English Composition II

Running Head: WHY IMMIGRANTS IMMIGRATE TO UNITED STATES? 1

Why Immigrants immigrate to United States?

Ayxaliz Rios

Mattia College Professional Training Center

This essay was prepared for English Composition II taught by Professor Christina Martinez

WHY IMMIGRANTS IMMIGRATE TO UNITED STATES? 2

Why Immigrants immigrate to United States?

A Review of the Literature

Man has migrated to different parts of the world since the beginning of history.

Throughout its history, the United States has been a nation of immigrants. They

immigrate to United States in order to get a better quality of life, to work or due to

multiple reasons. This country has always been a nation of ideals. Conceived in the

value of liberty, equality and opportunities. Most of the humans look for better quality of

life for them and their families. This essay review the following questions:

1. Why the immigrants immigrate to United States? 2. What are the causes or reasons to immigrate? 3. What motive the immigrant to immigrate?

4. What kinds of jobs do employed immigrants hold?

Moving from where from one has lived for a long time of period to a new place of

residence can have serious or destabilizing effects upon the mind. How traumatic the

situation will become depends upon the age at which the moves occurs, the anticipatory

planning for such a change, the degree of choice in leaving it, the capacity of the person

to tolerate separations between family or friends and the magnitude of difference

between the two places of residence. Leaving a country for another country or even one

particular region for another region in the same country involves a disturbing loss of familar

topography. Leaving home inevitably involves leaving certain physical objects behind.

WHY IMMIGRANTS IMMIGRATE TO UNITED STATES? 3

Separation from loved ones also constitutes an environmental change for those who immigrate.

Every moves alters the human and non human components in our environment. When

we leave a place, we lose ties not only with friends, family or relatives but

also with a familiar non human environment.

What are the causes or reasons to immigrate?

One of the reasons to immigrate is because many immigrants are unable to find jobs in

their countries while others have to change professions subsequent to their arrival in a

new land or country.

What motive the immigrants to immigrate?

According to John R. Commons, 2007, p.152-153. There are just two grand motives

which induce the freeman to work-necessity and ambition. Necessity is the desire for

quantity, quality, and variety of things to be used. The term is elastic. It is psycological,

not material. It includes, of course, the wants of mere animal existence-food, clothing,

shelter and ambition is the desire for an improved position for one’s self and family-for

better quality and greater variety of material things.

Ambition looks to the future-necessity is based on the past. (Commons, 2007. p.153).

What kinds of jobs do employed immigrants hold?

Of the 23.3 million employed foreign-born workers ages 16 and older in 2011, 29 percent

worked in management, professional, and related occupations; 26 percent worked in service

occupations; 18 percent worked in sales and office occupations; 15 percent worked in

WHY IMMIGRANTS IMMIGRATE TO UNITED STATES? 4

production, transportation, and material moving occupations; and 13 percent worked in natural

resources, construction, and maintenance occupations. Among the 117.1 million civilian

employed native born ages 16 and older, 37 percent worked in management, professional, and

related occupations; 17 percent worked in service occupations; 26 percent worked in sales and

office occupations; 11 percent worked in production, transportation, and material moving

occupations; and 8 percent worked in natural resources, construction, and maintenance

occupations. (Britz & Batalova, 2013).

What were the top ten U.S. counties in terms of number of immigrants, share of immigrants in the total county population, absolute growth, and percent growth between 2000 and 2011?

When classified by the share of immigrants in the total county population, the top ten counties in

2011 were Miami-Dade County, FL (52 percent); Queens County, NY (48 percent); Hudson

County, NJ (40 percent); Kings County, NY (37 percent); San Francisco County, CA (37

percent); Santa Clara County, CA (37 percent)); Los Angeles County, CA (35 percent); Bronx

County, NY (34 percent); San Mateo County, CA (33 percent); and Imperial County, CA (33

percent). (Britz & Batalova, 2013).