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Personal story about an immigrant
Latino immigration history
Personal story about an immigrant
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I am lucky enough to have two family migration stories, but the one I will focus on is my mother’s side. Finding the information needed to answer many of the questions were easily found because my mom keeps many of the family records in our safe. The story starts out with Sam and Rachel Ofgang, who lived in an area close to the Russia/Poland border. To give some time perspective, Sam is my great great grandparents. As many family stories are the father (Sam Ofgang) came to America first to find a stable job and make enough money to get the rest of the family over. Based on his passport he arrived in America in late 1890s. After working many years in the 1920s Sam raised the money to bring Rachel (his wife) and his daughter and son over on boat, eventually ending up at Ellis Island. According to my mother the reasons for the migration from Russia/Poland was to escape the poverty and hardship that riddled the area. Sam, Rachel, and millions of other immigrants believed in the “American Dream” and was a large pull factor. The name Ofgang was changed by Ellis Island …show more content…
My mother was born in the Bronx and lived there for her childhood. After college at the age of 26 she moved to Elmwood Park, New Jersey. Months after meeting my father she then moved in with him to a small house in Nutley. In 1993, my parents bought our current house in Cedar Knolls. The main reason behind buying a house in Cedar Knolls was that it was a safer residential area with a elementary school down the road.
If a large amount of middle class or upper class trained professionals left a country there would be a drop in the quality of life. Higher education in most societies is provided to those of middle or upper class and without an educated population people would be less likely to rely on reason. Quality of goods and services would be affected if there were no trained professionals making the more challenging
Mark Wyman, the author of the brief essay known as Coming and Going: Round-Trip to America, had a different perspective about immigration to America from the various counties during the 1880’s through the 1930’s. A common belief, regarding the immigration to America, held that immigrates stayed in America during the massive shift of population, due to the enormous creation of factories and cities that erupted in America. The past day literature entices readers to believe that all immigrates came to America to work and eventually settled down to create their own families. It’s taught that all of these families stayed in America for their entire life span. Although despite the common belief, Wyman held to his own thoughts on the controversial debate and pioneered a new way of thinking. He believed that countless immigrates, which came from all over the world, actually only
Like any other family, they immigrated to the U.S. thinking about the American Dream, a better future for their kids and the generations to come. The parents wanted to provide the life they did not have to their children. One example is Carlos mother deciding she was willing to leave Mexico for her son. The book says, “Manuela was hesitant to return to the United States but felt there would be more opportunity for her younger son there… In the United States, school was free…and more demanding” (Davis 43). Manuela did not want to leave, but she knew her son would have a brighter education in the U.S. Later on it also shows the struggles of achieving what they desire because they were illegal. Another example is Oscar himself. Goins, the ROTC commander told Carlos, “you gotta be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident” (Davis 51). Oscar was trying to enroll in the Army, but unfortunately he could not serve his country like he wished because he had du that he was not legal in the country and would be taking a privilege from U.S.
The author also explained what brought many of the immigrants to the United States and the typical life they endured upon arrival. Immigration in America came in waves and during the era of late 1800s and early 1900s. Many were Russian Jews skilled at the trade of sewing. In Russia the trades that Jews were permitted to have were limited and one of these authorized trades was tailor. The surge of Russian Jew immigration was as a result of several anti-semitic activities occurring in Russia at the time. The current Czar created many rules that prevented Jews from being productive members of Russian society and there were also several pogroms during the ...
They talked about how the came over about 10 years ago, so in 1886 when Russia was just starting to get hit with the industrialize revolution, and Poland was also coming over during this time. They were young adults at the time with no family with them and only their bag that they brought to the US. It wasn’t uncommon for people to travel young to the United States because they were most likely to migrate because they had no children or a family to take care of, and they weren’t part of the older generation in their country. They came to America much like everyone else with hopes and dreams to make it big in their new country. Mami wanted to open up her own dance academy while Jake wanted to get his family from Russia over to America, and make a living out of himself. We also see in this opening scene a new migrant who had just came off the boat, going to this bar where they are at and Mami, Jake, and the others being welcoming to him. You also get a glimpse at what an immigrant looks like when they have just gotten off the boat, this immigrant had his beard, one bag, hat, and he doesn’t speak English at all. Luckily for him, he is in a neighborhood that speaks the same language as
The 18th Century was a time where most immigrants were of Irish, British, and German descent. From the 1890’s, through the next couple decade, Italians, and Jews would be the cause a new wave of immigration. Between 1900 and 1915, 3 million immigrants would take the journey, and travel to America. They would come through the famed “Ellis
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.
