Immigration

(http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~dgarvey/Garvey_us_census/Irish_to_US.jpg) Immigration is increasing every day. Irish especially. Just between 1843 and 1854 the number of Irish immigrants increased from less then 50,000 to over 200,000. They are getting jobs at factories and working at the railroads. Many Irish immigrants were mistreated around the time of the Civil war in 1861 to 1865. They were forced to live in really cruddy apartments, sort of like the Plains that exist here today. Cramped and dirty. There are rats a lot of the time and even some roaches.
Immigrants came to America during this time because they had dreams of becoming rich, the Homestead Act offered free land to people who were applying for citizenship or were already citizens. They were discriminated back at home because of their religion. They also wanted personal freedoms and all of that is being offered in America. The Irish Potato famine is also a reason that many Irish people traveled from their home in Ireland to ours in America. European immigrants mainly entered through Ellis Island and if they passed the test to get in they moved to areas where other Europeans lived, these areas are called Ghettos. White Americans discriminated them because, even though they are caucasion as well, they are viewed as a different color because they come from Europe. Asian immigrants came through Angel Island and if they passed moved to the west coast. They were brought to work on the railroads and faced much discrimination, like the Europeans. In 1882 Congress passed tbe Chinese exclusion act which restricted Chinese immigration. All of this leads to tension between different groups. Labor supply is increased around this time as well.
I like the fact that people are coming to America because if they didn't the Industry would've taken much longer to grow and we wouldn't have learned that all people are created equal with the same unalienated rights as true born Americans. I don't like that the immigrants were treated like this because even though they have different skin or are from a different country, doesn't mean they are bad people or animals or whatnot.