Immigration Descrimination Attention statement: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddles masses yearning to be free” these are the words that have greeted hundreds of thousands of immigrants coming to our country on the gates of Ellis Island. INTRO America is an idea, a set of beliefs about people and their relationships and the kind of society which holds the best hope of satisfying the needs each of us brings as an individual. For countless immigrants, the struggle to arrive in America was rivaled only by the struggle to gain acceptance among the population. Immigrants say they came to America seeking economic opportunity and freedom for themselves and their children, and at the same time they have all, at one time, experienced discrimination. First, we will be looking at the general history of immigration to the United States from the 19th century on into the 21st. We will explain who came to the United States and why. We will focus on the treatment of the larger more prominent groups who emigrated. Finally, we will point out the views of today’s immigrants and those who oppose their presence in America. BEGINNING OF BODY “America was built by immigrants.” From Plymouth Rock in the 17th century to Ellis Island in the 20th century, people from every corner of the earth have come to America. Immigrants left their home countries for various reasons. Some were fleeing religious persecution and political turmoil. Most, however, came for economic reasons and were part of extensive migratory systems that responded to changing demands in labor markets. The American economy needed both skilled and unskilled workers through much of the 19th century. But after the 1880’s the demand was almost exclusively for unskilled workers to fill the growing number of factories in the American Northeast. Southern and Eastern Europeans dislocated from their land and possessing few skills were attracted to the rapidly increasing industries in the United States. Four major factors altered their society in Europe; extreme population growth, spreading commercial agriculture, the rise of the factory system, and the proliferation of inexpensive means of transportation. Many immigrants were somewhat coerced to leave their countries. Emigration companies placed advertisements in news papers across Europe, some promising great fortune, land, and pro... ... middle of paper ... ...nts to acquire an American education unless they plan on putting it to use in America. Today, in considering America’s rich immigrant history and hundreds of nationalities, which have come to the u.s. to see a new home, we are keenly aware of the hardships and rejection faced by newcomers as they attempted to assimilate into American culture. For countless immigrants, the struggle to arrive in America was rivaled only by the struggle to gain acceptance among the population. It is wrong to allow one group to infringe upon anthers rights only because o religious, or cultural differences. The prejudice demonstrated against immigrants is a violation of their constitutional rights. After all, because of the fact the first inhabitants of America were native Americans, everyone who lives in the United States can be considered of immigrant ancestry. Repeatedly, immigrants’ stake in American society and their right to be American citizens was denied. It was their right to become American citizens. We wanted to bring this topic of immigrant discrimination to all of your attention because we must learn from past encroachments of rights to ensure that they do not occur in the future.
America is a land filled with immigrants coming from different corners of the worlds, all in hopes of finding a better life in the country. However, No one had an easy transition from his or her home country to this foreign land. Not every race thrived the same way—some were luckier than others, while some have faced enormous obstacles in settling down and being part of the American society. Many people have suffered
In the years from 1860 through 1890, the prospect of a better life attracted nearly ten million immigrants who settled in cities around the United States. The growing number of industries produced demands for thousands of new workers and immigrants were seeking more economic opportunities. Most immigrants settled near each other’s own nationality and/or original village when in America.
During the late 1800's and early 1900's hundreds of thousands of European immigrants migrated to the United States of America. They had aspirations of success, prosperity and their own conception of the American Dream. The majority of the immigrants believed that their lives would completely change for the better and the new world would bring nothing but happiness. Advertisements that appeared in Europe offered a bright future and economic stability to these naive and hopeful people. Jobs with excellent wages and working conditions, prime safety, and other benefits seemed like a chance in a lifetime to these struggling foreigners. Little did these people know that what they would confront would be the complete antithesis of what they dreamed of.
What is a myth? Well to most it’s a concept or idea that are adapted to lead someone to believe a certain idea or concept. America is full of myths, tons. As a society they are lead to believe that if they put in the effort and work hard successes will come their way. If they want to succeed creating their own opportunities is a must. Our society feeds into these myths when in fact race and gender play a huge role in the successes they achieve. Heaven forbid the employee that works hard and puts in the time and effort should receive the rewards that are deserved, not based on whether they are male or female, black or white. Society and the media sensationalize the idea that a happy life is a wealthy and lavish life. Material possessions are
In the eyes of the early American colonists and the founders of the Constitution, the United States was to represent the ideals of acceptance and tolerance to those of all walks of life. When the immigration rush began in the mid-1800's, America proved to be everything but that. The millions of immigrants would soon realize the meaning of hardship and rejection as newcomers, as they attempted to assimilate into American culture. For countless immigrants, the struggle to arrive in America was rivaled only by the struggle to gain acceptance among the existing American population.
