What problems did the American Immigrants in the 19th century face?
An overwhelming majority of immigrants, regardless of ethnicity, were subjected to discrimination. Many American Protestants opposed the immigration of members of the Roman Catholic Church. Riots between Irish-Catholic immigrants and American Protestants were common in the 1830s. Although Irish Americans were victims of discrimination, they later displayed animosity towards members of newer immigrant groups. On the West Coast, Asian Americans and Mexican Americans were the prime victims of prejudice. During the 1840s and 1850s, nativist movements—groups opposed to the presence of foreigners and immigrants in the United States—grew rapidly. Among the most powerful of these groups were the Know-Nothings, a nativist political party known for secrecy and anti-Catholic sentiments.
