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. First, Immigrants migrated with the idea of the united States having a better life for them. Document D gives us an idea of the benefits an immigrant believed were true. The idea of no oppressive taxes, no kings, no compulsory military service, and no dungeons gave relief. All the troubles from their homelands would not be present in the Land of Opportunity. Taking a chance for a better life was the only option left. The Ark, like Noah 's, could hold many refugees and the light side of this cartoon repented how eteer things were about to get once they arrived to America; or so they believed. Trouble started once they had arrived. …show more content…
Europeans entered from the North East at Ellis Island. Documents A gives us a glimpse into the thoughts of an immigrant 's fist sights and ideas about what they have arrived to. The statue of Liberty represents the hope an immigrant has when entering the United States; this country can take and accept whatever comes into it. They of course had to pass tests that would allow them to be able to enter the country. They chances of knowing if you would pass these vigorous testes were unknown. Immigrants were coming into the country knowing nothing but their own culture and the idea of obtaining a
Which created a sense of hope for the immigrants coming to America to give a better life and greater opportunities to their families. Immigrants felt pride in knowing that they deserved the freedom, respect everyone else had and deserved to live the American
Ironically the ideals behind the Europeans immigration, particularly the British,
A choice to either give up their family and country to work in labor or to stay home and live their normal lives. Some people from different countries would accept the first choice. They left their home, only bringing a few valuables to Hawaii and to work in a sugar plantation to fill the need of workers and to get a job in the booming business. But only in the future, people would know that plantation life in Hawaii in the 1800’s was very difficult for the immigrant workers. The living conditions in Hawaii were crowded and unsanitary, the working conditions were difficult, and race differences didn’t make a fair share of the jobs.
They were denied education and never got an opportunity in their life. These reform movements were necessary as they sought to expand democratic ideals so the people being oppressed were given a chance in life. Immigrants started coming to America during the 1800's for many different reasons. Some came for the American Dream, such as the Germans. While others came because of disease, such as the Irish.
Immigrants come from unique backgrounds and ethnicities, but all came with the dream of a better future. Americans who settled in the United States previously resented the Asian newcomers. Asians were barred with several legislations in the past to become citizens, which revealed disunity among the American population. Debates on the current immigration problem demonstrates distrust of other cultures and religions. Individuals seeking opportunities cannot enter the United States because some Americans believe new immigrants may be threats.
These immigrants often sacrificed and worked hard for themselves and their families to stay in the United States. Many Americans who stationed themselves in crowded cities like Philadelphia and New York could only afford tenements that proved to be “dangerous and unsanitary.” (Thakrar, par. 6). These tenements were packed with multiple families, they were dirty and filled with all sorts of diseases, nevertheless; these immigrant families felt this nightmarish housing was a small price to pay for new opportunities. The atrocious living conditions were far from all that was in the path of newly migrated foreigners, as being uneducated and unskilled, immigrants at this time took jobs as common laborers.
Although their religions may not have been directly prejudiced against, the immigrants’ values were often challenged by American ones. Many of these cultural values differed in an economic manner, as most immigrants were not prepared for the American mindset of getting ahead in business. Other distinctions between these cultures applied to the treatment of immigrants. Many nativist Americans regarded the immigrants with disdain and were not interested in giving them equal rights, whereas those who shared similar cultures often banded together in order to cope with these injustices.
As a result of their emigration, America was now viewed as “multiethnic and multiracial” and “defined in terms of culture and creed” (Huntington 1). On the contrary, when people traveled across the border from Mexico, their culture was not so widely accepted. Mexican traditions and values were seen as a “serious challenge to America’s traditional identity” (Huntington 2). The “original settlers” of America were incredibly open to people travelling from Europe, but when people came from Latin America, they were
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 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.
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. In 1880 and before, immigrants were welcome to the United States with open arms, which is shown in document A with all of the foreigners flooding into the wide open gate of America. The purpose of document A was to advertise the acceptance of immigrants into the United States and all of the great things they would find when they arrived here. Document B displays that even until 1888, immigrants were viewed by the established Americans as a “double advantage”: helpful to the economy when needed and conveniently out of the way when unnecessary.
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.
Immigrants came to the United States for more opportunities. They left behind many struggles and rough living conditions to make a better life for themselves, and their families. With the struggles they left behind, they faced more obstacles in the United States. They faced discrimination in many places and had to search for jobs, often taking strenuous and low-paying positions. Those that came to the United States had difficulties providing for their families and were often living in poor conditions.
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. Immigrants come to America to escape the horror of the many challenges that their countries face day after day.