Final answer:
Immigrants came to the U.S. to escape economic hardship, political unrest, and religious persecution. They often ended up in low-paying jobs, unable to quickly achieve financial independence, while sojourners like Chinese immigrants intended to return home after earning money.
Step-by-step explanation:
Throughout history, immigrants came to the United States to escape a variety of harsh conditions, including economic hardship, political unrest, religious persecution, and military conscription. Many European immigrants who sought a better life were often poor and lacked the means to quickly achieve the dream of financial independence. They borrowed money for their voyage and upon arrival, found themselves in a precarious financial state, akin to sharecroppers, with scarce opportunities for economic advancement beyond low-wage jobs in ethnic enclaves. These neighborhoods provided a familiar cultural community but often trapped them in cycles of debt and limited social mobility.
The individuals who intended to stay only temporarily to earn money and then return to their home countries were often referred to as sojourners. Examples include the Chinese immigrants who came during the Gold Rush era with the intent to return home after accumulating wealth.
Notably, immigrants also included groups such as Jewish people escaping pogroms in the Russian empire, or Germans fleeing after the Revolutions of 1848. Southern and eastern Europeans, particularly from Italy, Greece, and Russia, were driven by famine, persecution, and compulsory military service, while also being attracted by the promise of work and the alluring American Dream.