Question

What helped immigrants in the 1800s and early 1900s retain their cultures?

Answer 1

What helped the immigrants in the 1800's and early 1900's retain their cultures is through cultural pluralism. This calls for the immigrant to retain his or her ethnic identity within the American society. They are allowed to speak their own languages, stay in the same ethnic neighborhood, and continue traditions and to retain whatever their way of lives are.

Answer 2

Creation of ethnic neighborhoods.

Due to large numbers of immigrants and a desire to keep immigrants separate from white, "native" Americans, ethnic neighborhoods called ethnic enclaves were created.

The ethnic enclaves were inhabited by certain immigrant groups such as Little Italy and Chinatown where the group could maintain their culture. These neighbors had the immigrant's churches, grocery stores, newspapers in their native language, and other cultural elements allowing for immigrants to feel at home and slowly transition to American life.