Immigration In America Essay

Immigrants in Urban America
Before the turn of the 19th Century, foreigners immigrated into the United States of America in three major waves (Chudacoff, Smith, & Baldwin, 2015,p.101). The reasons for coming to America are immeasurable; nonetheless, it can be assumed that immigrants had become discontent with their homeland. Additionally, with their reasons came learned habits, behaviors, and cultures from their birth places, (Handlin, 1959,p.20). The immigrants heard of the American dream through information spread by word of mouth in casual conversations, seeing the idealized ship advertisement posters of gaiety on decks of immigrant ships, and by reading letters from relatives and friends already living in America. How did immigrants
The first wave took place from the 1840s through the 1880s. The second wave took place from the 1880s, peaked around 1910 and diminished after 1924 when U. S. legislation halted unrestricted influx. Lastly, the third wave began in 1965 with reform legislation, grew stronger in the 1990s, and continues to this day, (Chudacoff, et al, 2015, p101). The ethnicity of immigrants in the first and second waves consisted of five main groups; German and Irish Catholics, English, German, and Scandinavian Protestants. Immigrants often relied upon a process of “chain migration” in which early arrivals sent information and money back home to help secure passage for family and friends to come to the New World. Numerous immigrants could not go beyond their port of arrival because of lack of money. They would use previously learned skills to find immediate employment. Many immigrants branched out to various cities within the United States searching for immediate
It was not unusual for an entire family to work together to earn enough money to pay for a family member that wanted to immigrate to America. The practice of one family member forging ahead, securing their place in America, and then saving money to bring other family members to America was common. Almost 95 percent of the immigrants arriving at Ellis Island were joining friends or family. Prepaid tickets were popular, in 1890 between twenty-five and fifty percent of all immigrants arriving in America held prepaid tickets. Then in 1901 between 40 and 65 percent came on money sent from the United