In the book Round Trip to America: The Immigrants Return to Europe, 1880-1930 author, Mark Wyman analyzes some reasons why after the mass immigration to the United States, many of immigrants made trips back to their mother country. In Wyman’s analysis, he finds patterns tied with ethnic origin, work, assimilation and more. This essay will discuss the phenomena of ‘return immigration’ and the impact it had on America, specifically with the labor movement, politics of assimilation and the rise of nativist movements while bringing forward the stories of those immigrants who went through it.
Coming to America In the beginning of Round Trip to America, Wyman talks about the incentives or reasons on Europeans immigrating to America along with
…show more content…
Wyman answers this question quite bluntly as he speaks about the immigrants negative experiences. One of the main reasons the immigrants chose to leave is because they never intended to stay. The European economy was not doing well at the time and the only way to get out of it was through the opportunity of America. Some did not want to leave; Wyman implies that this trip to America was another job in order to provide for their families that would stay in the homeland.
Another reason for leaving America included the outcome not meeting the expectation of America as immigrants did not feel the United States was the ‘home of the free’ or ‘open to all’. Many of the immigrants felt like they were a small part of a huge machine that never stopped moving. Along with that the new immigrants faced constant criticism as they were stealing jobs, causing crime, and more. Nativists were constantly harassing the new immigrants due to their darker complexion and obvious economic status; to them they were
…show more content…
This topic is important as is debunks the notion that all immigrants loved coming to America and wanted to stay here when in reality immigrants faced a harsh life in America, some like the Irish, Italians and Jews faced racism as they were typically poor, noticeable and kept to themselves due to their lack of the English language and American culture. Wyman’s account of reverse migration is informative and enriching as he clearly lays out statistics, primary sources, and pictures to bring forth the journey millions of immigrants went through between 1880 and 1930. The significance of Wyman’s book is not only the knowledge it brings people, but the paradigm shift is allows people to see. Round Trip to America gets its readers out of their seat and makes them feel like they are in the shoes of an immigrant going through their journey in
Immigrants faced discrimination from American citizens and had to make a living for themselves, while still trying to fit in. As it is said in the article, ? The Philosophy of Immigration,? ?? the power of absorption possessed by the people of the United States is astonishing?? (The Philosophy of Immigration).
When the outsiders made the journey to Ellis Island, they were expecting the United States to be a safe haven compared to the turmoil that sliced Europe into the Allies and Central Powers; instead, they were thrust into the tumultuous culture of the States during the war. Immigrants had to figure out how to make the shift from supporting radical ideals to living in a democratic country. Even then, they also needed jobs. It was not uncommon for the only available jobs for these migrants were those that would require them to be berated for being “scabs.” The increase in working radical foreigners (Document C) paired with the radical ideals they brought from their home countries made it rather difficult for them to blend in with American lifestyles.
The United States, during the 19th century, was a growing nation with much promise to prosper and urbanize. An integral aspect that contributed to the nation's expansion were immigrants, Individuals who were seeking more opportunities came from countries such as China, Germany, Ireland, etc. to work in the United States and earn a better living. In 1830, John Downe, an immigrant from England, is an example of a individual emigrating their home country to improve their life. John, in a letter to his wife trying to persuade his family to emigrate as well uses a mixture of tone, atmosphere, and pathos to envoke an overall hopeful but yet melancholy mood.
Despite the fact that the majority of the United States was already made up of immigrants from Europe and many other countries, Americans still viewed these new immigrants from southern and eastern Europe as “other.” These new Europeans were “foreign devils” who were unworthy of even being given the opportunity to assimilate and develop a life in America, so legislature like that of the Immigration Acts of 1918 and 1924 were put in place in attempt to gate-keep. Clancy opened his speech by saying, “Since the foundations of the American commonwealth were laid in colonial times over 300 years ago, vigorous complaint and more or less bitter persecution have been aimed at newcomers to our shores.” The statement still carries truth nearly a hundred years later and many Americans still wish to keep our gates closed and prevent other foreigners from seeking equal
Describe the “New Immigration”, and explain how it differed from the “Old Immigration” and why it aroused opposition from many Native-Born Americans. Antiforeignism was not a new concept in America in the 1880s. It had begun in the 1840s when the first large influx of immigrants emigrated to America, predominantly from Ireland and Germany. The American, or “Know Nothing”, political party was created specifically for the sake of excluding and barring the newcomers from equal opportunities, especially with the case of the Irish in the northeast. Fast forward forty years later and the Irish and the German have become common place amongst the native born Americans and the new wave of immigrants emerges.
