Immigration

    Immigration is huge part of history in America. Half of the people that our in this country today would not be here if it wasn't for immigration. Most people came to America in hopes for a better life but the journey here as well as assimilation into the American culture was not always easy. Immigration is not only a part of history but also happens a lot today. There are many reasons in which people choose to leave their home and move somewhere new such as: shortage of food, wars, religious persecution or even problems with farming due to bad weather conditions etc. These are all known as push factors, which are reasons people have to leave their home. There are also many reasons in which people are drawn to migrate to a certain place. These include the hope for opportunity and land, religious and political freedom, or persuasion by friends and family.
     The first people to come to America were known as the "Old Immigrants" These people were usually protestants from Northern and Western Europe. They were skilled laborers that mostly either took on more difficult jobs such as a blacksmith or carpenters or they took up the role as a farmer. These immigrants faced little to no discrimination because of their ability to assimilate easily into the American culture. Later on, Immigrants known as "New Immigrants" began making their way into America. These immigrants were known to be either Catholic or Jewish usually from Southern or Eastern Europe. They were usually unskilled laborers who took up jobs in factories and worked for very low wages. The New Immigrants lived in cities in very poor, unsanitary conditions. They definitely didn't have it easy.
     A group of immigrants who had it even worse were the Chinese immigrants. Most migrated to America to work on the railroads being built. This was a very laborious job that took a lot of hard work. The chinese were some of the only people willing to do such difficult work and be paid very little. After the railroads were finished being built, there was really no demand for them anymore so they began to take up other jobs. This caused a big problem with the Americans. They felt threatened and believed that the Chinese were stealing their jobs, and because of their hard working reputation, they were even accused of stealing the American women. They faced major discrimination and not long after, the Chinese Exclusion Act was created limiting their rights in American. Every person has a different experience when they migrate, some groups faced more discrimination than others, but all plays a huge role in the population of America today.