Immigrants that came to the US for labor could imagine easier use of resources within the country. People such Anna Schano, who wrote to her family in Germany saying, “don’t be afraid of America” and that there were “many other Germans here [US]”. Another German woman named Stiener discussed the hardships in Germany in 1721. Germany was having agricultural problems much like Ireland will have soon after. While there were limited crop intake which caused German farmers to be financially repressed, the idea of religious worship was limited as well. Stiener mentioned that “they were labeled as heretics for their religion.”[1] She, like many immigrants, heard about higher living standards of life in America through sources such of family members who wrote about how life was much improved in the new world.
The opportunities for immigrants were not only limited to labor and religion in America. When it came to the Civil War, for example, President Abraham Lincoln, "proposed mobility of immigrants to high ranks within the Union Army"[2] . There were immigrant regiments that fought together. Even though it may have been confusing to fight for a country that was still new to them, immigrants were able to move their way up within ranks of the military, which may have been something that may not been thought of in their home country.
For the immigrants such as Fu Chio Hau, America was supposed to be a friendly nation who was highly respected by his original country of China. When Fu came to the US, his expectations quickly changed. The yellow peril way of thinking was being taken over all over the US throughout the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. As fear of Chinese labor overtaking white jobs spread, Fu said, “A Chinaman can live and save money on wages and profits that will not support a white man to say nothing of the white man’s family.”[3] It is truly evident that Chinese immigrants worked the jobs with low pay that whites could not afford to work anyways.
The opportunities for immigrants were not only limited to labor and religion in America. When it came to the Civil War, for example, President Abraham Lincoln, "proposed mobility of immigrants to high ranks within the Union Army"[2] . There were immigrant regiments that fought together. Even though it may have been confusing to fight for a country that was still new to them, immigrants were able to move their way up within ranks of the military, which may have been something that may not been thought of in their home country.
For the immigrants such as Fu Chio Hau, America was supposed to be a friendly nation who was highly respected by his original country of China. When Fu came to the US, his expectations quickly changed. The yellow peril way of thinking was being taken over all over the US throughout the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. As fear of Chinese labor overtaking white jobs spread, Fu said, “A Chinaman can live and save money on wages and profits that will not support a white man to say nothing of the white man’s family.”[3] It is truly evident that Chinese immigrants worked the jobs with low pay that whites could not afford to work anyways.