Transcript Immigration to the USA

 Immigration is the act of coming to a foreign country to live.
The act of leaving one's country to settle in another is called
emigration. Immigrants who flee their country because of
persecution, war, or such disasters as famines or epidemics
are known as refugees or displaced persons.
People choose to immigrate for many different reasons:
IN THE PAST
NOW
to avoid starvation
because of persecution
because of war
disasters
epidemics
Some immigrants were brought to
a new land against their will.
From the 1500's to the 1800's
Europeans shipped black Africans to
the Western Hemisphere as slaves.
the main reason for immigration has
long been economic opportunity, the
lure of better land or a better job (brain
drain)
religious persecution
wars, revolutions, and political
unrest have driven innumerable people
to find new homes
seek adventure
others wish to escape unbearable
family situations. Still others desire to
be reunited with loved ones.
 Most people find it very hard to pull up roots in their
native land and move to a strange country. But
throughout history, countless millions of people have
done so. The heaviest immigration worldwide took
place from the early 1800's to the Great Depression, the
economic hard times of the 1930's.
In that period, about 60 million people moved to a
new land. Most came from Europe. More than half
immigrated to the United States.
 Other destinations included Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, New
Zealand, and South Africa.
The United States has long been the world's chief
receiving nation for immigrants and refugees.
The country has had four major periods of immigration.
I.
The first wave began in what is now the United
States with the colonists of the 1600's and reached a
peak just before the Revolutionary War broke out in
1775.
II.
The second major flow of immigrants started in
the 1820's and lasted until a depression in the early
1870's
III. The greatest inpouring of people took place
from the 1880's to the early 1920's.
IV. A fourth and continuing wave began in 1965 because
of changes in U. S. Immigration laws.
Angel IslandSome history
- “Ellis Island of the West” –
San Francisco
- Construction began in 1905
and was completed in 1910
- Known as “The Guardian of
the Western Gate”
-The purpose was to control
the flow of Chinese people
into the country
- A detention center
Tenement dwellings Immigration led to a massive
increase in the number of slums in U.S. cities.
Built apartment buildings –
were often overcrowded
and lacked many necessities.
 The flood of immigrants into the U.S. worried many
Americans who felt their way of life could be changed.
 Nativism is an extreme dislike for foreigners by nativeborn people and a desire to limit immigration.
 Workers blamed immigrants for low wages or shortages
of employment. A resentment of foreigners crept into
America’s attitudes. New immigrants were blamed for
many of the nation’s problems that were brought on by
the Industrial Revolution.
The law barred
Chinese
immigration for
10 years and
prevented the
Chinese from
becoming U.S.
citizens.

Facts about immigrants More than 1 million
immigrants became legal permanent residents of the
United States in 2012 Of the new U.S. residents, 14 percent
came from Mexico, 7.9 percent from China, and 6.4 percent
from India. Between 2009 and 2012, more than 70 percent
of immigrants came from Asia and North America every
year Immigrants are an essential element of a strong U.S.
economy, fulfilling the intrinsic need of the labor force for
workers. For the first time in 2012, the majority of babies
under age 1 were black, Hispanic, Asian, or another nonwhite race. By 2026, it is predicted that the government will
have a shortage of 20 million workers.
Famous Immigrants
The American Dream is the belief that through hard
work and determination, any United States immigrant
can achieve a better life, usually in terms of financial
prosperity and enhanced personal freedom of
choice. According to historians, the rapid economic
and industrial expansion of the U.S. is not simply a
function of being a resource rich, hard working, and
inventive country, but the belief that anybody could
get a share of the country's wealth if he or she was
willing to work hard . This dream has been a major
factor in attracting immigrants to the United States
time will tell whether this is a good idea.
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