Existing comment:
Hyphenated Americans
Americans are proud to be part of a nation of immigrants, but some were reluctant to share the ballot box with more recent arrivals. Worried that they might compete with them for political power, they questioned the loyalty, political philosophies, religions, and self-interest of each new group. Tying voting to citizenship, combined with stringent voter eligibility requirements, lessened the gains and electoral impact of late 19th- and early 20th-century immigrant groups. New waves of immigrants furthered concern over identity politics based on race, ethnicity, and class long after individuals became American citizens. |