Dahquad Ogden

Immigration History

Tiffany Holliday

ETH/125

May 10, 2012

Kelly Tabah

The ethnic group that I have chosen to use is the African American group. I am interested in this group because I am an African American, and I always have wondered what went on during the time of immigration and what the history of my race and ancestors was. I know that there are many interesting things about it, but I have wanted to dig deeper and find out more. I want to know how life was during that time and what type of people they were then. I know life was much different from what it is now.

When African Americans first came to America, there were about nine million of them who immigrated to America, and this was during the 18th century. During that time, America was known to them as the “Promised Land.” It was called the “Promised Land” because during that time America had many new and different opportunities for them, and they wanted to get away from their old and troubling life and start new and fresh. To them, America was a land of opportunities, and they knew that they could have bigger and better opportunities there. They could have better jobs to take care of their families; they could have more land for their families, etc.

The African Americans wanted to come to America so they could have more freedom. They wanted equal rights for them and the other races, and they knew that when they came to America that is what they would have. They had to dig through many things such as dirt, mud, garbage, etc. to find food for them and their families. They had to drink dirty water which could give them diseases and many different illnesses, so they thought America would be better. What they did not know was that when they came to America, life would not be as good as they imagined. Where they came from, they were slaves and had no freedom, but when they came to America, their life was almost the same as it was where they were immigrating from. It was not as bad to where...