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| Around the turn of the century many people immigrated to the United States for many reasons. A push factor would be a problem thact causes people to immigrate. For example hunger (food shortages, crop failures), or religious persecution. |
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| An attraction that draws immigrants to another place. Pull factors that influenced people to immigrate to the United States at the turn of the century were things like the idea of life in a free and democratic society, natural resources and jobs=the opportunity to make money; booming industries also offered jobs for unskilled workers. |
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| built in 1892, Ellis Island was the port of entry for most European immigrants arriving in NY. An array of officers would examine each individual closely to make sure they were fit to enter the country. The process was long and tiring and some were even sent back to their country of origin if US officials believed there was no place for the person; for example if they had no family to live with, no means of work, if they were carrying disease etc. After clearing immigration at the island, people would either start their lives in NYC or other cities in the region, urban population exploded while some would move across the country to the Midwest. |
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| This was the west coast's version of Ellis Island; the port of entry for most Asian immigrants arriving in San Francisco between 1910 and 1940. They were given intense physical exames and legal interviews. Many Chinese immigrants were gold prospectors and worked on the railway tracks in the Midwest. Most believed that they would work hard, make money and return to their home land, however they usually ended up staying in the US. Asian immigrants were blamed for taking jobs away from Americans and for economic problems at the time, and ultimately mob violence against Chinese immigrants broke out in several American cities in the lat 1800s. |
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