Immigration has existed around the world for centuries, decades, and included hundreds of cultures. Tired of poverty, a lack of opportunities, unequal treatment, political corruption, and lacking any choice, many decided to emigrate from their country of birth to seek new opportunities and a new and better life in another country, to settle a future for their families, to work hard and earn a place in life. As the nation of the opportunities, land of the dreams, and because of its foundation of a better, more equal world for all, the United States of America has been a point of hope for many of those people. A lot of nationals around the world have ended their research for a place to call home in the United States of America. By analyzing primary sources and the secondary sources to back up the information, one could find out about what Chinese, Italians, Swedish, and Vietnamese immigrants have experienced in the United States in different time periods from 1865 to 1990.
Moving from the unpleasant life in the old country to America is a glorious moment for an immigrant family that is highlighted and told by many personal accounts over the course of history. Many people write about the long boat ride, seeing The Statue of Liberty and the “golden” lined streets of New York City and how it brought them hope and comfort that they too could be successful in American and make it their home. Few authors tend to highlight the social and political developments that they encountered in the new world and how it affected people’s identity and the community that they lived in. Authors from the literature that we read in class highlight these developments in the world around them, more particularly the struggles of assimilating
During the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century, the rise of immigration centered around two specific ethnic groups. Irish and German immigrants provided a large portion of immigrants that entered the United States between the 1820’s and 1920’s. Both ethnic groups invested in making the journey to the United States for several reasons, however some immigrants were not given much choice. Economic opportunities attracted both ethnic groups into making the migration to the America, however others came because they felt dislocated or threatened in their own country. Choosing to come to America for these two groups was a similar decision, but with their similarities came differences as well.
Between 1880 and 1920 almost twenty-four million immigrants came to the United States. Between better salaries, religious freedom, and a chance to get ahead in life, were more than enough reasons for leaving their homelands for America. Because of poverty, no future and various discrimination in their homelands, the incentive to leave was increasing. During the mid-1800's and early 1900's, the labor and farm hands in Eastern Europe were only earning about 15 to 30 a day. In America, they earned 50 cents to one dollat in a day, doubling their paycheck. Those lower wage earners in their homeland were st...
"The day I left home, my mother came with me to the railroad station.When we said goodbye, she said it was just like seeing me go into my casket, I never saw her again." So is the story of Julia B. from Germany and many others who left their life and love for a chance of happiness in a new country. This is the story of the German immigrants in 1880-1930 who risked everything on a dream of better things.
The United States is a country known for its variation of nationalities and ethnic races. After extensive research, and questioning I discovered that my ancestors originated from Norway and Switzerland. My family migrated to the United States in the late 1800’s from Norway due to social, economic, and religion reforms as well as, a surplus in the population. Learning of my ancestor’s migration to America has very much influenced my views on the existing immigration problems that the U.S. currently faces.
My life in early 19th century was very dreadful and scary. I was from a poor family where father goes to work in factories for 12-18 hours a day. I was from Germany. Jews was the most segregated religion in Germany. We did not have full right to do a certain things such as go to certain college to get education, shoe our religion freely to other and enjoy our festival. My father used to get a low wages in work and we have to live with the things we have we have no right to argue back for wages or anything. At that time pneumonia,tuberculosis and influenza were very common dieses. If anybody get sick in family we did not have much money to cure or buy medicine. There was a struggle going on with farmer because industrialist have started making the crops and grains in cheap mony and sell which make the life of farmer hard to live. We also have a little land where we use to farm and live since there is not profit in selling grains than my father start working in factories. My mother used to stay home and prepare food for us. Christian people were persecuting many of my relative and jews...
Since the 1600s, Polish immigrants have moved to the United States of America in hopes of beginning a new life with an abundance of resources to obtain the American Dream; or to reconnect with their relatives whom have settled in the States a while ago; or to escape the times of war or national oppression Poland faced by its neighboring countries. Whatever the reason may be, from the beginnings of Poles immigrating to America, once arriving in the states, they created for themselves a Polish ethnic community, otherwise known as Polonia. This community was intricately constructed in which Poles held onto their Polish customs and traditions so they would not have to change their entire way of living even though moving to America (Lopata 1976:1). However, in the years following 1918, Poles eventually began to evolve towards Americanized ideologies and slowly withdrew their Polish practices from everyday life in the United States (Lopata 1994: 100). Thus the immigrants that came to the U.S. before World War I are considered “old emigration” immigrants while the Poles that moved to America after World War I are known as “new emigration” immigrants (Lopata 1976: 3).
...rked fears of the return of the university system geared toward the wealthy. Society needs the higher educated, because the educated do serve a purpose. Not everyone is as blessed as the fortunate few to have obtained a higher education. Society needs professionals (doctors, lawyers, and engineers). It also needs artiest, essay writing professors, philosophers and politicians. In certain ways the educated owe it to the society they came from to make it a better, more diverse living environment, for everyone including themselves.