African American Migration and Foreign Immigration

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An Experience Unlike Any Before During the mass immigration era of America, an abundant number of people traveled to the urban industrial society of the United States in aspiration to seek job opportunities and better lives than the ones they left behind. These groups included the Poles, Italians, Chinese, Mexicans, Japanese, East European Jews, and the African- Americans. However, one of these groups mentioned was distinctly different from the rest: the African-Americans. They were already American citizens, who migrated to the northern American cities to free themselves from segregation, oppression, and harsh conditions they experienced in the South and obtain equal rights and opportunities. Although the African-Americans' ambitions were exceedingly high, there were strong barriers that kept them from reaching their goals of Americanization. The historical legacy of slavery acted as a barrier, and left the African-Americans with fewer civil rights than all other Americans and immigrants. To understand the meaning of "civil rights," it can be defined as "the rights belonging to an individual by virtue of citizenship especially the fundamental freedoms including civil liberties, due process, equal protection of the laws, and freedom from discrimination" (Dictionary.com). African-Americans were similar to the new comers from abroad in that they both experienced change and adjustment when entering urban American, but due to the legacy of slavery and the impact it had on the African-Americans' civil rights, the African-Americans migration experience was clearly different than other immigration experiences. The African-Americans and other migrant and immigrant groups experienced similar conditions and challenges of change u... ... middle of paper ... ...onstantly denied equal civil rights and were left behind, while the other minorities progressed in urban industrial America. While African American migration experience was similar to immigrant experience in many ways, the legacy of slavery acted against African Americans, eliminating their civil rights and equal opportunities. Their experience was unlike any other new comer, given that they were discriminated against so cruelly based on their stigma and complexion. For decades, blacks have been constantly persecuted and looked down upon, but not once have they given up on the battle. As the famous, African- American, Martin Luther King Jr., fought for civil rights before his death, he stated, "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

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