Source of Hate

When Nancy Foner talks about the old immigrants, she talks about the horrific living conditions they were forced into. These low class immigrants from Ireland and other European countries endured near-homeless conditions in their hopes of a better life. However, American society at the time was repulsed by this group of immigrants and felt ashamed that they were considered part of this country. Though these reasons were cruel and insensitive, many Americans opposed this wave of immigration because they thought it would taint the American way of life. These people were thought to possess cultures, languages, and religions so different that they could never be assimilated. It was this outlook on the predominantly low class immigrants that made them so hated. Unlike the immigrants of the past, many immigrants today come from educated backgrounds and although they don’t come with enough money to live luxurious lives, many come with enough money in their pockets to avoid the unbearable conditions that were so rampant in the past. These immigrants integrate into the American economy, have children who are considered much more “American”, and overall fit into the American way of life. Despite these aspects, immigrants today are still hated just as much as the immigrants of the past. The only difference is now they are hated for stealing away jobs from Americans and stereotypes are spread to make it seem like immigrants are the source of the country’s downfall (the very country built on immigration). All of this makes me ask myself, why do people hate immigrants? After looking at the past, I would say its because of how different they are and because they don’t fit in well in America. While this reason is a superficial and ridiculous one, at least the source of the hatred would be pinpointed. But then I look at all the reasons people hate immigrants today and it seems to be the exact opposite. So many people hate immigrants for living in our nice neighborhoods and occupying good jobs. How could there exist such different sources of hatred of immigrants? The only conclusion I can come to is that neither of these reasons for hatred are the true source. It seems as though Americans will change with the times, finding new reasons to hate immigrants at different points in time. Maybe hatred of immigrants has always been, and always will be, the easiest way to establish a scapegoat for the various problems plaguing America at different times, no matter how irrelevant they are to immigration.