IMMIGRATION CENTERS OF SEPHARDIC JEWISH COMMUNITIES IN THE 20TH CENTURY

Abstract

This article examines the migration and settlement of Sephardic Jewish communities in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, focusing on the Americas. Between 1820 and 1924, economic hardship, persecution, and urbanization in Europe prompted large-scale Jewish emigration, which slowed after U.S. immigration restrictions in the early 1920s. Major Sephardic centers emerged in North and South America, Europe, Southern Africa, and the Eastern Mediterranean. The study highlights the formation of communal and charitable organizations, such as the Federation of Oriental Jews of America, and explores social, cultural, and legal challenges faced by immigrants. Case studies from New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Cuba, and Mexico illustrate the development of Sephardic diasporic networks.