One of the most pronounced characteristics of the first global century (1815-1914) is the free movement of people. Regional, national, international and transcontinental migrations not only influenced social structures but also led to renewed considerations of how we viewed ourselves and how we viewed the other. The transatlantic movement from Europe to the New World numbered no less than 60 million souls who relocated overseas, more than half of these settled in the US. The movement converted the migrant into a lucrative product allowing shipping companies involved in migrant transport to make the short-list of biggest companies worldwide. Belgians only constituted a small percentage of the total movement as observed by a contemporary the Flemish like the Walloons are very much attached to their clock tower and I do not believe that they are disposed to emigration. France from where the clock tower could be more easily observed or returned to was the preferred destination of the Belgian migrant. Only 80,000 Belgians relocated to the US during that time span yet with the port of Antwerp which had developed into one of the principal migrant gateways to the New World, the country was a first row witness of the European exodus. At least two million passed through Antwerp looking for a better future, an experience from which we maybe could have learned more lessons from. The migrant = lucrative commodity // transport companies = well oiled machines.
Quote 1
“We know that Germany sends out thousands of emigrants to America every year. The city of Bremen has passed such perfect regulations for the transport of emigrants, that only this port organizes these transports. Once arrived in Bremen this cargo moves itself without extra costs and it allows the Bremen merchants on their way back to ship a variety of goods such as tobacco and cotton at half the regular price. As most of the German emigrants come from Westphalia, Turing and Switzerland it is very likely that they would prefer to travel through Antwerp if they would find the same conditions as in Bremen.” (D. Behr, Belgian official on mission in Bremen, 1838 Archives of the Belgian Department of Foreign Affaires, 2020, Emigration I: 1834-1848)
Quote 2
“Migrant agents are representatives of one of the best organized, most energetically conducted branches of commerce in the world. They do not only sell tickets but also distribute propaganda on opportunities in the New World and how to reach it, often serve as a source of credit, help auction of the migrant’s property, providing clothing for the journey etc.” (US Commissioner General of Immigration, 1891) “Going to America has become so popular recently those young men feel ashamed if they have not been overseas at least once. As late as ten years ago America evoked images of danger and distance. Now people feel more confident to go to New York than going to Rome” (The prefect of Cosenza, 1894,)
Quote 3
“Regarding the agents in Russia, most of them work clandestinely for us, since they can not obtain a concession of the Russian government. In this region being a migrant agent is a risky business since if caught they can be ordered to leave the province within 24 hours. Some years ago one of our agents was sent to Siberia. Nevertheless by remaining on good terms with the local police one can achieve many things!” (Letter of Desbois, Holland America Line Agent in Paris to board of directors June 5 1898 Rotterdam Community Archives, HAL, General Correspondence, 112-121)
Are certain nationalities more apt to migrate? Are some Races / Nationalities superior / inferior, more desirable/undesirable? Sovereignty debates, raising nationalism the road to paper walls.
Flemish Bastard aka Jan Smits aka John Smiths aka Canaqueese : metis Mohawk chief whose birth and death dates remain unknown. Son of a Mohawk mother and a Dutch father, he led war parties against the French and served as an intermediary between the French, Dutch, and English circa 1650-1687.
