Answer:
(this is what I turned in)
First Wave of European Immigrants was in 1609–1775. It was mainly white settlers who crossed the Atlantic looking for adventure, religious freedom, and glory. Africans were also brought over during this period for slavery, but some came for indentured servitude. Most immigrants in this period were from England.
1820-1870 was the second wave of European Immigrants and Beginning of Asian Immigration. Immigrants started coming in some number of years after the conclusion of the American Revolution. Many Irish arrived on the East Coast due to the potato famine in Ireland. A large influx of German immigrants also arrived but started moving more inland to become farmers. Opportunity for work on the railroad and the lure of gold attracted huge numbers of Chinese immigrants to the West Coast. The Chinese were payed badly though and lived in squalor.
Third Wave of European Immigrants was in 1881-1920. Poor immigrants had better opportunities to reach America due to cheaper oversea travel. Most immigrants in this period came from southern and eastern Europe (countries like Russia and Italy), and new immigration laws made immigration from Asian countries extremely difficult. Southern and eastern European immigrants endured many hardships and hostilities yet many more continued to pour in. Many of these immigrants lived in big cities like New York City and worked in large factories.
The Fourth Wave of Immigration is 1950–present. New immigration quotas made immigration to the United States far less restrictive in terms of country emigrated from or nationality. Early on, large influxes of Asian immigration were the norm but in the second half immigrants have been primarily from areas like Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America. Illegal immigration in this period is higher than it has been since immigration laws were set forth by the U.S. government. Additionally, the movement of laborers between Mexico and the U.S. is the most significant and longest lasting exchange in immigrants between any two countries in the world.
The push factors were what drove the immigrants from their country such as religious persecution, political oppression and poverty. The pull factors were those which attracted immigrants to America such as civil rights, freedom of expression, religion and speech and economic opportunity. Push factor: Economic hardship has been a powerful “push” factor for many groups. The Irish potato famine of 1845-47 is a good example. Pull factor: In the late 1800's, people in many parts of the world decided to leave their homes and immigrate to the United States. Fleeing crop failure, land and job shortages, rising taxes, and famine, many came to the U.S. because it was perceived as the land of economic opportunity.
