Immigrants

- Why did people leave Europe to go to America in the late 1800s? What was their 'American Dream'?

The Europeans including the Norwegians immigrated to The United States by the promise of free land. Many people were tempted by the opportunity to get a better life. If the immigrants were farming the land, they were granted around 600 acres of soil and a farm much bigger and better than any farm in their native land.

The immigrants “American Dream” was to get a better life by getting a bigger farm with more acres of fertile soil.

The immigration was a result of many push and pull factors.  Some main push factors that drove the immigrants from their country was religious persecution, poverty and political oppression. Some pull factors that attracted the immigrants to the U.S. was civil rights, freedom of expression, religion and a good economic opportunity.

The Irish immigrants were pushed from their country because of a bad potato breeding with an illness.  The potatoes were quite important for the Irish people, therefore many died and some decided to move. 

Do people still believe it can be achieved? 

Yes, most of them do, but every person that were asked had a different answer to what the amercian dream was and what it meant for them. I think everyone changes the dream to what they think are possible to achieve for themselves.

How has the definition changed?

The definition has changed together with the progress of the economy. Four years ago the economy was more stabilized than what it is now so people have shifted their dream to one that is more based on values and that is more affordable in the situation they live in today.

Two quotes by Oscar Wilde