Ewen's Immigrant Women in the Land of Dollars Essay

In the 1880’s immigration began to increase, over running the original Ellis Island by the 90’s. 4 million people settle into New York City, less than 1 in 50 people were turned away. Many of these newcomers where women, who would face different issues than the men arrive off of the massive ships. Many different things would be expected of them, such as; working to support families, raising children, keeping the home clean and presentable, shopping, and cooking- to name a few. Some of the biggest, most universal, issues for immigrant woman were; the want to assimilate, the lack of independence,

Anzia Yezierska provided readers a small glimpse into the world of immigrant life during the progressive era in her novel, Arrogant Beggar. Though narrator of the story, Adele, was an American born citizen— she was immersed in a world similar to the experience of one of immigrant status. Throughout her story, we see how social class, ethnicity, and political factors play a part in daily life of early nineteenth century Americans. Her journey is a reflection of what many young immigrants experienced in their search for freedom, prosperity and “The American Dream.”

Why do many immigrants make the long and usually costly move to America? Is it the largely idolized notion that Americans are wealthier with better opportunities? Moreover, is the price some pay worth the risk? In Willa Cather’s My Ántonia, Ántonia faces struggles as a young child, including language barriers, poverty, harsh living conditions, and her beloved father’s death. However, as Ántonia grows into a woman, she must face struggles of a social nature, such as the division of social and economic classes, as well as social opprobrium. While immigration to America may open many doors for immigrants, it is equally fraught with obstacles. Likewise, Ántonia must face many adversities after her emigration from Bohemia to Nebraska, which

During the early nineteenth century, families of immigrants undergo assimilation to unite themselves in American customs. The ideology that they will be accepted into a society and embrace American identities has driven them to this process. A reality of upward mobility and freedom are highly desired for immigrants’ transition. One author who portrays the temptation of this “New World” America for the Jewish children arriving and having their lives greatly affected is Anzia Yezierska’s “Bread Givers” while focusing on the truth of forming an American identity. An autobiography written by Mary Antin “The Promised Land” incorporates the accuracy of family assimilation and its outcome on the identity of their children is shaped by American meritocracy

As the family became immersed with the traditions of contemporary American culture, they began to forge conflicting identities and values,

The culture of every ethnic group is beautiful in its own way and worth cherishing. Today, America is known as the great melting pot not for the number of immigrants it has but rather because of the wonderful cultures and traditions the immigrants brought with them. Immigrants do not need to forgo their mother tongue, significant celebrations or customs to become American. However to be socially accepted, they will need to learn English, take part in celebrating national holidays and fulfill their patriotic duties Americans like every other U.S citizens.

Throughout the book, it is evident that predominantly only the observations and perspectives of Anglo-American males were presented rather than the ones belonging to native Latinos men which, arguably, can be problematic as the audience is only exposed to what Americans have to say on Mexican- American culture adaptation. This exclusion of the native voice can especially be seen at the section regarding targeting women as the crucial point in infiltrating the Mexican home with Americanized ideals. According to Sanchez, during 1915, there was a clear mindset that thought the “housekeeper creates the atmosphere” in the family and should “the female adopt American values, the rest of her family would follow” (Sanchez 99). Home teachers were told to teach women songs in English about the duty of women such as “…like to wash, to sew, to cook”. Yet, after six years, women stilled lacked behind men in English skills which, were seen as the a crucial part of Americanization. Unsurprisingly, the lack of success in the Americanization of women was perceived to be the “patriarchal nature of the Mexican Family”(Sanchez 101). Disappointingly, Sanchez did not include the Mexican female voice into this section, which could have provided more insights on how the women themselves felt about the Americanization programs and how they perceived the roles they played within their family, as he felt that professors such as Emory Bogardus (Sanchez 101) from University of Southern California has a more right to talk about Mexicano family structure than the Mexicans

It is expected that ultimately there will be a loss of ethnic distinctiveness for immigrants in the U.S., meaning the lack of attachment to the country of origin. (Golash-Boza, 2006) It is argued that all ethnic distinctiveness will no longer exist by the seventh or eighth generations. Before exploring the influence of foreign born vs. U.S. born parents on their children’s cultural assimilation; the different theories of assimilation will be explored. The idea of Assimilation came about in the early 20th century. (Golash-Boza, 2006) Assimilation is surrounded by two theories, the first that all immigrants will assimilate sooner or later and that the generational status of the individual is one of the main factors in determining the

