The Reasons Why People Leave Their Own Country

791 Words2 Pages

Since the beginning of human civilisation, people were natural migrants. Many are the reasons why people leave their own country, however looking for a better life is the most common motif to take the decision. In this work I will be analizing the issues that the immigrant from Europe to the United States of America in the period from the late 1800’s until nowadays have suffered discrimination. My aim is to call the attention of those who are thinking to live in the USA with the intention of aware them about what they will go through. During the XIX century, Europe underwent an abrupt phase of industrialization cutting down the agricultural based society, without a public policy to enable people to join the new economic system, consequently an important number of the population were migrating to the USA hoping to find a better life. Today, the reasons for people migrate to the USA are radically changing, nevertheless the aim is still the same. Discrimination towards immigrants started before they arrived to their destination. Nearly 12 million people migrated to America between 1892 and 1924, in fact during the journey from Europe to America, the immigrants were forced to travel clamped together in restricted areas of the ship, without proper food or medical attention. They were not allowed to enter in the United States until they passed through a medical inspection, so when the ship arrived, immigrants were brought to Ellis Island in order to prove if they were fitted enough to the American work style. 250,000 people (about 2%) did not pass the proof. Repatriation was compulsory for them. The overwhelming majority of immigrants, regardless of ethnicity, were subjected to discrimination. Despite they had the same qualificat... ... middle of paper ... ...tion. Racism is a trauma that has affected all races and, as a result, exist a lack of trust between them. As experts say: “Experiences with discrimination are now recognized as a major stressor that can take their toll on physical and mental health of ethnic minority youth as well as adults…. Adolescents who perceive themselves to be chronic targets of others’ mistreatment often lose confidence in themselves and in their ability to be self-efficacious.” In conclusion, the European migration contributed in many ways to build America’s society, but at the same time it grew divided into different social classes creating a system where discrimination was present in everyday life. Today we can say that institutionally discrimination has been overcome, as a fact America has its first black president, but this contrasts with the reality showed in the American streets.

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