Immigration The Maker And Breaker Of America

Essay, Research Paper

There are many issues concerning the immigration into America by peoples of other races and cultures, and a hundred more opinions to go with them. At the time of the largest immigration boom into this country, between 1880 and 1920, many people thought of immigration as a negative thing. It was largely considered that so many new cultures and people would distort the American ideals, and be a burden on those already occupying the space. This point of view is still prominent today, though with less racial and cultural prejudice apparent. Some view the immigration of new peoples as a constructive element, creating a healthy and diverse environment in which to live. Both opinions have credit, and both have faults.

For the most part, the integration of new cultures into the original American one should not violate any ideals held by true Americans. The first settlers of this country traveled here to be free from the prejudices of their old lives. They came here to start anew. When immigration brings different cultures, it is hard to understand why we would persecute them for attempting the same thing. On the other hand, the crowding of people into this country can cause several problems. One of the most obvious, over-population can be seen in very apparent ways in several places. This can be a very dangerous thing to promote, and a hard element to guard against with the new freedom found in today’s world. Another danger of immigration can be found in the differences between cultures, causing many problems with racism and other forms of prejudice which can hardly be expected to be eliminated.