One key difference is that “new” immigrants of the late 1800s shared relatively few cultural characteristics with native‑born Americans, unlike many of the earlier “old” immigrants who were more culturally similar.

Quick Scoop

In the late 1800s, people often used “old” and “new” immigrants to describe two different waves:

  • “Old” immigrants mostly came earlier in the 1800s from Northern and Western Europe (like Britain, Ireland, and Germany), and their languages, customs, and religions were closer to those of most native‑born Americans.
  • “New” immigrants came later, mainly from Southern and Eastern Europe (such as Italy, Poland, and Russia), and often spoke very different languages, practiced different religions (many were Catholic, Orthodox, or Jewish), and kept distinct traditions.

Because of this, one commonly taught answer to your question is:

New immigrants shared relatively few cultural characteristics with native‑born Americans, which made them stand out more than the old immigrants had.

This cultural difference often made it harder for new immigrants to assimilate and led to more suspicion and discrimination from people already living in the United States.