Immigration to the Land of Opportunity

Immigration to America is often a decision made in order to discover a better life for a family or individual. America’s founding ideals are usually what compel foreigners to move to the US. The stories of America being the “Land of Opportunity” have continued to persuade people to immigrate. Although immigration in the 20th century is much different from recent immigration, the underlying reasons for moving to the US are usually quite similar.

Anna Romano was 24 years old when she, her husband Gino, and her expected daughter moved from Ponza, Italy to the United States in 1971. Her sister-in-law was the first of her relatives to move to the United States, in hopes of finding opportunity for her family. After hearing great things about the United States, she decided it would be best for her family to immigrate. Similar to the America Letters, which were letters from friends and relatives that convinced foreigners to immigrate in the 20th century, she was persuaded to believe that America was the best place to raise a family. Anna and Gino were informed of the vast amount of opportunity and jobs in America. They were fascinated by the stories and great things they were told. The original plan was to move to America, make enough money to be well off in Italy, and then move back to their homeland. However, after arriving in America, they ended up settling in and staying to raise their family. Before leaving for America, Anna and Gino were interviewed by Italian government officials. They were asked questions such as why they were going to America, who they would be staying with, and whether or not they had jobs awaiting their arrival. This is similar to the immigrants in the 20th century who were asked various questions and given h...

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...enuine to her culture and many of her old ways of life, she considers herself more American than Italian. According to Anna, “Moving to America gave me more opportunity and changed the way I raised my family, so I consider myself an American.” She believes that immigration is beneficial to those who are seeking better opportunities and brighter futures, and that the immigration laws today should remain unchanged.

Immigration has undergone much change since the 20th century. However, a lot of the motives behind immigration and adaptation to a new culture and way of life have remained the same.

Works Cited

Hart, Diane, Ms. "Through Ellis Island and Angel Island: The Immigrant Experience." History Alive!

Pursuing American Ideals. Palo Alto: Teacher's Curriculum Institute, 2008. 187+. Print.

Romano, Anna M. "Recent Immigration." Personal interview. 11 Nov. 2013.