The Push/Pull Factors that Lured Immigrants to America

Exit Project
Eugene Fernandez

Throughout history, people of all nations and various cultural backgrounds have viewed America as a land of opportunity and freedom. However, it is only in the last few centuries that immigrants have really taken advantage of the opportunistic ideals and better lives for the immigrants' families. During the industrialization of America , the amount of jobs available increased drastically, increasing the amount of factories and therefore increasing the number of jobs available. This did not come without hardships however, and this did not come without impacting America economically, politically, and socially.

While there were various reasons for such an increase in immigration during the time period between the 1840's and 1920's, one of the most prominent were "push/pull factors." The promise of freedom of religion, better job opportunities, and a better life for their families are some of the things the "pushed" people to America . During this time period, there were many countries that still would not grant its residents with freedom to express their religion. They would be coerced into following a certain religion which their countries leader approved of. Furthermore, birth rates were increasing and there were less jobs that were needed to support families, so some babies had to be aborted or killed for the sake of salvaging certain economies. This was why families wanted to ensure the survival of their children and themselves by relocating to America .

There were also things that "pulled" immigrants to America . First, America was going through a process appealing to many foreigners, industrialization. This meant that there would be more factories to produce the various materials that would be made, therefore increasing the amount of jobs available to families coming to America . Also, the promise of religious freedom ensured that the immigrants wouldn't be persecuted for the practice of a certain religion.

The promise of religious freedom, a better life for their families, and better job opportunities did not guarantee that they wouldn't be looked down upon by the American people. Also, their voyage into America was harsh, and often littered with deaths. Few made it off the boats and some were shot as soon as they stepped of the ships by "native born" Americans who felt that immigrants didn't belong in America . There was even hostility within the same countries. For example, Irish that stepped of the boats were persecuted by Irish already living there because they felt that they were superior. Basically, Immigrants just weren't considered the equals of native born Americans.

Further proof that immigrants were considered inferior to "native born" Americans were the "houses" that they were forced to reside in. They were called tenements , which were small apartments that housed up to 30 immigrants into one small apartment. Furthermore, there was almost no heat during colder months, virtually no electricity, and the bathrooms were small and disgustingly dirty. Also, they could not depend on their jobs to help pay the rent. They received far below what we considered to be minimum wage and salary deficits weren't uncommon during their usual 12 hour workdays. Their jobs were also dangerous with unsanitary working conditions for children as well as adults inside the factories. As bad as this all was, there was no security guarantee for any immigrant, which meant that they could be fired at any time for any reason.

Immigrants drastically impacted the economy. Since immigrants came to this country, there were more jobs taken at factories which meant that more materials were produced with cheaper prices. This benefited consumers of products because the prices were more affordable for middle and lower class families. Since some immigrants' only option were jobs at factories, it was in this way that America's economy flourished because the government was gaining money, thereby strengthening the country as a whole. Also, with immigrants coming from so many countries, their customs and traditions were eventually established in America as part of our own.

As you can see immigrants greatly impacted the United States with their presence and customs. This did not come without its share of hardships however, because they were persecuted even while in America . They were faced with discrimination from "native born" Americans and worked in unsafe conditions with extremely low wages. Most immigrants were faced with religious persecution and poverty-like conditions in their countries but America offered freedom from both these issues as well as multiple job opportunities. This just goes to show that America might not be as economically stable as it is today if it wasn't for immigrants.

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