On hindsight, I realized how stupid I must have looked to him after he said that. Traveling on a ship to America would be their final opportunity to quietly reflect upon the life they were leaving behind and ponder the new life awaiting them in America. We came about fifteen in each car. Francisco is a waiter in a diner I frequent a few blocks from where I live. The only thing one can do is ask God to protect us. When we reached New York we landed at the old Castle Garden of lower Manhattan, now the Aquarium, where we were met by relatives and friends. Judy Woodruff: The challenges of immigration policy begin far from the U.S.-Mexico border. I will never forget one of these towns, with such beautiful people. There, talking with other migrants, I got to know another Honduran who told me that he was ready to walk to the other side. One of them was Francisco. Now it happened that the draft and negro rights were convulsing New York City. (Edward Laxton, The Famine Ships: the Irish Exodus to America (New York: Henry Holt, 1996), p. 29) In case you can’t find a sample example, our professional writers are ready to help you with writing The private police hired by the train came out and asked us for money, but we didn’t have any. We went through various towns. The sum was not large, between five and ten pounds. They came out from all sides like ants. I nodded slowly, as if not sure myself if I wanted to hear the next part. Most of the immigrants travelled to the USA by sea, and more than 70 per cent arrived on Ellis Island near New York. He is in his mid forties already, tall and lanky and with eyes that could be very engaging when in a conversation with him. In 1854 the steamship City of Glasgowcarrying 480 emigrants went missing after leaving Liverpool and was never heard of again. Fleeing crop failure, land and job shortages, rising taxes, and famine, many came to the U. S. because it was perceived as the land of economic opportunity. What I didn’t know was that on the other side, the same man of the rafts would assault us with a pistol and take the little we had brought. Chinese immigrants were sacrifices in the US. “When one sees these things, one feels impotent in not being able to do anything, since they are up to 30 gangsters and delinquents. We felt sad and wondered if we would ever get through that gate and onto a boat for that final journey to our new country, the United States. The train took them off!”, “Seeing this, I went running to a telephone to call the ambulance. However, it was much faster and by the 1870s the journey across the Atlantic was only taking two weeks. As a matter of fact, from the turn of the ... like White Star, Red Star, Cunard and Hamburg‐America played a significant role in the history of Ellis Island and immigration … Seeking asylum: An immigrant's journey to America He's traveled thousands of miles from home, trekking through some of the world's roughest and most dangerous territory in search of a new life. They began their journey to America on foot, horseback, or train. … And if you don’t give them anything, they throw you off the train. He replied, “In El Salvador, delinquency has increased and employment has decreased as a result of the civil wars. The following century saw an explosion in numbers with the population doubling about every 25 years. The frequent complaints made by female emigrants arriving in New York of ill-treatment and abuse from the captains and other officers. In 1834 seventeen ships shipwrecked in the Gulf of St Lawrence and 731 emigrants lost their lives. That is where I, with other companions, decided to walk. For most Irish immigrants, the journey onboard their ships to America would be an experience they would never forget. I came to interview him for a class assignment but I left that diner with a whole lot more than what I bargained for. The fare of six guineas a head was double that charged by sailing ships. The accounts shared are stories of sacrifice and bravery … They were inspired by the stories of the United States and the ideals of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness". Eventually, the police and the ambulance took Francisco’s friend to the hospital to recuperate. Not everyone is as lucky as you are.”. Get Your Custom Essay on, By clicking “Write my paper”, you agree to our, By clicking Send Me The Sample you agree on the, Immigrant Voice: Emotions and Struggles Endured by the Immigrant Population, The story “Woman from America” by Bessie Head, Review of Book "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario, https://graduateway.com/the-journey-to-america-an-immigrants-story/, Get your custom We wanted to see America. They undoubtedly received some coaching from the ticket agents whose job it was not only to sell the tickets but help the travelers arrive as safely as possible. I did not know anyone in America, I had no idea what life was in America, I barely spoke the language –but a choice had to be made. It is a close community where even the thieves and drug addicts seem to be known by people, and in a way, accepted as part of the community. Immigrants suffered many dangers when crossing the Atlantic. US immigration: The suffocated youth unafraid of a perilous journey. Among these is freedom to live a normal life on a daily basis. Many literate immigrants received pamphlets before they undertook their journey which provided them with information and the dos and don’ts about all aspects of the journey. “When