Essay On Immigration And The American Dream

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

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. And rather than protect immigrants from heavy discrimination, the American government responded by limiting

Describe the “New Immigration”, and explain how it differed from the “Old Immigration” and why it aroused opposition from many Native-Born Americans.

As can be seen in documents A-H, from 1880 to 1925, immigration went from being the staple of the American culture to the common enemy of “native” Americans.

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

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. Although European immigrants poured into America driven by more political

The American Dream is often sought of as the ultimate accomplishment. Millions of immigrants travel to the United States every year to chase after the American dream not only for themselves, but for their families too. No matter your social status, upbringing, ethnicity or gender, through hard work you can become anything, and my parents chased after that for me.

As immigration and relations between races become more influential issues in politics, there have been many opposing views on the treatment of minority groups. Some people believe that diversity and immigration is a threat to original identity while others believe that they are extremely beneficial to society. Writers Samuel P. Huntington in The Hispanic Challenge and Herbert Marcuse in Repressive Tolerance express these differing views regarding these important topics. Huntington takes the ‘threat to identity’ side when explaining how Mexican immigration is extremely different from European immigration. On the other hand, Marcuse takes a different route when explaining the idea of tolerance, claiming that majority groups who oppress the minority

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.

A disc jockey by the name of Alan Freed was the first to “attached rock and roll to a musical style (Campbell, 2008, pg. 101).” Although “rock and roll was originally a euphemism for the sexual act (Campbell, 2008, pg. 101)” and was later a code name for rhythm and blues, it would soon break out as its own style. Rock and roll came together in the 1950’s with a new sound and a new attitude. Teenagers during this time had more money and more time than those in the past and they spent both on rock and roll music. They were quickly drawn to the sounds and the teen geared lyrics. The rebellious nature that rock and roll stood for in the 1950’s was an immediate attraction for those interested in deviating from the norms of society. What could be

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

“The Immigrant contribution” and “The Quilt of a Country” are two essays that share a similar focus, however, they cover two drastically different sides of the topic. Both of them share the main idea that America is a country made up almost entirely of immigrants. Kennedy’s essay, “The immigrant Contribution”, focuses on how immigrants have affected our country, whereas Quindlen’s essay discusses how people of many different cultures coexist and work together.The essays both concentrate on immigration in America and how immigration has shaped and molded our culture. The two authors describe the many different aspects of immigration in immensely different ways.

Does America still provide access to the American Dream to the “tired, the poor and the huddled masses?” The American Dream is an idea where freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, where every person; citizen or not, regardless of gender, should be able to achieve through hard work. America no longer provides access to the access to the American Dream to all but they should because immigrants come to America in search of a new life and not only do they help themselves but they help the country as well.

An immigrant escapes poverty with only the clothes on his back, and hope in his heart. Clutching the frail hand of his child he lifts his weary eyes towards the road sign before him: “Next exit, The American Dream”.

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