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Running Head: REFLECTION PAPER 1

People from different parts of the world have diverse experiences when they move to a

new country such as America. As a first generation immigrant, life in a foreign land is not easy.

The paper seeks to present a reflection of the ordeals of an individual from Europe and another

from China who relocated to the US.

Immigrant from Europe

My experiences as an Italian Immigrant were interesting. Earlier generations who resided

in the US treated me equally. They showed me a positive attitude as they enlightened me about

how the Americans subjected us to prejudice and discrimination. The unfair treatment was

associated with the large scale of Italian immigrants who were moving to America (Vellon,

2016). Despite the harsh living conditions such as overcrowding and lack of adequate food, I

believe they were accommodative because I was their kind as it was hard to trust Americans. I

would not be pressured to pledge my loyalty to a political machine because the American

government had proved to be protective of its citizens only. Its focus was primarily on the upper-

class individuals and since I belonged to the low class, improving sanitation, and housing

conditions would be the least of their concerns. Besides, earlier leaders who had applied this

approach in exchange for our votes had failed to address our needs because they were senior

bosses whom they had to please while in other circumstances, they ended up in jail. Where

workers decide to fight for better working conditions, I would agree to engage in the strike. Most

times, our demands were not met, but standing up to the government gave us a voice, and it

brought us closer to achieving a productive environment. At first, the leisure opportunities were

based on class. The upper segment had amusement parks in the affluent areas they lived that
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allowed them to engage in sports. However, with time dances and social clubs were opened in

America that allowed all people to interact and enjoy their spare time.

Immigrant from Asia

My relocation to the US from China was inspired by the desire to achieve the American

dream that was centered on having access to increased opportunities regarding jobs, more

freedom, equality, and democracy. The growth of large businesses triggered the American dream

as it attracted more immigrants to the nation. For instance, it improved the transport

infrastructure, which enabled us to move inland to other states within the country where new

industrial centers were coming up. I can also state that the growth was also favorable to the

immigrants who could not relocate from the East Coast because new industrial centers came up

in other nearby cities that provided them with more opportunities. Leisure opportunities were

also part of the American dream. An immigrant who was lucky to be employed as a house

servant by an individual in the upper class would get to attend dance and social clubs. The

developing transport infrastructure also implied that one could get to enjoy frequent travels with

their employers family. Our dreams were also centered on the ability to participate in sports

either professionally or individually for leisure as the Americans enjoyed watching horse racing

and boxing as a form of entertainment. The Chinese population in America was rapidly

increasing leading to the implementation of the anti-immigration laws (Barkan, 2013). When the

laws were passed, our American dreams were crushed. I was not working for my individual

benefit alone as I hoped to create a better life for my younger siblings whom I had left in China.

In conclusion, when one moves to a new surrounding it is not easy. The Italian

immigrants could not rely on politicians to address their issues, but they engaged in strikes with
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the hope that things would be better in future. The Chinese moved to America with the hope of

attaining their American dream, but it was affected by anti-immigration laws that were passed by

the government.

References

Barkan, E. R. (2013). Immigrants in American History: Arrival, Adaptation, and Integration.

Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO.

Vellon, P. G. (2016). Great Conspiracy against Our Race: Italian Immigrant Newspapers and

the Construction of Whiteness in the Early 20th Century. New York University Press.

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