we came close to Tapachula on this stretch, the assailants started to come out, from train car to car, assaulting the people. Only that very day Negroes had been chased and hanged by mobs. People who have been through a lot and have an incredible resiliency about them. To maximize their profits shipowners tried to cram as many people as possible on board for the trip. “I decided for bus or car-whatever ride was good. Hence, on a windy Tuesday afternoon after class, I trooped to the diner where Francisco worked and braced myself on a conversation with him. I assume she said that because she was so hungry. Whereas those on the upper-deck had to contend with the stench rising constantly from below. Francisco told me that he was a math teacher in the third grade and that he loved his profession very much. It changed the way I view immigrants in America. Subscribe to our Spartacus Newsletter and keep up to date with the latest articles. He responded, “We continued until we boarded the freight train, which the immigrants call the iron beast. I never realized the kind of sacrifice they had to go through in order to get here. He smiled at me and said, “Well, that is life, my friend. Then he jumped and when he fell, the wheels of the train cut his two feet. By continuing we’ll assume you’re on board with our cookie policy, The input space is limited by 250 symbols, The Journey to America: An Immigrant’s Story. Whereas those on the upper-deck had to contend with the stench rising constantly from below. I saw many people thrown off the train and saw the men put their hands all over the women and even rape them…” and then he stopped and looked at me in the eye. I guess he was allowing me to digest what he just told me. Many passengers could barely afford steerage class travel. So I asked him if his move to the US was out of economic necessity. This included fires and shipwrecks. Sometime captains made extra profits by charging immigrants high prices for food needed to survive the trip. A crowd gathered round and threatened to hang both father and the Negro to the lamp-post. Since the earliest days of slavery, African … There came busy days in which my mother gathered together and packed our household belongings. Our ship was the old type of sailing vessel. Francisco added that upon arriving at the bank of the river, they saw about ten people crossing, and he told his friend to “go down lower.” They then took off their clothes and crossed. At this moment we needed an ambulance to help my friend. Most of this generation of Italian immigrants took their first steps on U.S. soil in a place that has now become a legend—Ellis Island. He added that it was in Casa del Migrante where he shared conversations about ordinary things with other migrants “who told me the places where it was best to cross, where the Immigration check points were.”, It was at that point, Francisco said, when he decided to cross to the other side of Guatemala toward Mexico. He noted though that although there is no longer any conflict of war in the country, employment continued to decrease and more and more people had to leave and seek greener pastures. Most of the immigrants who came to America through Ellis Island were from eastern and southern Europe. Now, he is more than just a waiter to me. Another 400 died on the William Nelson in July, 1865. When this happened passengers would often run short of provisions. I asked him how his rest of the journey was and he continued. It started with “Here you go, kid. By 1911 the shortest passage, made in summer, was down to 5 days; the longest was 9 days. Though English, Irish, Germans and Scandinavians had led the migration to America for most of the 19th century, by the time Ellis Island opened in 1892 immigrants from Italy, Russia and Austria-Hungary had joined the flood. The top two decks carried the immigrants and although they had more space, the journey was still unpleasant. The Journey to America: An Immigrant’s Story Being called a melting pot country, a story of an immigrant’s journey towards the American Dream is quite common. We walked for two and a half days to Matías Romero. This was a very practical method which benefited both the emigrants and those who remained by decreasing the number seeking work in their trade. In the photos above, you can see Hine chronicle the hope, opportunity and fear immigrants felt as they arrived in the U.S. and adapted to their new home. I didn’t know where they all came from. Upon arriving in Tlaxcala, there was an Immigration and army check point and we all jumped off the train. After some time, they were able to join him here in the United States but the years apart were very difficult. After hearing this much, I just had to hear the end – of how he finally came to America. They left behind joblessness and poverty, conscription and persecution. The Cigarmakers' Society Union of England, whose members were frequently unemployed and suffering, established an emigration fund - that is, instead of paying the members unemployment benefits, a sum of money was granted to help passage from England to the United States. I had always thought them to be parasites – living off America’s wealth. During the mass emigration from Italy during the century between 1876 to 1976, the U.S. was the largest single recipient of Italian immigrants in the world. He responded, “Well, my life can be considered a struggle for some. 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