Figure 1.--This Baine Photo image shows the Ostrovski refugees family arriving in New York on the British liner 'SS Orbita' (September 16, 1921). Unlike pre-World War I immigrants, they look like ethnic Russians. Note the children's sailor suits. This is a popular image on the internet, loaded on many sites, but not a word about the family's story. By this time, the Soviet Goverment had begun closing off emigration from the country. We are not sure when and how they managed to get out of the Soviet Union and where they settled in America. Unlike many refugees, they seem to be well off. By this time, Congress had begun to limitb immigratiion. Source: Library of Congress.

The Russian Empire was the largest, most populace European state. Given that and the fact that the country had a huge largely suppressed population--the serfs. Tsar Alexander II emancipated the serfs (1861). But they continued to e a suppressed population into the 20th century. You would think that this would mean that large numbers of Russians would have been involved in the waves of Europeans that emigrated to America in the late-19th and early-20th century. This did not occur, at least for ethnic Russians. Very small numbers of ethnic Russians emigrated. In fact fewer than those that came from many small European countries. There were a range of issues involved here. Russia did not become a nation state until the fall of Communism (1992). Russia in the 19th century when massive numbers of European immigrants came to America was a multi-ethnic/national empire. One of three great empires that controlled most of Eastern and Central Europe The others were: the Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and German Empires. Other European states had empires, but not in Europe.) The Russian Empire was the largest, European Empire, but only about half the population were ethnic Russians. The well off population saw no need to emigrate. The former serfs were not as well educated as Western Europeans and did not understand the potential opportunities. Nor did Tsarist officials and the aristocracy (which owned mosb of the land) want the former serfs to emigrate. They were needed to work the land. Without the former serfs, the land had no value. An important factor during the 19th century was that serfdom prevented significant immigration on the part of the peasantry until the 1860s. The serfs after 1861 were no longer tied to the land legally, but there was a continuing emotional tie. The Orthodox Church was another emotional tie. And since the days of Mongol control there was deep-seated fear of outsiders/foreigners. Russians did not trust the West, especially non-Orthodox Westerners. This feeling was so pervasive and deep seated you can still see it today in Putins's monstrous campaign against Ukraine. The majority of Russians believe that Ukrainian have no right to a national existence and all the trouble is being stirred up by the evil West. As a result few Russians came to the West before World War I, after which Congress sharply reduced immigration levels, establishing national quotas which disadvantaged Russian immigration. And the new Communist Soviet Union (also a multi-ethmic empire) made emigration basically a crime, sealing off the country from the outside world. This was because if Soviet citizens were allowed to emigrate, Soviet propaganda would have been show to be a huge lie, exposing the poor living conditions as well as the horrendous propaganda being perpetrated by first the Bolsheviks and then Stalin. This is not to say that immigrants did not come from the Russian Empire, only that it was not ethnic Russians who came. And even the Russians living in Alaska returned to Russia after the American purchase (1867). There was, however, substantial immigration from the Russian Empire, only it was the religious and ethnic minorities in the Empire that emigrated. This included Poles, Jews, Balts, Ukrainians, and many other nationalities, even some Germans. The two most important groups were the Jews and Poles. The primary impetus for Russian Jewish immigration to America were the Tsarist pogroms directed at Jew in the wake of the assassination of Tsar Alexander II (1881). A substantial proportion of the Russian immigrants were Jews. This was the largest group of European Jews to come to America. Earlier Jewish immigrants had been primarily German, but they were relatively small in number compared to the numbers of Russian Jews that began to arrive in the 1880s. Many Russian Jews settled in New York and Pennsylvania. Most were poorly educated and unskilled and did not speak English. As a result, they had take poorly paid jobs in factories and mines. Some trade unions refused to accept Jews. As a result, many joined more radical unions such as the International Workers of the World (IWW). Russian Jews also became active in Socialist unions as well as the anarchist movement. Many Jewish immigrant girls and young women were killed in the Triangle Shirt Waist Factory Fire (1911). An estimated 3.3 million people had emigrated to America from Russia by 1920 after which immigration was more tightly restricted. The Bolsheviks also after the Civil War made leaving Russia virtually impossible--trapping large numbers of Jws in the Soviet Union. While large numbers were Jews, the Russian migration also added to the religious diversity of America by adding Orthodox Christians. There was a blip up when the Refusniks opened up Jewish immigration. The Russian Empire Russia provided as of 1978, about 7 percent of the total foreign immigration to America--very few were actually Russian. Most of the ethnic Russians who have come to America have come since the collapse if the Soviet Union (1981).

