Today, I took my almost 13 year old son on a voyage to New Jersey we will long remember.
We saw Ellis Island, the gateway through which more than 12 million immigrants poured into the U.S. between 1892 and 1924, 1,200,000 alone in one of those years, I believe 1908 or 1909. Ellis Island was not the only "gateway" but it was by far the largest. The "brain drain" that poured through Ellis Island and similar points were probably the major key to America's greatness and Europe's decline.
Before the 1890s the U.S. was but a blip on Europe's and thus (in their view) the civilized world's radar screen. The ceaseless warfare and religious persecution had the aim of controlling Europe, access to colonial resources and thus (in their view) the civilized world. Wars such as WW I and WW II were fought in that quixotic aim. Something not so funny happened on the way to the forum.
There were periods of major European emigration before, The Irish potato famine, political turmoil in Germany and famines in Scandinavia sent smaller waves to our fair shores during the late 1840's and early 1850's. What happened from 1892 on was one of the great migrations of human history. America's growing prosperity, and unprecedented political freedom and stability began to become known in Europe, with the greater spread of information. Some of that information demonstrably false, mind you, such as America's streets being paved with gold. Still, the people willing to foresake to familiarity of speking their language of birth, in many cases leave the houses and towns they were born in for a new, unfamiliar world, with a different language up and left. By and large, these were the people that a new country needed to build it; people with drive, in some cases imagination, in some cases intellect, but people willing to give rather than take, to work and work hard.
After going to Ellis Island, I took my son to dinner in the "Ironbound" section of Newark, and had the best Portugese food I've had this side of the Alentejo region of Portugal. These people are contributors to our country that give it spice and zest.
My paternal grandmother's first worlds were in either Magyar or Yiddish. Her son, my father, was a professional till his death who spoke perfect English, who built a thriving interior architecture practice from nothing. My mother's maternal grandfather was a Ukrainian refugee from the Czar's army, tired of the senseless and endless wars. I am now an acomplished attorney. Our President is the son of a Kenyan farmer. In more modern times, the better people of Asia, the Caribbean, and yes even the Muslim world come here rather than stay there.
Thus not only was this a great migration; it was a huge brain drain. It continues to this day.This is and always has been a country of immigrants.
We saw Ellis Island, the gateway through which more than 12 million immigrants poured into the U.S. between 1892 and 1924, 1,200,000 alone in one of those years, I believe 1908 or 1909. Ellis Island was not the only "gateway" but it was by far the largest. The "brain drain" that poured through Ellis Island and similar points were probably the major key to America's greatness and Europe's decline.
Before the 1890s the U.S. was but a blip on Europe's and thus (in their view) the civilized world's radar screen. The ceaseless warfare and religious persecution had the aim of controlling Europe, access to colonial resources and thus (in their view) the civilized world. Wars such as WW I and WW II were fought in that quixotic aim. Something not so funny happened on the way to the forum.
There were periods of major European emigration before, The Irish potato famine, political turmoil in Germany and famines in Scandinavia sent smaller waves to our fair shores during the late 1840's and early 1850's. What happened from 1892 on was one of the great migrations of human history. America's growing prosperity, and unprecedented political freedom and stability began to become known in Europe, with the greater spread of information. Some of that information demonstrably false, mind you, such as America's streets being paved with gold. Still, the people willing to foresake to familiarity of speking their language of birth, in many cases leave the houses and towns they were born in for a new, unfamiliar world, with a different language up and left. By and large, these were the people that a new country needed to build it; people with drive, in some cases imagination, in some cases intellect, but people willing to give rather than take, to work and work hard.
After going to Ellis Island, I took my son to dinner in the "Ironbound" section of Newark, and had the best Portugese food I've had this side of the Alentejo region of Portugal. These people are contributors to our country that give it spice and zest.
My paternal grandmother's first worlds were in either Magyar or Yiddish. Her son, my father, was a professional till his death who spoke perfect English, who built a thriving interior architecture practice from nothing. My mother's maternal grandfather was a Ukrainian refugee from the Czar's army, tired of the senseless and endless wars. I am now an acomplished attorney. Our President is the son of a Kenyan farmer. In more modern times, the better people of Asia, the Caribbean, and yes even the Muslim world come here rather than stay there.
Thus not only was this a great migration; it was a huge brain drain. It continues to this day.This is and always has been a country of immigrants.
You could as well argue that the people who went to America were mostly ultrareligious sickos, criminals and unemployed, uneducated farmers. America didn't make much difference in the european wars. 
