The Social Political Ramifications Of Immigration

The Social-Political ramifications of Immigration in America History shows that many nations have been born due to immigration. The settlement of new colonies resulted in various cultures living within one country. According to the U.S. Bureau of Census, more than 60 million Americans have recent roots from other countries (Hirschman). Immigration may appear minor in the multitude of traits that characterize nations and their people, but there is no doubt of its mass effect. Immigration is the action of coming to live permanently in a foreign country; and its counterpart, emigration, is the act of leaving one’s own country in order to settle permanently in another. Reasons for emigration are diverse. Some seek to escape a nation locked in†¦show more content†¦You need variety to be a successful and functioning society. Immigration was nothing new to America. All United States citizens can claim some immigrant experience, whether during prosperity or despair, brought by force or by choice. In the 1500’s a group of people came to America, these were the ancestors of the many Native American cultures, which would repopulate the area for thousands of years. They would also bring with them their traditions and their different cultures. Then during colonial times 50,000 convicts were transported to the colonies from English jails. Convicts weren’t the only thing being dumped into the colonies, â€Å"North America was a dumping ground for religious ideas† (Influence of Immigration). Of the 3.9 million people counted, the English were the largest ethnic group. Nearly 20% were of African heritage. German, Scottish and Irish residents were also well represented. â€Å"Pilgrims in the early 1600s, arrived in search of religious freedom. From the 17th to 19th centuries, hundreds of thous ands of African slaves came to America against their will† (Ryan Holeywell). Africans had impacted southern American with cooking from Africa. African music was also very influential. Another major wave of immigration occurred from around 1815 to 1865. The majority of these newcomers hailed from Northern and Western Europe.