Immigration Then Versus Now: A Comparison
America’s view of immigrants and American immigrants themselves have changed drastically throughout the history of the United States. To many, immigrants are the symbol of the American spirit: perseverance, resourcefulness, the embodiment of the classic rags-to-riches story. They provide the manpower and skills America requires to thrive, as well as new ideas and perspectives that help shape our industry. To some, immigrants are a threat to national security and the economy. They cause a financial burden on the U.S, and a lack of assimilation breeds tension and hostility. However you view immigrants, they are the clay from which America was sculpted. They themselves and their effect on the United States has changed over the years. It is important to explore the similarities and differences between past and present immigration trends in order to better understand the state of immigrants today and immigrants to come.
Similarities
Discrimination …show more content…
Many people emigrate to escape poverty in their home countries. Between 1876 and 1930, ⅔ of the Italian immigrant population were laborers living in poverty. Similarly, 62.9% of Mexican immigrants lived in poverty or near poverty, according to the March 2011 current population survey.
Another major reason for emigration is religious persecution. According to the Library of Congress, Catholics and Protestants persecuted each other throughout history. Almost one and a half million German Catholics emigrated to the United States around 1860 due to statesman Otto von Bismarck and the Kulturkampf. Kulturkampf refers to policies put into action to regulate and oppress the Catholic Church in Prussia. Comparably, according to the New York Times, about 37,521 Christians were seeking asylum from Middle Eastern religious persecution in