Do you think integration was easier for our immigrant ancestors or for today’s immigrants? Why or why not?
My most recent immigrant family member is my mom who was born in Japan. More than 50 years ago, she married my dad, an American serviceman stationed in Japan during the Korean War. I was born there, and we all came to the US in 1952. We moved from air base to air base so there wasn’t time to attend English classes – even if they existed. But she was luckier than many immigrants. Since my father spoke Japanese fluently, he could teach her some English and help orient her. But he was busy, and he died when I was just a child. Today, even after 50 years, she can struggle with English, especially when under pressure. I think integration is never easy; it’s just different from generation to generation.
August 14th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
My father’s side has been in America for a fairly long time. His father’s side is mostly English and has several members who fought in the Revolutionary War. His mother’s side is all German and her family homesteaded a couple of farms in Oklahoma as part of the 1889 land rush. They spoke German most of the time (and so did several of their neighbors), and basic English sometimes when they came to town. The children went to an English-speaking school and became bilingual. As adults, they had their own farms and stopped speaking German almost entirely during WWI, except at home with their parents.
My grandmother was born near the start of WWI. She has definitely has a German name, but barely knows any of the language. Her immigrant grandparents passed away before she was born or when she was pretty young, and the family never really spoke German again. I think that it was likely easier at first to be surrounded by other immigrants and family, and then heartbreaking to live through the war. Plus, have you been on an Oklahoma farm in the summer? Overall, I can’t say life was all too easy for that first generation in America.
August 19th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
I don’t think that you can compare immigration today to immigration of yesteryear. First of all, there were fewer people in the USA during the historical waves of immigration. Today, we have three times the population density, so where do new immigrants go? And where will they work? There were so much more low-skill jobs available back then. These jobs have all gone overseas. Now, the competition for these jobs is so great - and Americans are losing out. I have to say I think immigration is harder on this country today than it was in the past. One of these days, our nation is going to max out on people due to the overwhelming number of immigrants coming here. They will drain the system of jobs, housing and social services.
You can read a different perspective on Immigration Now and Then at: http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?pagename=research_researchc67d.
September 6th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
While hazeyel makes some interesting points, I think that Americans would “lose out” more if we lose the diversity we have in our country today. I firmly believe that cultural diversity combined with a community ethic is important for America. Perhaps, instead of blaming the immigrants, we should be blaming the companies who are sacrificing human rights (e.g. sweatshops, ridiculously low wages) by going overseas in order to keep costs down. Or perhaps we should blame the companies who stay here but refuse to pay living wages so the only people who will take the jobs are immigrants (e.g. farm workers in California and elsewhere). Whoever’s “fault” it is, this country needs immigrants and refugees (of all skill levels!) for economic as well as cultural reasons. http://www.fairus.org is certainly not going to agree with me on that one.