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American Catholic History Classroom

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The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Immigration

The "United States Bishops and Immigration" website content fits into National History Standards Eras 7, 9-10: The Emergence of Modern America, 1890-1930 (7); Postwar United States, 1945-early 1970s (9); Contemporary United States, 1968-present (10). Here are some of the ways that teachers can use this website to meet United States history curriculum standards.

The following standards are based on the National Standards for United States History National Standards for United States History, Grades 5-12, created by the National Center for History in the Schools.

 

Era 7, Standard 2: The Changing Role of the United States in World Affairs Through World War I

  • The text and primary documents on this site address the United States' role in world affairs. Specifically, the site materials reveal how the National Catholic Welfare Council represented a national Catholic response to their large scale service in the war.

 

Era 7, Standard 3: How the United States Changed from the End of World War I to the Eve of the Great Depression

Standard 3A: Factors that Led to Immigration Restriction and the Closing of the "Golden Door"

  • The site introduction discusses the influx of millions of Catholic immigrants into the U.S. in the 1880-1920 period, the broader U.S. societal response to those immigrants, and the formal Catholic Church's encounter with both. Additionally, 16 primary documents related to the National Catholic Welfare Conference, U.S. Immigration practices, and the media reports on Catholics and immigration are reflective of this encounter.

 

Era 9, Standard 1: The Economic Boom and Social Transformation of Postwar United States

Standard 1B: How the Social Changes of the Postwar Period Affected Various Americans

  • The documents related to the passage of the McCarran-Walter Act in 1952 and the 1965 Immigration Act reflect an evolution in national attitudes toward immigrants, demonstrating post-war social changes. Copies of both documents are included here, as is NCWC correspondence related to the passage of both acts. Specifically, the documents can enable students to fulfill 1B's learning outcome "the place of religion in postwar American life" as they read the Catholic position on various immigration measures.

 

Era 10, Standard 1: Recent Developments in Foreign and Domestic Politics; Standard 2: Economic, Social, and Cultural Developments in Contemporary United States

  • Specifically, these documents enable the educator to fulfill Standard 2B, "the student understands the new immigration and demographic shifts." The most recent three documents, dated from 1976-2007, offer insight into the matter of illegal immigration, and issues related to post-1965 migration in particular.