The term immigrant is defined as “a person who comes to a country to take up permanent residence” (“Immigrant”). In her autobiography, Barefoot Heart, Elva Trevino Hart speaks of her immigrant ways and how she fought to become the Mexican-American writer she is today. She speaks about the working of land, the migrant camps, plus the existence she had to deal with in both the Mexican and American worlds. Hart tells the story of her family and the trials they went through along with her physical detachment and sense of alienation at home and in the American (Anglo) society. The loneliness and deprivation was the desire that drove Hart to defy the odds and acquire the unattainable sense of belonging into American

Since the establishment of the colonies, America has been viewed as the “land of opportunity.” It is thought to be a safe haven for immigrants, and a chance at a new beginning for others. “The Clemency of the Court” by Willa Cather published in 1893, tells the story of Serge, a Russian immigrant, who overcame the struggles of a tough childhood and fled to America to receive protection from the state. “Clothes” by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni published in 1995, tells the story of Sumita, a Indian immigrant, who is moving to America so that she can marry her husband that her family has arranged for her. Both “The Clemency of the Court” and “Clothes” show the evolution of the American immigrant experience.

Immigration makes up of the United States. The life of an immigrant faces many struggles. Coming to the United States is a very difficult time for immigrant, especially when English is not their first language. In Oscar Handlin’s essay, Uprooted and Trapped: The One-Way Route to Modernity and Mark Wyman’s Coming and Going: Round Trip to America, both these essays describes the life of immigrants living in America and how they are able to make a decent amount of money to support their families. Handlin’s essay Uprooted and Trapped: The One - Way Route to Modernity explains how unskilled immigrants came to adapt to the American life working in factories to make a living. In the essay, Coming and Going: Round Trip to America, this essay describes the reality of many immigrants migrating to the United States in the midst of the Industrial Revolution. Many were living and adjusting to being transnational families. Both these essays show how the influx of immigration and industrialization contributed to the making of the United States. With the support from documents 3 and 7, Thomas O’ Donnell, Immigrant Thomas O’Donnell Laments the Worker’s Plight, 1883 and A Slovenian Boy Remembers Tales of the Golden Country, 1909, these documents will explain the life of an immigrant worker in the United States. Although, the United States was portrayed as the country for a better life and a new beginning, in reality, the United

The marriage is one of the best things to make a happy life. Many years ago, parents had arranged marriages for their children. In Asia, as the customs of Vietnam, parents who decide and arrange the marriages of their children. Normally, parents flanked by close friends so they wanted their children to marry parent friend’s children, and gratitude between them will be even stronger together. Additionally, parents arranged for their children to marry the wealthy children to give their children full life. Also, parents choose their child partners and it is their customs. These children have no right to disobey and reject marriage. Their children married without ever knowing each other or see each other 's face. According to the book “The Immigrant Advantage,” it has a story of the Indian girl married under the marriage arranged by her parents. Until now, the Indian customs that still exist. Not only in India, in other countries, there is still customary marriages arranged by parents. Vietnam is no longer

Life in America for immigrants was destined to take a new turn after the 1924 national origins quota act legislation whose main target was to exclude immigrants who were considered undesirable. The undesirable immigrants were mainly those who had migrated to United States of America but could not pass the bar of eligibility to become American citizens. It is then that investigations on what was occasioning racial conflicts as well as what had motivated such immigrants to settle in the pacific coast were launched by a group of sociologists, and this is how we come to meet Flora Belle who is one of the interviewees and who strongly denounces her traditional cultural values. She portrays herself as a modern woman throughout her interview as well as her life and this paper will therefore seek to establish the ways in which Flora portrays herself as a modern woman alongside her take on traditional cultural as well as gender values. The first instance in which Flora takes a modern woman depiction upon herself is when her mother took to the shrine with her in order to worship there and also give a plate of food to their god. At this point and instead of her offering herself to the worship as per their traditions she slams down a plateful of rice intended for the idol and in its presence. “So long old top, I don’t believe in you anyway”, she utters in denunciation of their traditional religious faith. This of course she did not anticipate her mother to applause for and we are

Higher expectations by first-generation immigrant parents also involve as intergenerational conflict in forming the American identity. In the article “Intergenerational

One area that the movie “The Immigrant” failed to take into account was that of a male immigrant. In the movie “The Immigrant” the whole focus of the movie was Ewa trying to obtain enough money to get her sick sister off Ellis Island so they could go west. The way she started trying to obtain this money was by selling herself through prostitution. This method of acquiring money was something that was only common to the female immigrants. The movie completely failed to talk about male immigrants and common struggles they were faced with as new immigrants in America. One of the main issues these male immigrants were faced with as well as female immigrants that acquired real jobs was low wages. Many businesses and employers took advantage of the desperation of these newly place immigrants for money and used them for cheap labor. Thomas O’Donnell gave was examined as an immigrant in