You could also argue it didn't "work", depending on your definition of working. America had ghettos for decades and they were a source of crime and other problems. To the extent that it worked is only because over time immigrants were forced to assimilate (learn English or die), and make no mistake that assimilation went both ways and permanently changed the protestant English culture of America. "And here's why that's a good thing..."
Those immigrants were also irrevocably removed from their homelands. They couldn't go back twice in a lifetime, much less twice a year. They couldn't send all their money home (at least I don't see how, and they probably couldn't afford to). They couldn't just save up to retire back there when they don't need a job any more. So that's part of your assimilation.
And you know do or do not get into the whole "white" thing. I don't see any problems with European immigrants, still. You get a little crime and corruption from the Eastern Europeans, but some of that is Jewish. Actual Poles and Ukrainians and Russians seem fine to me. And the US had a preference for Western European immigrants which made sense too. Today, I say cut it all off, because if we invite Europeans we'll get "Europeans".
What's more, people and groups were not able to displace their own problems on society. Sowell explains that when Eastern European Jews arrived in the US, they were at a significantly lower level of civilization than the German Jews who were there, and that this led to a backlash against Jews in general. As a result, the German Jews worked to acculturate their Eastern European co-religionists.
How different things are now, especially in Europe, which is the world's sewer.
Why did multiculturalism work in early 20th century? Because it wasn't truly multicultural.
Irish kids fighting with Italians considered themselves different but both kids would go home to a catholic household.
Also you wouldnt need to explain to a Greek immigrant in 1919 that rape is bad
Shopkeepers in 1920 didn't have to put up signs in the bathroom explaining to a newly arrived German that you put used toilet paper in the toilet
You could also argue it didn't "work", depending on your definition of working. America had ghettos for decades and they were a source of crime and other problems. To the extent that it worked is only because over time immigrants were forced to assimilate (learn English or die), and make no mistake that assimilation went both ways and permanently changed the protestant English culture of America. "And here's why that's a good thing..."
Those immigrants were also irrevocably removed from their homelands. They couldn't go back twice in a lifetime, much less twice a year. They couldn't send all their money home (at least I don't see how, and they probably couldn't afford to). They couldn't just save up to retire back there when they don't need a job any more. So that's part of your assimilation.
And you know do or do not get into the whole "white" thing. I don't see any problems with European immigrants, still. You get a little crime and corruption from the Eastern Europeans, but some of that is Jewish. Actual Poles and Ukrainians and Russians seem fine to me. And the US had a preference for Western European immigrants which made sense too. Today, I say cut it all off, because if we invite Europeans we'll get "Europeans".
What's more, people and groups were not able to displace their own problems on society. Sowell explains that when Eastern European Jews arrived in the US, they were at a significantly lower level of civilization than the German Jews who were there, and that this led to a backlash against Jews in general. As a result, the German Jews worked to acculturate their Eastern European co-religionists.
How different things are now, especially in Europe, which is the world's sewer.