9781422274095

view of America. In a 1908 play called The Melting Pot , the protagonist of the play states, “Understand that America is God’s Crucible, the great Melting-Pot where all the races of Europe are melting and re-forming! Here you stand, good folk, think I, when I see them at Ellis Island, here you stand in your fifty groups, your fifty languages, and histories, and your fifty blood hatreds and rivalries. But you won’t be long like that, brothers, for those are the fires of God you’ve come to—these are the fires of God…into the Crucible with you all! God is making the American.” 2 This attitude of welcome to immigrants who are willing to become a part of the fabric of the American story is one that has persisted throughout the history of the United States. However, alongside this welcome is also a strand of hostility that has been directed towards various immigrant groups. While attention has shifted over time to groups from different areas, many of the same issues behind that hostility are still present today. In order to shed some light on these current issues, a brief history of immigration within the United States follows. IMMIGRATION TO THE COLONIES Colonists from Europe initially settled the United States. These early settlers came primary from Spain, France, England, Sweden, and the Netherlands. While many of these settlers came of their own free will, others were not as lucky. Some of the early colonists also brought slaves with them. These slaves came from Africa and the Caribbe-

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A History and Overview of Immigration