Immigration in the 20th Century
Subject:
US History [1]
People from all over the world have been emigrating to the Americas since the time of the conquistadores. Immigration to North America came in waves from the sixteenth to the twentieth century, often because of famine, lack of economic opportunities, and want of religious and political freedom. At the beginning of the twentieth century, industrial expansion and economic depression began to spark nativist sentiments, and Americans, fearful of losing jobs to unskilled laborers, demanded greater restriction in immigration policy. It became increasingly more difficult to enter the United States, especially for immigrants from southern and eastern Europe. .