Running head: IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE 1
Immigrant Experience
United States History II
Immigrant Experience
IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE 2
My country of origin is Russia and my religious tradition is Jewish. I came to the United
States with during the wave of immigration to America in the late 1880s to seek refuge and flee
religious repression in the Russian Empire. I was among the influx of Catholic and Jewish
immigrants from eastern and southern Europe who came and settled in New York through Ellis
Island. I was new to the ethnic, religious, or national cultures in the United States and had
language problems, as I did not speak or understand English and had to rely on my instinct and
use signs. Life was difficult, as I had to endure a plethora of difficulties during the journey across
the Atlantic Ocean to arrive safely at New York Harbor. Still, I came at time when the
government of the United States was limiting the numbers of immigrants who might enter the
country from Southern Europe and Russia. I, therefore, want to let you know that while I am
struggling to acclimatize myself with the hostile conditions in New York City, I have been
