Jose Avalos
A.P. U.S. History
Mr. Bussalachi
Immigration: Then and Now
This united states was founded and built by several different types’ immigrants. They brought us different foods, culture and diversity. At the start of the 19th century began the period of the Industrial Age, which sparked opportunities and an increase of immigrants to the United States. Much of these immigrants came to the U.S. because they wanted to avoid persecution, discrimination and economic problems. Their hopes of finding a better life were here in the United States of America. The united states was their only hope for them so they began migrating to the U.S hoping to seek a better future for them and to prosper in life. These immigrants have a better chance of succeeding in the U.S than other foreign countries. The immigrants from then and now all came to the U.S. looking for a chance of the American Dream and to achieve success.
In the early of the 19th century Ireland was a horrible place filled with violence and political oppression under the British rule. Their properties were burned downed and forced out of their homes. About six million Irish immigrants came to the United States from the 1820s to the 1900s. The catholic Irish faced religious prejudice from the protestant masters. Their main reason for migrating to America was because of the potato famine and a need for a better life in their future. The potato famine started in 1845 to the 1850s, crops began to fail from the disease called Blight which makes the potato rot and turn black. Potatoes were the Irish main crop and food. Due to the potato famine about 350,000 people died of starvation. . When the Irish migrated to the U.S, many of them went to the state of New York. This travel was very difficult for them because they traveled in coffin ships; ships that packed many immigrants in a whole bunch. Once in this new country the Irish faced prejudice, segregation and racism from the Americans. Prolonging the chances and hope for the Irish of finding jobs. While they spent their time here in America, the Irish managed to bring a new culture and new types of holidays; such as St. Patrick’s Day. St. Patrick’s Day is a day to celebrate the Irish people by wearing green. Catholicism and the popularity of Halloween where also brought by the Irish. All Saints Day to celebrate their ancestors and the dead. The irish began to wear costumes and went house to house asking for food or money, this made it popular and later on in America. Even though the Irish suffered through hard times like, racism and hatred by others, they overcame these challenges and made a name for themselves here in the U.S.
Modern immigration is becoming a big issue in the United Sates. Almost every year countries all over the world journey to the U.S.; such as the country of Bangladesh. Bangladesh had its independence in 1971 but they began to come into the U.S. in the 1960’s. The Bangladeshi people came to the U.S. to escape poverty. Around the 1980’s and 1990’s there was about 28,000 Bangladeshi people living in the U.S.; most of them settling in New York, New Jersey and California. These Bangladeshi’s came along to the U.S. by planes or ports. They usually came with no family or little family to count on. Most of the Bangladeshi people today are either lottery winners of the U.S. Diversity Visa Program or temporary students. The U.S Diversity Visa Program is a program which happens annually, where a random selection of individuals from different countries with