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First Wave Of Immigration Essay

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The first (early) wave of migration

During the early wave, most of the first colonists to settle in North America were English or Dutch and moved voluntarily. There were several reasons that drove European to immigrate to North America such as the fear of religious persecution and the overpopulation of certain areas that caused land to be scarce. These are push factors. In North America, land was very vast and available and people came here in the prospect of a better future where they could freely practice their religion, have better economic opportunities, and have enough space to build a relatively stable life which are pull factors. On the other hand, African slaves were were forced to immigrate soon after Europeans started to colonize North America. Only very few Africans living in America were free or were employed as „indentured servants.“ Most African slaves were forced to work on plantations and were owned like property by whites all the way through the mid-1900’s even though it was forbidden to enslave Africans in 1808.

The second wave of migration

The second wave of immigration happened in two periods from 1790 - …show more content…

It set new requirements and favored immigrants with existing ties in the U.S or proven working skills. Unlike the previous waves of immigration, most immigrants during this time came from Asia, Latin America and Africa. Political turmoil and the weak economy of their homelands were push factors that led people to move. Many were also seeking asylum from religious or political persecution. Pull factors include the economic opportunity which meant that immigrants with family residing in the U.S could fill jobs that didn’t require formal education or the desperate need to speak english perfectly. This was also a high for illegal immigration, hundreds of thousands snuck into the U.S and found work because the economy was booming and people could find jobs even without

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