The immigrants during 1870 and 1900 desperately wanted to move to the U.S. in search of better life. I am an immigrant as well - my family and I came to the States four years ago, for better education and future. And I know it is better here, but it is not something that is greatly different from South Korea. Like my family, the immigrants must have thought that in this very country, a great prize was waiting for them. Because we are from different timeline, it is possible that there are different reasons as for why they chose to immigrate. Some decided to move for the sake of freedom of religion, or avoiding religious persecution or ban, to stay away from the corrupt government or political persecution, possible failure in business or agriculture, need for new jobs, escaping from famine or taxes, and/or searching for better education. I believe that to those people, America was a symbol for “new life”, mainly because it was a vast land, which had less than 200 years of history. They must have thought that living in a new country would offer them better life and future, which did not turn out to be true.
I completely agree that people immigrated to the united states to escape poor lives in other countries and find a bright future in the USA. I know that I had relations a few generations back who immigrated from Poland to escape the threat of a pogrom. However, I disagree that living in the USA for these immigrants was always worse than their former standings. While life was hard here, it was often hard where they came from as well. Thus, I would say that even with horrible conditions here, life may have actually been better for some of the immigrants.
ReplyDeleteorry Daeho, but I agree with Katie to disagree with you that living in the USA was harder for immigrants than their old places. Very often, people came America to escape religious or ethnic persecution. Their lives were literally at stake often, much like the Native Americans here. Here, they faced economic hardships, and even death by way of illness perhaps, but nothing compared to their homeland. This may not always be the case, but it sometimes was.
ReplyDeleteI also disagree about living in the USA was harder than in their own places. What would drive someone to go so far as to leave their own country, their home? Many instances of ethnic persecution were occuring and although life was hard in America in was harder in their former country. I completely agree on that people came here to seek better lives and they would often come with unrealistic expectations of what awaited them.
DeleteDaeho, you've clearly brought up a vexed question. I suppose that one might rephrase your inquiry thus: are there historic reasons for immigration which are no longer relevant in the 21st century?
ReplyDeleteI will answer Mr. Hoffman's question "Are there historic reasons for immigration which are no longer relevant in the 21st century?" I believe that there are specific reasons for immigrating to the United States that do not exist any more, my great grandparents immigrated from Czechoslovakia for reasons that are no longer prevailing issues. I do believe tough, that there are still issues that force immigration that are still occurring, that have occurred in the past. I believe that some these issues include: Government related issues, issues related to religion, and issues related to the working class, environment, and culture.
ReplyDeleteI will also answer Mr. Hoffman's question, I believe so my dad immigrated to America for college, this was during the 80s since America had the only good colleges, however today there are many different countries with colleges that are cheaper in tuition and give the same kind of education that you would excpect in an American college. Back then it wasn't the case.
ReplyDelete