Hoovervilles were infamous shanty towns that developed during the Great Depression if the 1920's.
Poorly built housing, sometimes encroaching private and public land, was a necessity for families who had lost everything.
As a lot of these people were work-class and had lost their jobs, there was a general resentment towards all kinds of immigrants to the country who were seen as 'stealing jobs'.
During the Great depression a general environment of mis-trust, resentment and even hostility towards immigrants developed.
Society, as a whole was not sympathetic, and 'every man was for himself' in these troubled times.
Modern theory states that immigrants, along with Jews were used as 'scape-goats' for the failing policies of the Government.