The Second Industrial Revolution presented many hardships to immigrants looking for a better life in America. In his book, The Uprooted, Oscar Handlin makes the case for immigrants enduring the hardships adjusting to the American culture and economy. His argument is supported by specific statistics and events that damaged these people. These newcomers’ ideas, beliefs, and cultures were affected as well. Immigrants faced with American culture and commerce had to adjust their own in order to survive.
Most immigrants who came to the U.S had high expectations that they would find wealth but once they arrived they realized their expectations weren’t what they expected. Although, they were disappointed in not finding wealth the conditions in which the U.S was in by the late 1800s were still a lot better than the places they all had left behind to come. The majority of the immigration population anticipation was to find profitable jobs and opportunities. When the large numbers of immigration were migrating to the U.S, it was during the “Gilded Age”, which was the prime time for the country’s expansion of industrialization. This rapid expansion of new industries led to the need of workers which motivated people from other countries to come to
From 1880 to 1925, an era deemed New immigration, vast numbers of foreigners sought better lives as Americans. However, rather than a welcoming embrace, the expanding populations of immigrants were confronted with growing disdain of immigration. Many Americans assumed immigrants came to America as the poorest and most vagrant people of their country. Thus, many worried that immigrants would pollute America’s genetic stock and become financial burdens to the country. In response to growing anti-immigrant sentiment, Nativists demanded that America belong to “natives” and advocated restrictions on immigration to keep jobs for real Americans.
The migration of immigrants back then, were mainly because they wanted to find a better work experience. Some would even move to seek a new and improved religion. In the 1800-1880s, one of the main reasons immigrants moved, was because of the rising of taxes in their area which made them want to escape from that. Today, in modern day America, we still move in search for better jobs. Because the world has changed in so many ways, we constantly move, however, one of the main reasons is because of natural disasters that may have occurred in a particular area, which causes groups of families to move out of their old homes into a new location.
To them. America was the Mount Olympus of the world. Growing up in a village, European immigrants had next to nothing. They grew up very poor, with no heating, electricity, plumbing, or automobiles. They survived off the profits of their farms and trade businesses.
Although their return was expected, most ended up staying. Throughout this essay, the impact and history of Polish immigration to the United States during
Immigration into the “land of opportunity” was everything but a smooth, trouble-free journey for those escaping the terror, poverty and political persecution in their crumbling countries. The wave of immigrants was at its peak during the breakouts of economic depressions (Document A). The new flow of immigration doubled the American population, especially in major cities. Chasing after the American Dream, many Europeans were attracted by the employment openings and new chances they could obtain in America. However, despite their life being better than before, these immigrants still faced many obstacles and cultural conflicts trying to fit in and thrive in American culture.
In the early 19th century, millions of immigrants from Europe had traveled to the United States to escape difficulties faced in their native lands such as poverty and religious persecution. Italian, German, Irish, and many other eastern European immigrants sought the prosperous and wealthy lifestyle advertised in the land of opportunity, the United States. However, after settling down they often faced the difficulties they had fled from as well as sentiments of prejudice and mistrust from the American people. Most immigrants were discriminated against due to their religious beliefs as well as their language barriers which fostered the beliefs that they were intellectually inferior to Americans.
Immigration and The American Dream 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.
It is part of human nature to strive to go further, achieve more and become a better person. Many people nowadays decide to leave their country in search for a better life in order to provide positive changes for their future, and that is the main reason as to why people migrate. Reasons for immigration can include lack of educational opportunities, the standard of living is not being high enough, or the low value of wages. Immigration has become a major part of life in the 20th century, and many people see America as the land of freedom, countless opportunities and thus they choose to migrate to the United States whether as naturalized citizens, legal permanent residents, refugees, international students, or even undocumented immigrants. The