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City Life for Immigrants 1900-1950

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City Life for Immigrants 1900-1950
City Life for Immigrants 1900-1950
Aditya Thapliyal
GGSIP University

Abstract
Since the turn of the 20th century and over the next few decades, over 15 Million immigrants landed at United States. This number was as much as the total immigrants which arrived in 40 years prior to that. Most of the immigrants were coming from different countries compared to the immigrants from past few years and most of the new immigrants came from Non-English speaking countries like Russia, Poland and Italy which had different culture from United States. Due to these differences of languages and culture immigrants found it difficult in adjust to the Lifestyle. Cities went on to be overcrowded by immigrants as most of them were looking for jobs and it was easier to find work in cities where natives were unwilling to take up jobs which they found unfit for themselves. With the passage of time immigrants were able to improve their condition as authorities also started to place new immigrants within populous cities. According to reports by 1910, 75% of the population of New York City were either first generation immigrants or descendants of immigrants.

Due to limited income most of the immigrants started to settle in affordable apartments and mass tenement where living conditions were quite uncomfortable. Rooms were as small as 10 feet had no windows and people living had to harbour inconvenient living conditions which were defiled, soggy and had dreadful odour. This experience had a lasting mark in the memories of immigrants who moved to cities to improve their lifestyles and financial condition. This ended up leading to high mobility as most families ended up relocating to new and better places with passage of time and improvement in monetary condition. Immigrants mostly settled in districts which had mixed ethnicity over neighbourhoods having same ethnicity as focus was on grabbing on to the best commercial opportunities to make money rather than stick to old traditions...

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