From the late 1800’s to the mid 1950’s, Ellis Island in New York Bay was the entrance to a new life for many immigrants. These people left their respective homelands for a variety of reasons: from famine and religious persecution, to war and rumors about cities of solid gold. But common to all was the drive to start over, the drive to be whoever they wanted to be in the “Golden Land.” Said an inspired immigrant of the words of Mother America: …cries she With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, the tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door! [sic]” (Lazarus 10) For many of these lucky Americans, the Statue’s torch of “world-wide welcome” (Lazarus 7) burned brightly. But for countless others, that lamp was quite dim indeed. Some were sent back to their countries, blatantly denied the right to a better life. Many more faced indescribable challenges in the new environment, struggling in the throes of poverty. Although over 12 million people came to Ellis Island seeking a new life away from oppressive circumstances, not all of them succeeded in living the American Dream because of deportation, exploitation, and discrimination. From countries all over the world, immigrants flocked to America in attempt to make it their new adopted home. They arrived by steamships that docked by the Verrazano-Narrows. This would end a voyage that could last as long as six months. Ferries would then come to the docked steamships and carry their passengers to Ellis Island. Success at last, they would think, as their eyes came to rest on the greatest symbol of America: The Statue of Liberty. This icon of life, liberty, ... ... middle of paper ... ...hout sunlight; rooms to sleep in, eat in, to cook in, but without sunshine. Could I survive with just a place to sleep in and eat in, or would I always need sunlight to be happy? ‘Where is America?’ cries my heart. (Bausum 95) I strongly believe that Ellis Island – though often percieved as a gateway to a beautiful, happy life for all who go through its halls – was actually a horrible experience for many. Countless hearts were broken as they were deported. Fair jobs were not available to many. Thousands were packed into New York slums, wishing they had never come to the new country. Not only were the streets not paved in gold, but immigrants were often required to pave the roads themselves. Long after the island closed, workmen found an inscription on the wall written by an immigrant. “Why should I fear the fires of Hell?” it read. “I’ve been through Ellis Island.”
“Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”, three common goals immigrants came to America seeking with hopes of the promise to prosper and gain success. However, during the Gilded Age it seemed as though these were attainable only for the select few, while others left the land they knew to spend their lives toiling away in pursuit of the American dream, many never understanding how unattainable it really was. While the Gilded Age was a time of an industrial boom and a growing economy, those working by the sweat of their brow to make the success of this time possible, were not actually ever grasping this wealth, but rather putting right back into the pockets of the wealthy. The Gilded Age compromised the American Dream by limiting the chances of the immigrant working class, and thus creating a cycle of missed opportunities keeping the immigrants from progressing much further then when they came to America to begin with.
America is a land filled with immigrants coming from different corners of the worlds, all in hopes of finding a better life in the country. However, No one had an easy transition from his or her home country to this foreign land. Not every race thrived the same way—some were luckier than others, while some have faced enormous obstacles in settling down and being part of the American society. Many people have suffered
The American dream is the belief that anyone, regardless of birthplace, social class, or economic class, can attain success in the American society. Sadly, countless people will never achieve success in this society because they are foreign born. In Warren St. John’s book Outcasts United, St. John sheds light onto the numerous hardships that the tiny American town of Clarkston faces when thousands of refugees attempt to create a brand-new life there. At first Clarkston stood completely divided by original residents and refugees, but it wasn’t until the refugees and old residents saw past their physical differences of language, culture, and past life experiences that Clarkston began to thrive. Although the majority of projects started out helping
Immigrants came to American in search of freedom and opportunity. They mostly came by steamship. Examinations and vaccinations of the immigrants needed to be done. Both immigrants and their baggage had to be disinfected before they could leave Ellis Island.
During the late 1800's and early 1900's hundreds of thousands of European immigrants migrated to the United States of America. They had aspirations of success, prosperity and their own conception of the American Dream. The majority of the immigrants believed that their lives would completely change for the better and the new world would bring nothing but happiness. Advertisements that appeared in Europe offered a bright future and economic stability to these naive and hopeful people. Jobs with excellent wages and working conditions, prime safety, and other benefits seemed like a chance in a lifetime to these struggling foreigners. Little did these people know that what they would confront would be the complete antithesis of what they dreamed of.
