britain, CT), 29 Jul. 1921. Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. 

OCR Considerations or “How the Computer Sees It”: Searching for “Americanization” also brings up American, Americanism, and Americanize.

“Americanization” in Evening Journal (Wilmington, Del.), 18 Dec. 1918. Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. 

Related Terms: migration

Definitions: a person who moves from one place to another, especially in order to find work or better living conditions  

Contextual Considerations, or “How this Term was Used”:  The earliest known use of this term is in the late 1600s. The OED's earliest evidence for “migrant” is from before 1682 in the writing of physician and author Thomas Browne. In this instance, the term is used to describe people who have migrated to another place.  

Examples from Chronicling America: 

“Migrant” in Smyrna Times (Smyrna, Del.), 06 July 1961. Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.  

“Migrant” in The Daily Express (Dayton, Ohio), 16 Jan. 1951. Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. 

OCR Considerations or “How the Computer Sees It”:  

“Migrant” in The Day Book (Chicago, Ill.), 20 Oct. 1913. Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.  

Related Terms: refuge

Definitions: an individual who has left his or her native country and is unwilling or unable to return to it because of persecution or fear of persecution (as because of race, religion, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion)  

Contextual Considerations, or “How this Term was Used”:  First used to describe French protestants fleeing religious persecution, refugee has come to be a term that represents anyone who has to vacate their native area due to persecution. Often used in relationship to fleeing during wartime, may even refer to people fleeing from one city to another, or state, or country. Widely used to describe displaced people during WWI and WWII.

Examples from Chronicling America: 

“Refugee” in The Day Book (Chicago, Ill.), 22 May 1914. Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.  

“Refugee” in Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), 15 Feb. 1948. Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.  

“Refugee” in The Freeman's Journal or New-Hampshire Gazette (Portsmouth, N.H.), 26 Nov. 1776. Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. 

Related Terms: unassimilable, assimilated

Definitions: not absorbed into the culture or mores of a population or group

Contextual Considerations, or “How this Term was Used”: First used in 1794, the definition of “unassimilated” has remained consistent. The term can also be used to discuss malnourishment and appears in searches relating to diseases and health.  

Examples from Chronicling America: 

“Unassimilated” in St. Croix Avis (Christiansted, St. Croix [V.I.]), 15 Sept. 1877. Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.

“Unassimilated” in The Cincinnati Daily Star (Cincinnati, Ohio), 19 Sept. 1878. Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. 

“Unassimilable” in The Day Book (Chicago, Ill.), 21 April 1913. Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. 

“Unassimilable” in The Record-Courier (Gardnerville, Nev.), 10 Aug. 1923. Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.