The Role of Industrialization in Immigration

In the 19th Century: Russian Immigration to America

In the 19th century, many Russians immigrated to America, many of them found themselves in America not because they need to, but, because of the living conditions in their own country. Many of their freedoms were being suppressed. The freedom of education is one of the rights immigrants were denied and only came to experience its full potential in America. In Russia, they had to pay for education services since the government was not doing so like in America (410).

Advancement in Industrial Developments

Advancement in industrial developments in America compared to Russia made immigrants feel a sense of relief due to the level of growth in the country. Moving from Russia to America meant that many things were going to change, from walking in the deep inroads in Russia to having free electricity; lights gracing the streets in America. This was attributed to the economic organization that America provided (376).

Equality and Economic Opportunities

The immigrants found that most of the jobs offered to people and those owned by individuals were respectable and no one was above the other, equality was the order of the day. In Russia, it was the different businesses not at all right because of poor economic standards. Migrants from Russia arrived in America with little or no money to sustain themselves, they knew by just being in America they will be able to thrive. They were able to find jobs in many industries in America. From having jobs, they moved from the bottom of the food chain and rose to the top and became business owners (412).

Italian Migration to Argentina in the 20th Century

In the 20th century, Italians migrated to Argentina and settled in Buenos Aires because of poor conditions in Europe which didn’t provide settlement for them and limited redistribution of wealth. In Argentina there were many meatpacking industries, this was an opportunity to make a difference in the part of the refugees. They found employment in the meatpacking industries and railway construction sites. From being unemployed to having a job, immigrants preferred Argentina because of the level of industrialization. (Barkan)

Expectations and Reality

When the migrants decided to move from their native homes, they have expectations of the place they are going. In this case, they were surprised to find that there were still areas that were unoccupied and underdeveloped just like in their native nations (417).

They expected to find secure employment but found it to be hard to get. They were forced to look at low paying jobs and start from there as they moved up the social class. They complained about having to know a person so that you could hold a good position in the job market. It is evident that these were not at all what they expected to find.

Industrial Development and Surprising Contrasts

The industrial development of the settlement areas for the immigrants was astonishing to them. It is because of the many industries present with people working and earning a living from that led to that kind of development present. The people there were wealthy, and immigrants were surprised people living in poverty in other areas just like them.

Relating Recent Experiences to Ancient and Medieval Urban Life

Last but not least, recent experiences faced by immigrants can relate to the ancient and medieval urban life through capitalism. Capitalism is the economic organization of a country, and this enables them to buy and sell goods and function economically. In the past, they used to do the same. This is evidence that the past determines the future.

Conclusion: Supply, Demand, and Industrialization

In conclusion, the way individual’s relayed on supply and demand still applies to date. There are needs that people identify and need to satisfy. For instance, the need for clothes led to tailoring industries. Industrialization is another thing present in the past and can be experienced in the future have been improved in a different way (Marsal).

Works Cited

Baily, Samuel L. “The Adjustment of Italian Immigrants in Buenos Aires and New York, 1870-1914.” The American Historical Review, vol. 88, no. 2, 1983, pp. 281–305. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1865403.

Barkan, Elliott Robert. Immigrants In American History. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 2013. Print.

Marsal, Juan F. ”Argentina As An Immigration Country.“ Migration, vol 1, no. 4, 2009, pp. 17-35. Wiley, doi:10.1111/j.1468-2435.1961.tb00392.x.