In the first chapter of Foner’s From Ellis Island to JFK, she discusses the new wave of immigrants coming into New York today. This was interesting because it dispels the previous notions of immigrants that people hold. The immigrants of the past were not all uneducated and from the lowest parts of society. Many of them possessed some kind of specialized skill. What I found to be the most interesting, however, was the descriptions of today’s immigrants, many of which were probably professionals in their home country. It is unfortunate that these immigrants to New York are still stereotyped as uneducated, when the reason they cannot find a suitable job based on their skills is because of restrictions placed on them by society.

The way new immigrants arrive to the United States today is also remarkably different than past immigrants. Only a short trip on an airplane separates an immigrant from the life he/she hopes to live. However, not everyone can come to America whenever they please. Those that try to enter illegally face much hardship in gaining access to the opportunities in America. But the act of trying, despite these difficulties, is remarkable. Even after centuries of immigration, people still see America as the door to a better life. People from all over the world still want to come to America and be a part of the American life. In a way, this shows how the American culture has become something significant in itself.

-Wendy Li