Explore - A Nation of Immigrants.pdf

The Peopling of the United States Name__________________ Explore - A Nation of Immigrants It's India Day in Edison, New Jersey. A joyous parade fills Oak Tree Road. There are floats, music, and colorful costumes. It looks like any American holiday para...

The Peopling of the United States Name__________________ Explore - A Nation of Immigrants It's India Day in Edison, New Jersey. A joyous parade fills Oak Tree Road. There are floats, music, and colorful costumes. It looks like any American holiday parade. This one celebrates Independence Day—India's Independence Day, that is. Oak Tree Road is central New Jersey's “Little India.” It is filled with Indian shops and restaurants. Ninety groups take part in the parade. Thousands of people line the street to watch. They celebrate being Indian, and being American, too. America has always had communities like “Little India.” Immigrants come here hoping to improve their lives. Some are brought by pull factors, or influences that draw someone to a new place. Examples of pull factors include the chance to find work, earn more money, or be with family. Others are brought by push factors, or influences that drive someone away from a place. Examples of push factors include escaping wars and fleeing oppression by governments or other ethnic groups. When immigrants arrive in the United States, they may form or join communities with people who share their language and culture. Some may stay for a few years and return home. But most choose to become Americans. New Americans become citizens by a process called naturalization. They must stay in the U.S. for several years. They must be able to read, write, and speak English. They must pass a test on American history. They must understand our laws. They must prove to be honest and hard working. And they must show that they enjoy being Americans. Millions of immigrants have become U.S. citizens in this way. Every state has welcomed immigrants. New Jersey is a good example. The Dutch and the Swedish were the first European settlers there. They came seeking land for farming. By 1670, the English were moving in. The Dutch brought the first Africans to New Jersey. They were not voluntary immigrants. They came to America as slaves. I The Peopling of the United States Name__________________ n the 1840s, the Irish were one of the main immigrant groups. They were fleeing a famine in Ireland. Most were unskilled, low-paid workers. They found it hard to survive in America's cities. They also had trouble with “Nativists,” or the people who had come earlier. Many of the people already here were afraid that the Irish would take away their jobs. Most of the Irish were Catholics. Many of the people already in America were Protestants. They did not like the newcomers' religion. But they could not stop the Irish from becoming Americans. In 1910, half of New Jersey's population was immigrants, or their American-born children. Many of these immigrants were from Italy. Even more were Jews from Eastern Europe. Changes in their homelands had made it hard to earn a living. The Jews were fleeing persecution, or unfair treatment, and violence, as well. Many immigrants arrived with little more than the clothes on their backs. Few spoke English. Few had the skills needed for well-paying jobs. But their children would be born American. They learned English in school and in the streets. They made a place for themselves. The ancestors of many Americans belonged to these immigrant groups. Today, most immigrants to the U.S. come from Asia or Latin America. And again, New Jersey is a place where they settle. About 120,000 people born in India who are now Americans who live in New Jersey. There are perhaps one million Latinos. Most of them come from Puerto Rico or Cuba. Many Cuban immigrants came to the U.S. after 1959. That was when a Communist government took over their island. New immigrants live in communities like “Little India.” They read newspapers in their own languages while they learn English. In fact, there are more than 600 papers in the U.S. in Spanish alone! There are radio and TV programs in immigrants' languages, too. You may still hear “Nativists” speaking against immigrants. There are people who don't care for their languages, their religion, or their foods. Sometimes, there is trouble. But earlier immigrants faced the same kinds of trouble. They're all Americans now.