Carol Hand - Immigrants and Refugees

LEAVING HOME Humans have always moved from place to place. Sometimes, they move away from their country of birth.

They cross a border into a new country. These people are called migrants. A migrant is anyone who moves to another country. Migrants may later return home or stay in the new country. They may become citizens of the new country. Or they may not.

People migrate, or move, for many reasons. But they all want a better life. They may want to find work, get an education, or be with family. They may want to be safe from dangers in their home country. They may have to move because of a natural disaster.

WHY PEOPLE IMMIGRATE Some people enter the United States from another country and choose to stay.

WHY PEOPLE IMMIGRATE Some people enter the United States from another country and choose to stay.

This type of migrant is called an immigrant. Immigrants must follow rules to stay in the country. Some of them become citizens. People in the United States can ask the government to allow a to immigrate, or to come live somewhere in the country. KINDS OF MIGRANTS Immigrant: A person who travels to another country to live there. Asylum seeker: A person who has left their own country but has not yet been accepted as a refugee. Asylum seeker: A person who has left their own country but has not yet been accepted as a refugee.

FAST FACT PEOPLE IMMIGRATE TO THE UNITED STATES FOR THREE BASIC REASONS: FAMILY, JOBS, OR TO AVOID DANGER OR SUFFERING. Many of the worlds refugees are children. VERIFIED The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants helps people who have left their home country. They immigrants rights and meet their needs. Learn more here: https://refugees.org/

THE FOUR IMMIGRATION CLASSES People in the United States fit into one of four immigration groups.

Citizens are either born in the country or are . Naturalized citizens have lived in the country for several years and met the requirements to become citizens. Legal permanent residents (LPRs) have a green card. This gives them to live and work in the United States. Nonresidents are allowed to be in the country but cant stay. Undocumented people are here without permission. U.S. U.S.

Citizens are people who were either born into the United States or who have become naturalized. VERIFIED See the U.S. government website for more information about what it takes to become a U.S. citizen: https://www.usa.gov/becomeus-citizen People take an oath, or make a promise, when they become naturalized citizens.

EARLY U.S. IMMIGRANTS The period of American history began the story of American immigration.

French and Spanish settlers began arriving in the 1500s. The first permanent English settlement began in 1607. It was at Jamestown, in what is now Virginia. A small group, including many people seeking freedom, settled in what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts. These were the Pilgrims. The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620.

INDENTURED SERVANTS Many people couldnt pay to immigrate. They became indentured servants. They signed a contract agreeing to work for a certain number of years. They were brought to the colonies and given food, clothing, and a place to live. THE ENSLAVED Enslaved people were forced to come to the New World. They arrived from West Africa in 1619.

Between the 1600s and 1800s, up to 650,000 Africans were brought to America and sold into slavery.

LATER U.S. IMMIGRANTS Between 1815 and 1865, new waves of immigrants came to America from Europe. Most were very poor. They wanted better jobs and better lives. Ireland suffered a great in the mid-1800s.

About one-third of U.S. immigrants during this time came from Ireland. Most settled in cities on the East Coast. Beginning in the 1850s, many Chinese immigrants came to the United States. Some came for the California gold rush. Others built railroads, worked in clothing factories, and did farmwork.

Industries and cities both grew quickly between 1880 and 1920. This led to more immigration from Europe. More than 2 million people entered the United States. FAST FACT THE LARGEST GROUP OF IMMIGRANTS, ABOUT 5 MILLION, CAME FROM GERMANY. MANY SETTLED IN THE MIDWEST. SOME BOUGHT FARMS.

OTHERS LIVED IN CITIES SUCH AS MILWAUKEE, SAINT LOUIS, AND CINCINNATI. Chinese immigrants helped build the first railroads.

FIGHTING FOR RIGHTS The United States opened its first national immigration station in January 1892. This was Ellis Island in New York Harbor. The first person to enter the country through Ellis Island was Annie Moore. She was a teenager from County Cork, Ireland.

Each new group of immigrants suffered . Many people mistreated any group who was different. As more immigrants arrived, citizens objected. Laws were passed to limit the number of immigrants who were allowed into the country. VERIFIED Ellis Island is now the site of a large museum about immigration.

DISCRIMINATION BY QUOTAS The American government started to limit immigration in the 1800s.

DISCRIMINATION BY QUOTAS The American government started to limit immigration in the 1800s.