What Is The Fourth Wave Of Immigration

During each wave of immigration into the United States, immigrants have faced many different injustices. Each successive wave of immigrants, however, discovered a better America. Immigrants in the second (Pre-Civil War) and the third wave (1880-1920) faced an America that focused on “Americanizing” them. This desire to strip immigrants of their culture did not exist on the same level after World War II and so the fourth wave of immigrants discovered an America more likely to accept them and their culture. This acceptance translated into improvements also in education. Similarly, the final wave of immigrants faced less prejudice and so had better job opportunities. Although immigrants have been pressured to assimilate, the America immigrants
Through her speech in 1897 (Third wave), Jane Addams conveys the point that through the education system the government is not only “Americanizing” immigrant’s children, but they are also robbing the children of joy in learning. In the fourth wave of immigrants, Latinos achieve a better education through bilingual programs. The bilingual programs better the education system for immigrants that don’t speak English. Now, later in the fourth wave, many immigrants come to America for educational purposes. African immigrants that studied in America before1965 attracted a larger mass of Africans coming to America. This shows that while the education system did not pivot on education, but instead “Americanization”, it has evolved to the needs of the immigrants and even has become a pull factor for
In the second wave, the Irish faced “Americanization”, as the stereotypical Irish maid, “Bridget”, was expected to know the uses of napkins, finger bowls and other dessert knives by their employers. These items were not a part of the Irish culture, and by expecting these maids to know them, the employers are conforming them to America’s culture. In the third wave, teachers Americanized immigrants in schools by changing the student’s name from an ethnic name to a clearly American name. Yet, by the fourth wave, America is more accepting of the immigrants separate cultures. Many Americans will eat at immigrant’s ethnic restaurants, and call the children by the names they were given in their homeland. Therefore, it can be stated that although Americans have pressured immigrants to conform to the American standard previously, America is now more accepting of the separate cultures of the immigrants.

Throughout the sequential waves of immigration, America’s treatment of immigrants has changed positively. The improvement in how we treat immigrants is not only important to our country in the present, but it also impacts the world on a large scale. While America has always drawn immigrants, these immigrants now know that America is a country where they will be treated fairly and therefore, immigrants constantly