In the United States, the cliché of a nation of immigrants is often invoked. Indeed, very few Americans can trace their ancestry to what is now the United States, and the origins of its immigrants have changed many times in American history. Despite the identity of an immigrant nation, changes in the origins of immigrants have often been met with resistance. What began with white, western European settlers fleeing religious persecution morphed into a multicultural nation as immigrants from countries across the globe came to the U.S. in increasing numbers. Like the colonial immigrants before them, these new immigrants sailed to the Americas to gain freedom, flee poverty and famine, and make a better life for themselves. Forgetting their origins as persecuted and excluded people, the older and more established immigrants became possessive about their country and tried to exclude and persecute the immigrant groups from non-western European backgrounds arriving in the U.S. This hostile, defensive, and xenophobic reaction to influxes of “new” immigrants known as Nativism was not far out of the mainstream. Nativism became a part of the American cultural and political landscape and helped to shape, through exclusion, the face of the United States for years to come.
What would it be like to wake up everyday knowing you would get bullied, mistreated, and/or abused just because of where you were born? Discrimination still exists! “Discrimination remains and there is an increase in hate crimes against Hispanics, Latinos and Mexican-Americans, as one of the perceived symbols of that discrimination, the U.S.-Mexico Border Fence, nears completion. Instead of pulling together in these difficult times, we may see a greater polarization of attitudes” (Gibson). But why are hate crimes increasing towards Latin and Hispanic aliens and what types of discrimination are occurring against them? Understanding violence towards the Hispanic and Latin alien is divided into three main classes; the difference between legal and illegal aliens, the attacks and effects, and the point of view of different people towards aliens.
Essentially, the first group of immigrants came from numerous countries in Northwestern Europe and arrived to the country on boats. The ones who were denied access to America were immediately deported back to their homeland if they were criminals or carried diseases (Bouvier). The government’s main purpose for deporting these illegal immigrants was to ensure the well being and protection of the United States. However, foreigners have been given the opportunity to become legal residents since the late 1800’s. Although, the process in which one becomes a legal citizen has become rather lengthy in which the applicant must endure a rather long process in order to receive a visa or green card. In addition, the United States still carries out some of it’s older policies today. However, the system in which immigrants are granted entry and residency has improved significantly, ensuring a stricter and more efficient policy of immigration. Therefore, the multiple disadvantages of illegal immigration are enough to outweigh the positives, making it an unnecessary problem that should be resolved as soon as
While Syrian refugees are often labeled as terrorists, they are actually the opposite. Through research, - Lauren Gambino, Patrick Kingsley, and Alberto Nardelli - three writers from an English Newspaper, “The Guardian”, have found interesting results. They admit, “Syrian refugees are generally afraid of exactly the same thing that Americans are: Islamist terrorism” (Gambino 3). Considering that the Syrians are seeking an escape from the same exact thing that Americans are, why have they not been accepted into America? Like many of the 70,000 refugees who are accepted into the United States every year, Syrian refugees search for shelter from wars and hope of a prosperous future (Welsh 1). Teresa Welsh, a writer for the “U.S. News and World Report”, describes in her article “Why the U.S. Can’t Resettle Syrian Refugees” that “the U.S. should be doing more to help resettle those fleeing conflict and repressive governments in the Middle East and Asia” (Welsh 1). The Syrians desire escape from a repressive government with no chance of rebuilding a better future; therefore, they seek support from outside countries, like the United States and other European
After the November 13th terror attacks in Paris, especially, Europeans are becoming increasingly wary and afraid of the potential for terrorists to enter Europe under the guise of legitimate refugees. The investigation which followed the attacks in Paris led to the uncovering of the fact that the attackers were European passport holders who had slipped in and out of Syria undetected, investigators also discovered a Syrian passport held by one of the attackers. The ability for potential terrorists to enter Europe as asylum seekers presents an ominous and imminent threat to Europe and Europeans. Many reforms to the Schengen Agreement, which was previously mentioned, are being proposed. These reforms do have the potential to take away from the value of unrestricted travel for innocent people though. The vast majority of European politicians want to show that they take national security and the safety of their citizens more seriously than lofty European ideals. Leaders want to find ways to improve European security without compromising the integrity of their respective nations, current attempts have proven to be ineffective. As of yet, there is not an effective way to handle the imminent threat presented by the possible presence of terrorists among Syrian refugees, because of this, Europe cannot afford to endanger its
