Immigrant Epistolary and Epistemology: On the Motivators and Mentality of Nineteenth-Century German Immigrants

The question of what nineteenth-century immigrants knew of their destination before immigrating, and how they knew it, lies at the heart of the issue of immigrant mentality and motivation. This, in turn, is inextricably entwined with the question of what historians know and can know about immigratio...

Ausführliche Beschreibung

Gespeichert in:
Bibliographische Detailangaben
Veröffentlicht in:Journal of American ethnic history 2009-04, Vol.28 (3), p.34-54
1. Verfasser: Kamphoefner, Walter D.
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
Schlagworte:
Online-Zugang:Volltext
Tags: Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:The question of what nineteenth-century immigrants knew of their destination before immigrating, and how they knew it, lies at the heart of the issue of immigrant mentality and motivation. This, in turn, is inextricably entwined with the question of what historians know and can know about immigration, and how they know it. In both enterprises, immigrant letters have played an important, perhaps crucial, role. One reflection of this importance is the publication of scholarly editions of immigrant letters from varying nationalities. Indeed, except for soldiers, immigrants probably represent the nonelite group whose writings have been most frequently edited and published. Here, Kamphoefner explores the parallel case of German immigrants and their correspondence, above all as it relates to the migration decision and the rationality or irrationality of the enterprise.
ISSN:0278-5927
1936-4695
DOI:10.2307/40543427