Lesson 2 – A Land of Immigrants

Terms	immigrant – a person who leaves his or her own country to live permanently in another descendant – a person who is born to particular parents, grandparents and more distant ancestors
Introduction	Galarza was a young boy in the early 1900s Traveled with his family from Mexico to their new home in the U.S. Had a difficult journey on a train and settled in California
America’s Many People A Land of Immigrants People from Many Nations	America is so diverse b/c it’s settled by immigrants Everyone who lived in U.S. is either an immigrant or a descendent of immigrants Even American Indians came from Asia thousands of years ago Some are descendents of people who came to America from Africa many years ago and forced into slavery Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch and English first came to North America in 1500s and 1600s Many Irish and Germans came to America in the 1840s (potato famine in Ireland) 1800s and early 1900s, millions came from southern and eastern Europe and Asia
Why People Came	Most loved their countries, but conditions were not good (war, poverty, lack of freedom etc.) Galarza describes how troubles at home forced his family to leave Mexico They were caught in a revolution (a war between people and their government)
The Trip to America	From 1600s to 1900s, many came by ship Conditions were very poor; packed into dark, wet areas of the ship; most likely in steerage Food was poor and little water available Galarza’s family traveled by train; tracks had been destroyed so it caused delay, and he became sick
Life in a New Country	Galarza family moved to a barrio (a neighborhood where other Mexican people lived) Neighborhood had many cultures People looked, spoke and acted different Became part of America’s pluralistic culture

REVIEW QUESTIONS:

What are the causes of immigration?

Describe the difficult journeys many immigrants took.

How is life in America different for most immigrants?