Immigration has existed around the world for centuries, decades, and included hundreds of cultures. Tired of poverty, a lack of opportunities, unequal treatment, political corruption, and lacking any choice, many decided to emigrate from their country of birth to seek new opportunities and a new and better life in another country, to settle a future for their families, to work hard and earn a place in life. As the nation of the opportunities, land of the dreams, and because of its foundation of a better, more equal world for all, the United States of America has been a point of hope for many of those people. A lot of nationals around the world have ended their research for a place to call home in the United States of America. By analyzing primary sources and the secondary sources to back up the information, one could find out about what Chinese, Italians, Swedish, and Vietnamese immigrants have experienced in the United States in different time periods from 1865 to 1990.
Ellis Island and Angel Island were two places immigrants could enter the United States. Ellis Island helped transform America by giving people of other races and ethnicity an opportunity to restart their lives. With Ellis Island letting people enter the United States it brought more people, diversity and jobs. An estimated 17 million immigrants passed through Ellis Island from 1892-1924. Over one million Asians entered America through Angel Island (Lee, Erika and Judy Young). America was soon made up mostly of immigrants. Without immigrants, the United States wouldn’t be as large as it is today.
Located in the upper New York Bay was the border or gateway for immigrants to come to the United States, in total over 12 million immigrants used Ellis island to get to the United States.
After reading The Book of the Unknown Americans, I realized how difficult immigrating to the United States can be. I am an immigrant also, so just reading the story makes me relate to many problems immigrants experience relocating to a different country. Immigrants often face many issues and difficulties, but for some it is all worth it, but for others there comes a point in time where they have to go back to their hometown. Alma and Arturo Rivera came to the United States to better their life, but also so that Maribel could attend a special education school. While Arturo had a job things had gone well for the family, but once Arturo lost the job and passed away the two of them had to go back because they felt that that was the best option for them. Reading this book made me realize how strong an individual has to be to leave their own country and relocate somewhere else not knowing if this will better your life or cause one to suffer.
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…” Though the immigrants to Ellis Island could not see Emma Lazarus’ “The New Colossus” within the base of the Statue of Liberty, “tired” and “poor” were overwhelming applicable to the desperate souls seeking new life in America. While Ellis Island has a reputation in popular culture for being the “processing center” for all those seeking to enter America on the East Coast, the sad truth is that primarily only steerage passengers who could just barely afford their ticket were the ones waiting in line at Ellis Island to gain admission into the United States. For those who could afford a luxury ticket, the immigration authorities boarded ships for them, and once given the all-clear, were then proceeded to be dropped off at New York.
From centuries ago, our society of melting pot coexisted with meanings of the American dream. It still held truth from generations ago, when immigration was a natural cause for immigrants to migrate to the land symbolized as freedom. Upon this, immigrating into the United States was not as complicated as it was today in terms of national immigration policies in place. Such examples concluded on Ellis Island when waves of immigration
In my younger and more vulnerable years, my parents and I immigrated from the Philippines to America in search of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It wasn't until I started maturing did I notice the obstacles I overcame, the accomplishments I achieved, and the objectives I set for myself that significantly contributed towards the achievement of my dream.
"Immigrants and the American Dream." Society 33.n1 (Nov-Dec 1995):3(3). Expanded Academic ASAP. Thomson Gale University. 26 Sep. 2006.
Immigrants traveled hundreds of miles from their homes, only with what possessions they could carry, in order to obtain the rights and chase the promise that America had to offer. Mary Antin illustrates in The Promised Land how if given the chance, immigrants will represent the promises and virtues of American society. Antin shows that public education, freedom from religious persecution, and freedom of expression as a citizen are aspects of life Americans may take for granted but immigrants certainly do not.
Determined to join the American lifestyle thousands of immigrants have journeyed to this great land to have a life based upon “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” This country’s backbone is immigration and it started when this