CONTENT WARNING
Materials in the Library of Virginia’s collections contain historical terms, phrases, and images that are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and dehumanizing references to race, ethnicity, and nationality; enslaved or free status; physical and mental ability; and gender and sexual orientation.
Context
Early in the 20th century, thousands of European immigrants worked in the coalfields of southwestern Virginia. After the Civil War, rail companies had expanded westward as entrepreneurs and industrialists opened coal seams in the region. Beginning in the 1880s, southwest Virginia coalfields supplied high-grade coking coal to fuel the steel industry and steam coal for industrial and domestic use. Mining companies encouraged European immigration as a source of mine laborers.
In these documents (translated from Hungarian), dated March 24, 1916, Jozsef Estéfan, a coal miner living in Osaka, in Wise County, swore an oath that he would financially support his daughter Róza if she were allowed to emigrate from Hungary. World War I was then being fought in Europe and he must have been desperate to bring his teenage daughter to join her parents and sister in Virginia. He also provided a statement from a notary public that certified Estéfan’s identity and confirmed his ability to “provide a satisfactory life style for the immigrant.”
A native of Komoró, Jozsef Estéfan first entered the United States in October 1901. After about two years, he returned to Hungary before immigrating to America again in 1905. On the ship manifests from both voyages, Jozsef Estéfan was listed as a married man who was unable to read or write. His wife and two children arrived in New York in 1912, although his daughter Róza must have returned to Hungary before the beginning of World War I in August 1914. There is no record of the outcome of Jozsef’s efforts to bring Róza back to safety in Virginia.
At the time of Jozsef Estéfan's request, there were few limits on immigration to the United States other than the 1882 act of Congress that severely restricted Chinese immigration. In 1921, Congress instituted immigration quotas based on national origin to preference residents of Western Hemisphere countries, especially from western and northern Europe. Since the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act, the United States has primarily admitted immigrants who have family members who are U. S. citizens or have lawful permanent resident status. The national-origins quota system was ended, although there are limits to the number of immigrants admitted each year.
Citation: Jozsef Estéfan Declaration of Support and Affidavit, March 24, 1916, Wise County Circuit Court Records, Library of Virginia.
Standards
Suggested Questions
Preview Activity
Think About it: A notary public is a state-appointed official who can serve as an impartial witness to authenticate a person's statement or signature. Why might Jozsef Estéfan have needed a notary to certify the accuracy of his statement?
Post Activity
Food for Thought: In Jozsef Estéfan's petition, he attests that he can provide for his daughter Róza and that she will not be a “burden for the United States in any way.” To what is Estefan referring and why might this be a consideration in approving Roza’s immigration?
Similarly, Estéfan asserts that he will be responsible for Róza’s “moral life.” To what do you think he is referring and why might this have been considered an important factor in approving Róza’s immigration at that time?