Tsarist Empire (15th century -1917)

The Russian Empire was the largest, most populace European state. Given that and the fact that the country had a huge largely suppressed population--the serfs. Tsar Alexander II emancipated the serfs (1861). But they continued to e a suppressed population into the 20th century. You would think that this would mean that large numbers of Russians would have been involved in the waves of Europeans that emigrated to America in the late-19th and early-20th century. This did not occur, at least for ethnic Russians. Very small numbers of ethnic Russians emigrated. In fact fewer than those that came from many small European countries. There were a range of issues involved here. Russia did not become a nation state until the fall of Communism (1992). Russia in the 19th century when massive numbers of European immigrants came to America was a multi-ethnic/national empire. One of three great empires that controlled most of Eastern and Central Europe The others were: the Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and German Empires. Other European states had empires, but not in Europe.) The Russian Empire was the largest, European Empire, but only about half the population were ethnic Russians. The well off population saw no need to emigrate. The former serfs were not as well educated as Western Europeans and did not understand the potential opportunities. Nor did Tsarist officials and the aristocracy (which owned most of the land) want the former serfs to emigrate. They were needed to work the land. Without the former serfs, the land had no value. An important factor during the 19th century was that serfdom prevented significant immigration on the part of the peasantry until the 1860s. The serfs after 1861 were no longer tied to the land legally, but there was a continuing emotional tie. The Orthodox Church was another emotional tie. And since the days of Mongol control there was deep-seated fear of outsiders/foreigners. Russians did not trust the West, especially non-Orthodox Westerners. This feeling was so pervasive and deep seated you can still see it today in Putins's monstrous campaign against Ukraine. The majority of Russians believe that Ukrainian have no right to a national existence and all the trouble is being stirred up by the evil West. This is not to say that immigrants did not come from the Russian Empire, only that it was not ethnic Russians who came. And even the Russians living in Alaska returned to Russia after the American purchase (1867). There was, however, substantial immigration from the Russian Empire, only it was the religious and ethnic minorities in the Empire that emigrated. This included Poles, Jews, Balts, Ukrainians, and many other nationalities, even some Germans. The two most important groups were the Jews and Poles. The primary impetus for Russian Jewish immigration to America were the Tsarist pogroms directed at Jew in the wake of the assassination of Tsar Alexander II (1881). A substantial proportion of the Russian immigrants were Jews. This was the largest group of European Jews to come to America. Earlier Jewish immigrants had been primarily German, but they were relatively small in number compared to the numbers of Russian Jews that began to arrive in the 1880s. Many Russian Jews settled in New York and Pennsylvania. Most were poorly educated and unskilled and did not speak English. As a result, they had take poorly paid jobs in factories and mines. Some trade unions refused to accept Jews. As a result, many joined more radical unions such as the International Workers of the World (IWW). Russian Jews also became active in Socialist unions as well as the anarchist movement. Many Jewish immigrant girls and young women were killed in the Triangle Shirt Waist Factory Fire (1911). While large numbers were Jews, the Russian migration also added to the religious diversity of America by adding Orthodox Christians.

American Immigration Quotas (1920s)

Millions of Europeans immigrated to the United States duringthev19th and early 20th cebntury. Most came afterr the Civil Wr (1861-85). There were no limits on immigration, but in the late-19th century, a few immigrants were refused, primarily on medical grounds. This huge wave of immigration came to a scretching halt (August 1914). Germany invaded Belgium, launcjing World War I. Potential immigrants were concerned about U-boats and belgerentbcountries resticted emmigrantion. Men were needed for the War. And men generally were the core of the immigration flow. Some unattached women came, but the were a minority. Immigration peaked at 1.3 million people (1907) and was still 1.2 million (1914). But declined to only 0.1 million (1918). Immigration recovered to 0.8 million (1921), but then began to decline because of restrictive regulations, falling to only 23,000 (1933). 【U.S. Department of Homeland Security】 The U.S. immigration laws affected both the numbers and origins of tyhe immigrants. As a result few etnhic Russians came to the America before World War I, after which Congress sharply reduced immigration levels, establishing national quotas which disadvantaged Russian immigration. An estimated 3.3 million people had emigrated to America from Russia by 1920 after which immigration was more tightly restricted. And until the implosion of the Soviet Union (1991), veryb few of the immigrants were ethnic Russians.

Soviet Union (1917-1991)

The Bolsheviks withdrew from World War I promising land, pace, and bread" (1917). As they began creating a totalitarian Marxist state, the Russian Civil War erupted. Millions were dispaced and a terrible famine ensued. After the Bolsheviks won the Civil war, they began to harden the borders making emmigration impossible. The new Communist Soviet Union (also a multi-etnic empire) made emigration basically a crime, sealing off the country from the outside world. This was because if Soviet citizens were allowed to emigrate, Soviet propaganda would have been show to be a huge lie, exposing the poor living conditions as well as the horrendous propaganda being perpetrated by first the Bolsheviks and then Stalin. The Bolsheviks also after the Civil War made leaving Russia virtually impossible--trapping large numbers of Jews in the Soviet Union. There was a blip up when the Refusniks opened up Jewish immigration.

Russia Federation (1992- )

The Russian Empire provided as of 1978, about 7 percent of the total foreign immigration to America--very few were actually Russian. Most of the ethnic Russians who have come to America have come since the collapse if the Soviet Union (1991).

Sources

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Immigration Statistics, Yearbook of Immigration Statistics (various years). The f=date shiown her us based on the U.S, Fiscal Year.

Created: October 22, 2003
Last updated: 6:21 PM 4/6/2024