How do you immigrate to the USA, say hundred years ago around 1890s?

Question

Do you know any history of the process?

Answer 1

Filled out forms at the US embassy in your country. Then boarded a ship for one of the major US ports. Then you were given a medical check up and back ground check.

Answer 2

You would be processed in at one of the major port cities. The U.S. was trying to build up the population at the time so immigration was made easy, but you would still be screened for health and as much as it was possible, criminals would be screened out. I don't know how long it took, but I believe you stayed at the processing center until you were done.

Answer 3

Most people came by ship. Many came through New York, but all major ports processed lots of immigrants. Passenger liners had second and third-class (also called 'steerage') berths available for poor people who were immigrating. Many cargo ships also carried passengers. Of course a few came overland through Canada or Mexico, but not many.

Answer 4

In the early 1900s, my father, 15, immigrated from Italy.
Along about that time there were one million immigrants from Italy that landed at Ellis Island in one day. Italy was in deep throes of unemployment. Much prejudice existed against Italians when this happened. He learned English as soon as possible, because of the prejudice. My mother was the first American in our town to marry an Italian. She was nearly an outcast.

I, personally, felt this prejudice on a job, in 1947, because I was a first generation Italian in America. A whole 'nuther story.

They came on sailing ships and were at sea 30 days. For many days the immigrants sat aboard ship, awaitng to be processed.

Immigrants with bad eyes or any detectable disease were sent back to Italy. Immediatly.

All had to have another person meeting them when they arrived. If no one was there, they too were sent back. This was done to insure that the immigrant was not a burden on the state or country.

My father was met by his father who was in the US, off and on, not a citizen. He returned to Italy through Argentina where he contracted influenza, died in Italy.

My father's name is on the wall at Ellis Island. He later became a citizen. .

Answer 5

my family Immigrated in 1878 from Ukrania they where dropped off in Galveston Texas took and Ox Cart from there to west Texas learned the language became citizens . .

Answer 6

you just came over. Some came for cheap labor (like the chinese) and the rest just creeped up on the continent.

But we're officially in the year 2007. Things have changed.

Answer 7

No one could immigrate who was a criminal, or diseased, or mentally ill. They had to know how to read, write, and speak english and prove it with testing.

The Chinese were immigrating too heavily and they were banned for 20 years.

Immigrant laws now seem pretty lenient huh?

Answer 8

here is a pretty good place to look the first immigration laws were in place in 1790.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Immigration_Acts

Answer 9

Sorry....mine came here 1817 or before.


I didn't immigrate here. I was born here. Generations ago.

Answer 10

good place to start.

http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/immigration/tour/index.htm