New Immigrants Essay

Today, in most cases, people don’t spend very much time thinking about why the society we live in presently, is the way it is. Most people would actually be surprised about all that has happened throughout America’s history. Many factors have influenced America and it’s society today, but one of the most profound ways was the way the “Old Immigrants” and “New Immigrants” came to America in the early to mid 1800s. The “Old Immigrants were categorized as the ones who came before 1860 and the “New Immigrants” being the ones who came between 1865 and 1920. The immigrants came to the United States, not only seeking freedom, but also education. Many immigrants also wanted to practice their religion without hindrance. What happened after the immigrants

Until the 1860s, the early immigrants not only wanted to come to America, but they also meticulously planned to come. These immigrants known as the “Old Immigrants” immigrated to America from many countries in Northern and Western Europe, known as, Sweden, Norway, Scandinavia, Wales and Ireland. Some of them traveled to Canada, but most of them came to the U.S. seeking freedom they didn’t get in their own countries. Ireland had also recently suffered through a potato famine, where the citizens were left poor and starving. Most settled in New York City and other large cities, where they worked in factories and other low-paying jobs. The immigrants caused a great increase in population in these areas. The “Old Immigrants” tried not to cluster themselves with others of their own nationality. They would mostly try to fit in with Americans as best as they could. Many of them had a plan to come to America, so they saved their money and resources before they arrived so they could have a chance at a better life. On the other hand, another group of immigrants began to arrive

Most of the “Old Immigrants” were educated and if they weren’t, they came seeking education and tried as hard as they could to succeed in America. Also, if they weren’t already trained for a profession, they were eager to learn new skills and improve what they already knew. They would also work at learning English if they didn’t already know it. Some could already read, write, and speak English, though, before they arrived. The “New Immigrants” were almost completely opposite from the “Old Immigrants.” The “New Immigrants” came to America very uneducated and did not understand the meaning of knowledge and its significance. They also knew very little English and saw no reason to learn it. After the first generation of immigrants realized how important education was in America, they pushed their children and second generation to be educated properly. Conversely, both the “Old” and “New Immigrants” were finally at a place where they could try to be more