“Refugees”. It’s as if ever time a person turns on the TV or browses the internet in the present day, there’s some news story about people seeking the safety of living in another country because their own is in disaster. Presently, the Syrian refugee crisis, where millions of Syrians are being displaced due to a civil war in their country, is at the headline of the national newspaper, but refugee displacement has been an issue for decades. The most notable crisis in the world’s history was at the end of World War II, where people escaping Hitler’s regime had to find a new home. It was at this time that Western Europe adopted its negative stance on immigration, turning their backs not just on legitimate people wanting to move into their country, but also on refugees from other countries. Their policies have stayed mostly the same up
A columnist for the Qatari Al-Sharq, Ali Al-Rashid, wrote, “The Arab and Islamic states, their governments and peoples, bear no small share of the responsibility for the situation of the Syrians and for their ongoing exodus to Europe… because this ongoing and growing stream of refugees that is flowing into Europe, especially in recent months, has several underlying causes. Perhaps the most important of these [causes] is the restrictions that have been placed on Syrian refugees in most of the countries bordering Syria where they have been compelled to stay, whether [restrictions] on [finding] employment with reasonable pay that would meet the basic needs of sustenance, or in providing education for their children and health services for their families. In these countries they are also subjected to constraints on their freedom of movement…” (memri.org). The first question to be asked is why would the bordering Islamic/Arab countries exhibit such restricting policies on the Syrian refugees, especially enough for them to want to risk their life crossing oceans just to get to Europe? In response to Syrians heading to Europe and risking their lives, we hear nothing from rich Gulf countries and the silence is deafening. We see that there are 1.8 million Syrians that have migrated to Turkey and 1.17 million that are in the less sufficient Lebanon (as of July 9th of 2015), so
Turkey, a country with more than two million refugees, has tried to limit the amount of migrants moving to Europe with varying success. The EU agreed to prelaunch Turkey’s stalled bid to join the European Union, because of this. The EU is also working with the countries surrounding Syria, in these countries, many people have taken refuge, these countries include Lebanon and Jordan. Syria’s other neighbors including, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (6).
Extremist terrorist groups like ISIS, have risen up and caused a wave of fear and mistrust over the world. Desperately trying to escape their war-torn country, Syrian people try to cross the dangerous Mediterranean Sea, in hope to reach safety. A recently, it had been reported that over 500 Syrian refugees have died trying to cross the sea. Countries were lending aid to the Syrian refugees such as the UN, Turkey, and the United States. Everything changed after the Paris Terrorist Attack in 2015. It became known that some terrorists were disguising themselves as refugees in order to gain access to the country. The United States panicked about its refugee policies, fearing domestic safety. However, the Syrian Refugee issue is in fact a crisis. By February 2016, the U.S had resettled 2,819 Syrians, which has risen from 90 admitted in 2013, in addition to 4.5 billion dollars in aid. Following the Paris tragedy, at least 27 state governors stated their refusal to accept refugees or questioned the admission process. The US State Department has confirmed that the country will accept 10,000 Syrian refugees in 2016. This was met with some backlash from modern day Restrictionists, the conservatives. While helping people who are threatened by terrorism is a moral obligation, the issue was complicated by terrorists hiding as refugees. Because of this, it sparked hysteria and xenophobia in the United States against
In the last few weeks there has been stories of lives lost, sacrificed and risked all in the immigration of mass quantities of refugees into Europe. In the middle East countries such as Syria, Damascus, and northern parts of Iraq. There has been a mass shift in the population of Syria as many Syrians wish to escape the conflict and flee into Europe countries like Germany, Hungry, and the UK. In the media, much of the news coverage has been on the refugees ' stories. Germany has been overrun with the flooding of refugees. Countries are thought to accept them with open arms are countries that are a part of the UN have an “obligation” to give asylum to the refugees. “According to the European Union, almost 150,00 Syrian refugees have declared political asylum in the European Union since the start of the current conflict in Syria, the majority in Germany and Sweden” ( European University Institute). The media portrays these Syrian and all immigrants ' stories to be harsh and cruel. The show graphic images of how the refugees risk their life to come to a better country. One without conflict and war. An example of the graphic stories covered is the one of a Syrian boy that was found washed ashore. “Aylan Kurdi, a Syrian Kurd from Kobani, a town near the Turkish border that has witnessed months of heavy fighting between the Islamic St...