As you can imagine, immigration has changed drastically from 1920 to present day. The question is, has it improved? In 1920, Seymour Rechtzeit’s family decided to immigrate to the United States. Seymour had been a child prodigy since he was 4. Once he turned 8 his family decided to move to the United States, therefore Seymour had more opportunities to fulfill his dream. World War 1 also played a part in the decision making, Europe was going through tough times. Once arriving to Ellis Island Seymour’s father waited in a terribly long line as part of the entry process.
Seymour was diagnosed with a common cold and was informed he would be detained at Ellis Island for a couple of days until he got better. He was kept with other sick boys, although they had no toys to play with they had each other to keep company, they would eat in a huge dining room, the food was strange to Seymour yet he claims the food was delicious. Soon his cold went away and he was informed his Father and Uncle were coming to get him. Soon he found himself on a boat heading toward America, with only Ellis Island and the sea behind him.
Seymour described the moment he left as the happiest he had felt in months, all around him families were being greeted by relatives, greetings, hugs, and tears of joy were surrounding him. Seymour soon became a child star, he had gathered enough money to bring his mother and siblings to America. He was faced with one problem, by this time it was 1924 and not many immigrants were being let into the United States. His family was denied entry. Soon after, a congressman heard him singing and invited him to sing for the President. After he performed the President promised to help bring his amily into America.
Finally his Family would be together again. Antonio Alarcon grew up living with his grandparents while his parents searched for work in other Mexican states. At the age of 11, his parents decided to move to the United States. They hoped to find better job opportunities. Sadly his younger brother was too young to make the journey so he has to stay behind with his grandparents. When saying goodbye to his brother, Antonio believed he would see him soon. It has been nine years since Antonio and his brother have seen each other. Their journey began by flying to Hermosillo.
There a van was waiting to take them to a house in the middle of nowhere. That is where they would stay before they began crossing the border. They were given two water bottles for the adults and one for the children, a few cans of tuna and corn. After walking for a couple of days, they found themselves without food or water. Luckily they found an irrigational canal or they may have never made it to the United States. After three days they finally made it to Arizona. From there they made their way to Los Angeles, California. From Los Angeles they flew to New York. Where Antonio and his family would remain to make a living.
Even though they had a tough time adjusting, they were thankful for everything they received. Antonio struggled in school, due to the fact he only spoke spanish and his parents were working 7 days a week trying to maintain a household. In 2011 and 2012, Antonio’s grandparents passed away. This meant that his parents had to return to Mexico to care for his brother. Antonio hasn’t seen his parents in two years, his brother in nine. As you can see there is a drastic change in the immigration process from 1920 to present day.
In 2014 there were on average 11. 1 million unauthorized immigrants in the U. S. The number of unauthorized nations other than Mexico grew from 325,000 , in 2009, to an estimated 5. 3 million in 2014. I have lived in the United States my whole life. I know numerous citizens who have immigrated from other countries. Through meeting these people I have come to the conclusion that we all have one common dream, to live in a country free of crime and full of opportunity. So why are we limiting so many people of this delicacy? In present day United States you must go through five steps to become a citizen. The first is finding out whether you are eligible. If you own a green card then you are already eligible.
If you don’t then you need to obtain one before you can continue. Next you need to overcome any barriers you may be faced with. If you can’t display good moral character due to a past of criminal history, you may need to consult an immigration attorney for full analysis. Once you accomplish this step, you need to file USCIS Form N-400. Once you are sure you can become a U. S. citizen, you are ready to file paperwork with the U. S. citizenship and immigration services and immigration services. The N-400 is the form to get the process of citizenship started. A background check will have to be performed.
Your fingerprint will be run through the FBI database for a background check. Once you are finished getting fingerprinted you should receive an appointment date and address for an interview with a USCIS officer. The officer will also test your knowledge of English and of U. S. civics. You are required to pass this test and the background check or you will not be able to become a U. S. citizen. Lastly you must attend the oath ceremony. If you are approved at your interview you aren’t a citizen yet. You will be called in for a large public ceremony, where you must swear your loyalty to the United States.
Now you are an official U. S citizen. This process takes somewhere between six months to two years. Having been born in the United States, I feel as though I share an understanding to the life of an immigrant. I have befriended many immigrants and discussed their experiences going through the immigration process. This may play a role in my feelings toward the process as a whole. I strongly believe that the United States should not deny anyone citizenship if they are free of disease, pass a background check, and have a plan for once they do become a citizen.
The last one should be in place for the safety of the individual. They should think ahead and have an outline of their future. Although the series of requirements one must complete to become a citizen is very thorough and strict, I understand that it is to protect current citizens. You need to put yourself in both the shoes of an average american citizen and the immigrant, then base your final thoughts on their perspective. After all the United States is the land of the free. Everyone should be free to join this country for the opportunities it provides.
