New Immigration Dbq Essay

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Many foreigners believed the United States of America was full of riches in the late 19th and early 20th century. Many of these people were struggling financially in their countries, thus, they decided to immigrate to the United States of America. They are the new immigrants, most emigrated from Southern and Eastern Europe. On the contrary, old immigrants are people who come from Northern and Western Europe, many of these people are already settled and have large businesses. They are the old immigrants because most of them are descendants from those who colonized America. Many of the old immigrants had nativist views upon new incoming immigrants. Therefore, America was not the land of opportunity for immigrants in the late 19th century and early 20th century. …show more content…

Many immigrants had heard of all the successes and beautiful open spaces that the United States had to offer. However, according to Document 5, it is exactly the contrary, “I looked about the narrow streets of squeezed-in stores and houses, ragged clothes, dirty bedding oozing out of the windows, ash-cans and garbage-cans cluttered the sidewalks. A vague sadness pressed down on my heart, the first doubt of America.” The author was clearly confused, all the claims about the beauty of the streets, wealth and accomplishment were misleading because the author was seeing firsthand the actual streets of America. On the contrary of many claims the author had heard of, America was crowded with an abundance of poverty and little chances for achievements. Litter, debris and trash were scattered amongst the streets. Many buildings were cramped and full of dirty inhabitants. America was not that ideal living environment immigrants had imagined and pictured in their home countries. The United States of America was not the “land of opportunity” in the late 19th century to early 20th

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