The Immigrant Nation Connected

     After the past couple weeks learning about immigration to America and thinking of how my ancestors and where they came from, It has become easier than ever before for me to see America as a nation of immigrants. Although I recognize the United States of America was founded and built by immigrants, I believe now that a majority of americans see people who have descended from immigrants from the past to be 'true' Americans and anyone coming to America today as aliens to be shunned and disliked. The culture of the U.S. was shaped by the massive melting pot of cultures during mass waves of immigration before and after world wars. Most people who could uproot their families and move away from a home they knew to a strange new land had to be under great economic or government stress. This shows that America was definitely built from the ground up by the poor clawing their way up the ladder of success. By this point in time my ancestors have worked to give my family a great head start to have the most well-off life of any in the family before. I believe I have little connection to my immigrant ancestors because my parents have not had any interest in researching my ancestors so the any information i have gotten has come from my uncle in New Orleans.

 

Darren P. Barrilleaux