What is your opinion of the immigrants that came through Ellis Island?

Question

And the immigrants that come into the USA now?

My folks are of Slavic and German decent came through Ellis Island, adapted to the American Way of Life, worked hard
to give thier kids a good education, respect for the country that was so great..

I have no idea what today's immigrants are about when they come to this country do you?

Answer 1

amen honey!!! you can look it up on ellisisland.org to see what boat they came on..they paperwork etc...mine came from sicily and russia via germany...they were checked for diseases and asked where they were going with whom and whether or not they had WORK not WELFARE!!! they got jobs and learned to SPEAK ENGLISH!!! they worked in the canneries and picked fruits and vegies here in cali....


great post, big kissy!!! woo hoo! and

Answer 2

If you mean the illegal aliens, it's all about taking money back to that infrastructure-forsaken cesspool south of the border.They don't want to be part of our country. I don't like it, but the government down there is a joke and people have to eat. The ones on Ellis Island came here looking for a chance of a better life than they could get in Europe. The government was democratic, the land was cheap and the a low social class could be transcended. Either way, they both come looking for something they can't get at home.

Answer 3

I don't think you can generalize any large group of people. The immigrants then are probably a lot like the immigrants now. Just looking for a better way of life. I am sure there are people who love and respect the American way of life, and I am sure there are people that don't really care or respect anything. Some people will work hard for what they want. "like your parents" some people will not.. Either way people are people. Some are good with a great work ethic. Some are not so good, and would rather find a social program loop hole so they can sit on their butt all day... I just can't see a justified reason to generalize an entire group of people one way or the other..

Answer 4

I don't understand the false choices given. We are told there are 2 choices. One is to give them all citizenship, the other is to round them all up in one night and deport them. Those are not the only choices. The most viiolent ones and ones already ordered deported should be deported immediately. It should be impossible for anyone here illegally to get a job, buy a house, get on an airplane, send their kids to school, etc. We need serious workplace enforcement coupled with a welfare to work plan that slowly replaces illegal aliens with Americans. We also need to get rid of the provision giving children of people here illegally citizenship. Any time there is a raid it always creates panic in the illegal alien colonies here. A couple raids coupled with what I wrote above and most would be forced to leave.

Answer 5

I think a lot of the Ellis Ilsand immigrants had it pretty tough. They were alternately exploited and discriminated against when they got here. But, they're children reaped the rewards of thier efforts, and thier descendents are every bit as American as the descendents of those who may have been hostile towards them.

I think legal immigrants, today, don't have it quite as hard. Discrimination is illegal, now, and the immigrants themselves tend to be more sophisticated and less vulnerable to exploitation (and, indeed, it's harder for employers, for instance, to exploit legal workers - immigrant or citizen - today, than it was at the turn of the last century). Not that they don't face many challenges, just that some of the worst abuses of the past are history. For them.

Illegals, though, do face some discrimination, and a lot of exploitation - including by political factions hoping to use thier plight to advance thier own agendedas, as well as unscrupulous employers. They're not mere victims, though. Many of them also resist assimilation to an unprecedented degree and some even hold to radical anti-American beliefs.

Answer 6

Yes I do I am married to a wonderful woman who came here from Albania and despite troubles in our marriage (because I am a jackass) She and her family are fine examples of people who are still chasing the American Dream. They like every other immigrant I have ever meet are fine upstanding hard working people who love this country

Why do you think it is any different? The dreams that led my grandfather from Ireland to Ellis Island leads people here all the time. They have the same right to the American Dream as our people did and it makes me sick that people want to stop that.

There use to be signs on stores "No Irish Need Apply" White racist Americans have never wanted immigrants to come here. what is sad is that the grandchildren of those immigrants have become the White racist keeping people out

Answer 7

no difference. everyone wants a better life. not every immigrant learned english right away. i think the only difference is that the ellis island people appreciated it and those today feel deserving. i think we should profile all hispanics after a certain date to register with the goverment and deport right away those that are not registered.and in all honesty, if i were in their position i would do my best to get here to.

Answer 8

I guess what we are being taught today is that all the people who came here legally,obeyed our laws once they got here, worked hard to accomplish a better life and at the same time make America a better place,were all SUCKERS!! Why didn't they just sneak in,ignore the laws,steal someone elses identity so no one could come after them for unpaid taxes, get the govt to take care of their health care,collect welfare etc? Apparently that's what America is here for.

AD

Answer 9

if something like ELLIS ISLAND were to be constructed between MEXICO and the USA, what difference would there be between your SLAVONIC great grandparents and the PEONS from MEXICO? Would they not have EQUAL opportunity to work hard for their adopted country?? like yours............ have you no social identification with these people ? after all what are you,3rd generation american, and YOU are getting on your high horse.. incidentially, i wouldnt boast about being of SLAVIC AND GERMAN DECENT..

Answer 10

To legal immigrants it's about a new life.
To illegal immigrants it's about the money.
If it were about a new life they would take their US wages and bribe some mex authority to back their application for US visas.

Answer 11

They worked hard and learned the language. They did what they had to do even though it was tough. I have tremendous respect for them. Unlike the MEXICANS. Even the Cubans came here and worked hard, started businesses and added value to America. The Mexicans don't love America, they want to TAKE from her