 This created tension between white immigrants and white Americans, who feared their growing political presence.White Americans were increasingly more negative, fearful, and xenophobic toward the immigrants, who they deemed to be biologically inferior, culturally and religiously odd, and generally substandard with a proclivity to filth, laziness and violence.Within the country's racial hierarchy, European immigrants were perched below whites, but above blacks, fending off degrading ethnic slurs such as "Hunky" (Hungarians), "Guinea" (Italians), and "Polack" (Polish)