Final answer:
During the early 20th century, people wanted to limit immigration due to job competition, cultural assimilation difficulties, and potential economic depression. Immigrants faced hardships like discrimination, economic struggles, and cultural and linguistic barriers. Despite these issues, many pursued the American Dream, seeking economic opportunities and a better life.
Step-by-step explanation:
Throughout history, concerns about immigration have often been present in societies facing large influxes of people from other countries. During various periods in American history, one of those periods being the early 20th century, there were significant efforts to limit immigration. The rationale for these limitations can roughly be categorized as follows:
- Economic reasons such as job competition, where immigrants were seen as competition for jobs, potentially taking employment from native-born citizens or depressing wages due to a willingness to work for less.
- Cultural reasons include the challenges of cultural assimilation, in which immigrants' languages, customs, and traditions differ from the mainstream culture, causing tensions and a fear of cultural dilution or displacement.
- Socioeconomic impact, where high levels of immigration were thought to potentially lead to economic depression, overburden public services, and put a strain on resources.
Immigrants themselves faced a variety of hardships upon their arrival in America, such as:
- Discrimination and nativism made finding jobs and integrating into society challenging.
- Economic struggles, as many immigrants arrived with limited resources and had to work low-paying jobs.
- Cultural and linguistic barriers complicate everyday interactions and access to services.
Overall, while immigrants came to the United States seeking economic opportunities and freedom, the path to the American Dream was paved with numerous obstacles, both societal and economic.