Immigrant Life in the 19th and 20th Centuries Essay example

American was a prosperous country with incredible economic growth between the end of Reconstruction and the Great Depression. It was during this time that industrial expansion went into high gear because increasing manufacturing efficiencies enabled American firms to cut prices and yet earn profits for financing still better equipment (Henretta 488). During this era, the manufacturing of steel, the construction of railroads, factories, and warehouses, and the growing demand for technological advancements, increased greatly. Philanthropists, such as Andrew Carnegie, Andrew Mellon, and John D. Rockefeller, took advantage of the situation they were in by investing large sums of capital into the growing economy. Carnegie constructed†¦show more content†¦Farming in Europe was also advancing quickly, and due to Europes population increase, many farmers were losing their jobs to more efficient machinery. The opening of jobs in America encouraged many to leave their country and pursue a new, happier, overall better life. However, after a long, hard trip to America, the only thing immigrants encountered was cold hatred. Upon arrival in the United States, many foreign immigrants experienced extreme hatred at the hands of the Americans. In Out of this Furnace, Bell starts the book by telling the story of what might happen to Kracha if he wandered astray - ...about trusting immigrants robbed and beaten their first day in America, about others who stepped off the ship and were never seen again, about husbands found in the alleys with their throats cut from ear to ear while their brides of a month vanished forever into houses of prostitution (Bell 4). It was a common belief among Americans that immigrants brought disease, crime, pollution, and a thinner job market. Many Americans had an extremely ethnocentric view and they did not want their culture contaminated with that of foreign immigrants. So, when immigrants arrived, they were forced into poorly maintained ghettos, where the everyday life was put to the test because of crime, poor construction of buildings, and healthy living conditions. African Americans wereShow MoreRelatedLabor Workers Vs. American Business1615 Words   |  7 PagesLabor Workers vs. American Business Throughout the 19th and the early 20th century, American businesses have taken advantage of naà ¯ve immigrants who leave their country in order to fulfill the â€Å"American dream†. During this period of industrialization, millions of poor immigrants that flocked to the United States met with terrible working conditions and barely livable wages. In the book â€Å"The Jungle† written by Upton Sinclair, is able to convey these dreadful events through a family who experienceRead MoreA Race United Essay919 Words   |  4 PagesWhen the first Irish immigrants landed on the eastern shores of America in the 18th century, they were met by intolerance from the Native whites who saw them as a threat to the American way of life. The Dangers of Foreign Immigration, an article written by Samuel Morse in 1835, exposits much of the anti-immigrant sentiment prevalent in the 19th century. To the natives, the Irish were simply niggers turned inside out (Anonymous Satirism), who came to America as refugees from Ireland to depriveRead More Change in Life from Antebellum to the New Deal Essay1361 Words   |  6 PagesIt was a long process that took centuries to occur from when America was first colonized by England. 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Culturally, many Asians have adopted American ways of life, but the legacy of a Chinese work ethic and educational background are a major part of howRead MoreAmerica n Racial Stereotyping Hampered Chinese Immigrants Essay1539 Words   |  7 PagesHampered Chinese Immigrants from Being Part of the Mainstream Society With the passing of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the first federal law was enacted restricting immigrants of a specific nationality from entering the United States due to Americans attributing dire economic uncertainty to Chinese laborers who take away jobs from native-born Americans. Anti-Chinese sentiments greatly proliferated throughout the United States during the late 19th century and early 20th century. Sui Sin Far, theRead MoreMaking A Name For Oneself And Starting A Family Is Difficult,1312 Words   |  6 Pagesabilities overall led to more power for them than marginalization. The Lucky Ones: One Family and the Extraordinary Invention of Chinese America by Mae Ngai provides the reader with a third-person account of an immigrant family struggling to establish themselves in circa 19th-20th century San Francisco. Ngai depicts the Tape family history, describing Joseph Tape and Mary Tape’s immigration to America and the events of their lives as Chinese-Americans. One insightful observation Ngai makes aboutRead MoreThe First Midterm Assignment During American History1500 Words   |  6 PagesThe late-19th century was the most prolonged time period in American history and also what the bloodiest. Many violent events occurred that gave the 19th century its name, such as, profound labor conflicts between boss and workers, the Indian wars that was an extended battle for peace and a benefit in their lifestyles, the Jim Crow law which was established to separate races throughout the city, and also the fight for the American Empires power. These were the major issues that made the 19th centuryRead MoreThe Influx Of International Migrants1687 Words   |  7 Pagesmore ethnic prejudice and xenophobia. The increase of immigrants also resulted in the worsening of life for African Americans. Ultimately, the large populations of immigrants caused cultural pluralism to take place in which ethnic differences were embraced rather than suppressed. During the early 1800s, there was a rapid increase of international migrants that would continue well into the end of the nineteenth century. Most of the immigrants came to North, settling in farms and cities, rather thanRead MoreIllegal Immigration Essay705 Words   |  3 PagesDebates rage about how many immigrants should be allowed into the country and how zealously we should guard out border from illegal intruders. To a point, these people are correct, illegal immigration is something that should be stopped. People should not cross the border illegally or overstay on visits. The important question is, however, does illegal immigration deserve the massive amount of attention it receives? No, it does not. By looking at the respected immigrants of the past and thinking