Source : Perrot, Nicolas. Ch. 15 of "Mémoire sur les moeurs, coustumes et religion des sauvages de l’Amérique Septentrionale" at Turning Points in Wis. History) ; see also "The Role of Chief Canaqueese in the Iroquois Wars" by Peter Lowensteyn
Quote 4
“Germans and Irish who are used to poverty get themselves through the first difficult period and help each other to get by. Our compatriots usually lack the same will power. The Americans from their part are selfish and do nothing for the unfortunate.” (Gevers, Dutch ambassador at Washington about Dutch migrants, 1845, National Archives, The Hague, 2.05.13, 37)
Quote 5
“Most of the Flemish emigrants have a deplorable lack of energy,…, lacking the courage to overcome the difficulties of their position. Homesickness gets the better of them, they abandon their work to go back home where misery awaits them. Where as the Walloons who are disposed of a more pronounced character, overcome most of the inconveniences, they have a larger reserve of makeshifts, they are great workers, robust and healthy.” (Henri Mali, Belgian Consul at New York, 1854, Archives of the Belgian Department of Foreign Affaires, 2020, Emigration IV: 1854-1856)
Quote 6
“The new wave of migrants such as Hungarian Slovaks, showed strikingly inferior features while Italians easily tolerate living in overly crowded conditions on a diet of stale bread, stale fruit and stale beer until they save enough money to go home again.” (Richard Mayo-Smith, Sociologist, 1888, In: Control of Immigration II Political Science Quarterly, 1888; 3 (2):197-225.
Quote 7
“The best way to fight the increasing agitation against immigration in the US is by tightening controls at the port of embarkation on the ‘desirability’ of the migrants. ‘Desirability’ is a question of mentality and nationality which do not fit in the US; French, Belgians, Dutch, Germans, English Scandinavians etc are desirable; Italians, Russian Jews, Arabs, Slovaks, etc are undesirable. The major discussion topic is to find out what criteria could be used to define ‘pauper’ which varies in each country. In America strong and healthy individuals willing to work yet arriving without means are not considered as likely to become a public charge. However, people with means but with a reputation to throw it away, a shabby fellow is. If a migrant becomes ill and becomes a public charge he will not be se sent back he had no predisposition of catching the disease prior to arrival, otherwise he will. Also the nationality is an important factor; English speakers stand a better chance. Idiots should be turned away yet when traveling with relatives this is not applied. Same goes for disabled although we rather not have them.” (John Weber, American Superintendent of Immigration responsible for Ellis Island, RCA, HAL, 318.04, Passage Department, 221-226, Letter October 8 1891)
Quote 8
Regarding the Cuba crisis preceding the Spanish-American War; “I believe that the odds for a war between both countries are very plausible if Spain does not act more wisely then the US Congress. The Americans take a pleasure in interfering with matters that do not concern them. If it didn’t have such sad consequences for us I would not mind that someone teaches them a serious lesson.” (Letter of the HAL New York head-agent Van den Toorn, November 6 1897, RCA, HAL, General Correspondence, 112-121)
The Belgians, their beer and their clock tower
Quote 9
(…) the Flemish like the Walloons are very much attached to their clock tower and I do not believe that they are disposed to emigration.” Other nationalities have much more success. It is not a question of lack of capital. The Belgian is just not disposed to emigrate — he prefers his country, his beer, his clock tower. (…) the Flemish farmers, about the only ones we could enlist, cannot adapt anywhere they go and speak a language no one understands. They cause even greater trouble when they emigrate on their own. They are stupid and don’t know various trades,…, and if they succeed in earning some money, they become drunks and soon they are no longer any good at anything.” (Belgian explorer investigating possibilities to establish agricultural colonies populated by nationals in Algeria, Peru and United States 1866)
Wyman M. Round Trip to America: The Immigrants return to Europe 1880-1930. (London, 1993).
Gould J. “European inter-continental emigration: The role of "diffusion" and "feedback” Journal of European Economic History, IX, 2, (1980), 267-314.
Other articles in this chapter
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According to the legend, New York was founded in 1626 by the Dutch in the southern part of Manhattan Island. Some schoolbooks, history books, television broadcasts - and down to cigarettes makers - even say that the founder of New York was named Peter Stuyvesant.
The reality is somewhat different... (read further)
Old Walloon stories found back in Wisconsin.
Robert Venturi’s early professional work was in the office of Eero Saarinen, where among other projects, he worked on the design of the Milwaukee County War Memorial Center.
Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown and Steven Izenour collaborated on another book, published in 1972, "Learning from Las Vegas," a further exploration of urban sprawl and the suburbs in relation to their architectural theories.
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