Immigration to the Country of Dreams
In terms of population the US is the third country in the world. Apparently, the United States will keep its place in the future, in the top ten countries, as well as the rate of natural increase in the population of the USA is quite high for a developed country. The population of the country was formed and is forming mainly due to the mass migration from the different regions of the world, so the ethnic composition is very complex. Americans of the United States are a conglomerate that includes over a hundred ethnic groups. (Abram 46) This research was made on the basis of an interview with an immigrant to the United States. The aim of the research is to find out the reasons why people choose the USA for a living, what problems they face and what have changed over the years.
Reasons to choose the USA
The interviewee’s name is Alex and he is from Russia. 8 years ago, he and his family, wife and two children, moved to the USA, they won Green Cards in lottery. The reasons for leaving their country were different, but almost all of them are linked to the economic situation. According to the interviewee, the decision to leave their country was, first of all because of their children. They want their children to have a better future. So, the main reasons were:
Standard of living
“When we came here I thought it was a fairy tale. There were a lot of reasons for that: blooming around our house cherry trees, a stray wild animals (deer, squirrels, rabbits, geese), a free outdoor pool with a gym, a remarkable Russian-speaking community, and good neighbors, who give you the keys of their car and an incredible number of paid and free museums, parks and places of interest.” (Ivanov) According to him, all these things were so unusual for his family, and so strange in comparison to their country. People there live absolutely different lives. The things that are ordinary to the average American are dreamlike for the average Russian. Firstly, it was hard to get used to it, but you can get used to everything, especially to pleasant.
Income level
It was a very important reason, but not because it is impossible to earn money in Russia. There are many things that prevent it there. The level of corruption is very high, and it permeates virtually all aspects of life. Alex had a small family business and it was almost impossible to make a step without a bribe.
The scale of that is very hard to imagine for the Americans. So, it was hard for him to earn money there. “Another one reason is the unwillingness of some Russians to work. How much and how the Americans work, might seem wild and incomprehensible to some Russians. You should work hard, if you want a better life, we were ready for that from the moment we decided to live here.” (Ivanov)
Legal system
The other thing that was pleasant and unusual for them is the legal system of the USA. In America, the laws work, they do not work in Russia. No matter, who you are here – homeless or the President – the law is the same for both. It was hard to get used to the fact that every citizen is a law-abiding and is afraid to break the laws. “In Russia, any student is free to buy alcohol; nobody is going to ask for the documents, in America - never. All the changes in our life are for the better life of our children. First of all we want to protect them from negative impact. Of course we understand that they could find something that is not good everywhere, but believe me, the scale of possibilities is different.” (Ivanov)
Education, medicine
In America, many, if not everything is done for the sake of people’s comfort. Any American would be very surprised and unpleasantly surprised with the state of medicine in Russia and in almost all countries of the former Soviet Union. “I'm talking only about the conditions in hospitals, and do not take anything else into consideration. Sometimes it seems that the purpose of medicine is not to cure, but to maim. This is scary. We do not want to risk the lives and health of our children.” (Ivanov)
The situation with education is also very different. American school seems to be a paradise for children, especially if you have something to compare with. It differs from Russian by freedom, creativity, and attitude towards children. According to Alex it is hard to describe all the differences, because they are totally different. And everyone, who has children, is able to understand the importance of education, especially school in the life of every person.
The school forms the personality. “Let me tell just one example. When my daughter was a 6th grade student, they were in some school trip. And her schoolmates were drinking vodka. That demonstrates the things we are trying to protect our children from. Of course, this egregious case is not a routine, but it really was so.” (Ivanov)
Absolutely different people and culture
“I am not trying to say that Russians are bad or rude people, but when we get here, it was so strange to see smiles on people’s faces. The inhabitants of big cities in Russia are almost always gloomy. This was another one pleasant surprise here. It is always great to see smiley and friendly people around, and it is very important for people from other countries, when they only adapt to a new life.” (Ivanov) In the USA one will notice a general tolerance of the local society. Impressive and surprising is a special respect of the people to historic and family values, eternal craving for novelties, freedoms and rights of the citizen, the confidence of the citizens that their nation has the best and advanced features combined with the continuous struggle for their freedom and rights, as well as for the preservation of traditional values.
Problems and difficulties
It is understandable that there were a lot of issues and difficult situations at least for the first time. Different place, different traditions, Alex’s family came here and they had no friends or relatives in the US. It was hard, they wanted to go back, but they firmly decided to stay and do all they can to have a life they want. The important thing here is motivation and own will.
The most important to American society is first of all knowledge of the language. “Coming here, many Russian-speakers understand that their English is not perfect, and how it differs from American English. If other people do not understand you, it is difficult to enter the circle of communication, make the necessary contacts and make a career.” (Ivanov) Second is the integration into the American way of life - visiting public events, sports, and with genuine interest.
If you do not like it, then you can expect to alienation and loneliness. And thirdly, it is a serious attitude to laws and regulations. “Permissiveness and lack of restraint in expressing emotions is considered a big offense here. For those, who do not understand, there will be problems not only with neighbors, but also with the police.” (Ivanov)
Immigrants of colonial era and immigrants today
In the beginning of the XIX century, immigrants were often guided by economic motives and the patterns of development of the labor market, rather than the problems caused by wars and political conflicts, much better explain the dynamics of immigration. Carried out by economists and historians calculations show that by the middle of the XIX century, the value of the average wage in the majority of European countries ranged from 35 to 55% of the income on which settlers could hope for in the United States. Of course, many people were attracted by the political principles of American society, asserting the idea of freedom and equality. Despite the fact that the founders of the United States did not seek to increase the number of immigrants, more and more thousands of Europeans came over the ocean. (Bonomi 18)
Just like immigrants of the Colonial Era, Alex’s family moved to the US because of economic reasons, in the search of a better life. And there are millions of people like him. This only proves that the US develops and like many years ago gives the opportunities and hope for a better life for many people all over the world.
Conclusion
An important part of the world economic relations is international labor migration - the movement of people, seeking employment in other countries. The United States is a country with very high level of per capita income, caring for the safety and welfare of its citizens. Therefore, interest in the US is not quenched. The standard of living in the USA attracts millions of people around the world.
Works Cited
Abram, Ruth J. “Immigrants in America.” The Public Historian, vol. 19, no. 1, 1997, pp. 45–48. www.jstor.org/stable/3378981.
Bonomi, Patricia U. Under the Cope of Heaven: Religion, Society, and Politics in Colonial America. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. Internet resource.
Ivanov, Alex. Personal interview. 05 January 2017.
