Essay On Immigration To America

Tenement life in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s was very difficult, it could even be called somewhat dangerous. Tenements were usually very small living spaces that contained no more than 2 rooms. Most rooms had 2 or no windows at all, the buildings were also built very close together on narrow streets. Some tenements had little ventilation, there was no central heating or air conditioning so the tenements were very hot during the summer and very cold during the winter. Tenements were not the safest place for a person to live because living conditions were very poor.

3. How did immigration to America change in the latter half of the nineteenth century, and what was the response to that change?

Between 1870 and 1900, an estimated 25 million immigrants had made their way to the United States. This era, titled the Gilded Age, played an extremely important role in the shaping of American society. The United States saw great economic growth and social changes; however, as the name suggested, the Gilded Ages hid a profound number of problems. During this period of urbanization, the publicizing of wealth and prosperity hid the high rates of poverty, crime, and corruption. European immigrants who had come to the United States in search of jobs and new opportunities had fallen into poverty as well as poor working and living conditions. Not only had immigrants been cheated of a promised "comfortable" lifestyle, but the U.S. had also negatively

The early 19th century was an era of emigration to the United States as every nation had its people coming to the United States. Whether it was from an economic, religious or even education standpoint, thousands of immigrants came to the United States. However, not every immigrant was treated the same. There was a constant struggle for independence and less opposition. Even the U.S. legal system was used against them to discriminate against the immigrants. However, such experiences still did not stop the overflow of immigration to the United States. The Chinese, the Japanese, and the Filipino who were the first immigrants to the United States experienced such adversities.

The united states is full of immigrants. A American is either an immigrant or has someone in their family who were one. A great period of immigration occurred during the 1800s on to the 1920s when two waves of immigrants came to American shores from Europe. Old immigrants arrived in the mid-1800s mostly coming from Northwestern Europe. Also the New Immigrants arrived a little later mostly traveling from Europe. Most immigrants shifted to escape problems in their native countries and in search of new opponents in America. Many Americans welcomed immigrants as an asset to other Americans. Old immigrants had affected the new immigrants so they could things harder with each other.

I sometimes ask students why they came to The United States. For instance one young lady was from China. She had a bachelor’s degree, worked in an office, had her own car, and I got the impression her family was fairly well-off. When I asked her why she left her friends, family, culture, and what sounded like a comfortable and satisfying way of life she replied, “Safety, security.” I asked, “Why, what were you afraid of?” “The government,” she answered. A young couple from Mexico told me they came here so their children would be exposed to more opportunities. A woman from Russia told me that the only way you can get more than the next person in her country is by paying someone with a position to allow you get ahead. She said, “Here in America you can get what ever you want, and be anything you want, just because you have the ability to do so. A young man from Brazil said he had no home. He lived on the streets. He said he was always in fear of his life from the police. He road on top of the “La Bestia,” the immigrant train. It is a 1,450 mile trek with a real danger of falling off, as hundreds, and possible thousands have, and the danger of being robbed, raped, or murdered by the Mexican gang known as MS13. I guess he saw the possibilities of danger getting to the

In the time between 1877 and 1920 America saw another significant change to its landscape; this time in the make-up of its inhabitants. With industrialization immigrants increasingly came from Eastern and Southern European countries, Canada, Japan, and even Latin America. By 1910, some 70 percent of the immigrants entering the country were Southern and Eastern Europeans. In fact, in many cities the immigrated population outnumbered the native born citizens. Many states, especially those with meager populations, actively pursued immigrants by offering jobs or land for farming. The industrialization lured millions seeking economic opportunities for their families, while were anxious to escape oppressive governments. Whatever the reason, with these groups came a rich culture that would forever help to reshape the nation.

The US experienced massive immigration from Europe in the 1800s, which saw millions of people across the Atlantic to the New World. These people came from all corners of Europe including Ireland, Germany, Italy, Norway, and other scores of other nations and provinces. The people came as young men and women in search of jobs, others as families fleeing religious persecution and others as political radicals who were fleeing from the police. In addition, others came as farmers in search of land and a new start for that matter, and as paupers hardly capable of affording the rites of passage. This was the first wave of immigrants that shaped the US in considerable ways.

During the 1840s-1850s Americans saw a huge increase in the number of immigrants arriving in America, and this only lead to white American citizens fearing them during that period. There was fear for many reasons, the main reason being Americans feared that immigrants would steal their jobs. Namely these jobs were in New York city and other large coastal

An Italian immigrant once said, "I came to America because I heard the streets were paved with gold. When I got here, found out three things: First, the streets weren't paved with gold; second, they weren't paved at all: and third, I was expected to pave them” (Immigrant). The 1930s in America were a time of hardship for the many migrant workers immigrating to America. During this time, many immigrants wanted to come to America for better job opportunities and for a better life in general. Many American Immigrants were very poor and left everything to come and relocate to the United States, and were not greeted well when they arrived. The three major events that show the struggle of these migrant workers include The great depression,

Immigrants from the mid 19th century and early 20th century consisted of mainly Southern and Eastern Europe, Asia, and elsewhere. Immigrants motivations, experiences, and impacts shaped what an immigrant had to go through being a different person from another country. Although Americans dislike foreigners who came to the United States, immigrants had a role in political, economic, cultural, and social aspects of immigrants because of their motivations, experiences, and impacts in America. New Immigrants did not have it easy and went through obstacles natives, political figures, bosses and others had thrown at them.

On December 7, 2941, Japanese had drop bombs on the ships anchored in the U.S naval base of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Many ships and planes were destroyed and 1,178 soldiers and sailor wounded and 2,388 killed from this attack. Two months after the attack, U.S President Franklin D, Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 ordering all Japanese-American to evacuate the West Coast. This resulted in 120,000 Japanese ancestry, both alien and non-alien, to be evaluated to one of ten internment camps located across the country.

The United States was perceived as an opportunity for a new life for many of the immigrants. Thus, the many reasons for their immigration was to flee from crop failures, lack of land or jobs, increasing taxes, and shortage of food (famine). Furthermore, many people left to the United States with the intention of having personal freedom and being free from being judged of their political or religious beliefs. As a result of the immigration, tension between nativists and immigrants grew. The nativists in America thought that the immigrants would ultimately affect the future generations of American born citizens. The reason being is because the nativist held the immigrants responsible for the many negative actions in American society. Hence, the

Previous years in America immigration has been problematic, even now it has become a big issue. Americans are afraid that undocumented workers who come to our nation and work will stay leading to overpopulation and will take jobs from Americans. Before we choose sides let's step back and see the history of immigration, the largest immigration groups and where they live.

With the recent crisis in the Middle East, and the ever present Mexican immigration we are faced with what to do with such an influx of people, and must ask ourselves what can we do to help immigrants who risk their lives to get here.