Why did immigrants think that their lives would be better in the United States?

Why did Immigrants move to the US ? In the late 1800s and the early 1900s, about 25 million immigrants moved to the US They were looking for work Some came to escape war or persecution. Persecution is unfair treatment or punishment. Some immigrants looked for greater political freedom in America

Immigration Stations Once immigrants arrived, they had to go through immigration stations One station on the East Coast was Ellis Island in New York Harbor; Another station on the West Coast was Angel Island in San Francisco Bay Immigrants were asked where they planned to live and work Doctors examined the immigrants to make sure that they did not have any disease Asian immigrants arrived to the Angel island Station. They may have to wait weeks, months, or even years before being allowed to enter the US. About 25% were forced to return to their home countries and were not allowed into the US

Living in a New Country Many immigrants moved to large cities and worked in factories Many immigrants settled near family and friends An ethnic group is a group of people who share a culture or a language In ethnic neighborhoods, immigrants spoke their native languages, practiced their religions, and kept their country’s customs Immigrants lives were not easy; They worked in dangerous steel mills or had jobs in noisy and dirty factories; they worked long hours for low pay; they could barely buy food for themselves or their families Tenements-Many new immigrants lived in tenements which were poorly built apartment buildings; Tenements were crowded and unsafe; they often had no windows and several families might live in one small apartment

Laws Against Immigration In 1882, Congress limited immigration by passing the Chinese Exclusion Act which kept out almost all new Chinese immigrants. Later laws limited the number of people from other countries as well Laws made it hard for immigrants to enter the US Immigrants who did arrive faced prejudice and discrimination Immigrants overcame these hardships and helped the United States become one of the richest and fastest-growing countries in the world. They constructed miles of railroad tracks, dug deep coal mines, and worked in factories.