Immigration: Then and Now

     Immigration has always been a hot-topic in America. Whether it was 1890 or 2015, immigration has been there and always will be. No matter who you are, you can trace your lineage back to an immigrant. The rate of immigration has decreased in the past because of the population size rising; leaving potential immigrants behind. The reason for immigrating has been the same as it was in the beginning. People have always longed for the freedom available in America. Freedom not being the only reason but the most intriguing reason to immigrants is the opportunities that America gives you. People from other countries simply are not given the opportunities everyone is given in America. Those reasons being push/pull factors.

This political cartoon shoes the opportunities that are given to immigrants and represent pull factors.

     When people of foreign nations have a problem such as oppression, unhealthy government, or lack of jobs; they are being pushed out of that country and are being pulled in by the opportunity that America gives them. If the U.S was a fast food restaurant, of course, it would be McDonalds. Known for all the good food (opportunities) that is available, customers see how much better everything is than their current favorite restaurant. They see the better quality food (life) and they want it. The poor quality of their current favorite restaurant's food is a push factor along with the better quality food of McDonalds being a pull factor.

     There is a shocking similarity between both times in the ways they handled immigrants. We continue to come with open-arms and accept them into society. There are still differences. Those being that in the older days, we were more prone to discriminate against a certain people. In the late 1800's, the Chinese were the ones being left out.

In the late 1800's, the Chinese were the ones being left out of the fun in America. 

 Today we see the Arabic people being rejected more than any because we are still in the war against terrorism. Though overpopulation was not a problem back then; America had little limitations to handle it, being that criminals were rejected. Now, we test our immigrants to see who is best fit to improve society, even though it may be immoral. However we deal with immigration, illegal immigration has been and will always be a problem in our country. Illegal or not, foreigners come for the same reasons: the freedom and opportunity that the U.S put on the table.

Why Did the U.S. invade Cuba in 1898?

     After the destruction of the Maine, an American battleship, Americans questioned the event. All over the country, citizens were scrambling around searching for the evidence of how it all happened. Politicians along with newspaper editors pointed their fingers at the Spanish. Considering this and the rumors of the Spaniards oppressing the Cuban people, it only made sense that America should sail 90 miles to the Cuban shores and invade the Spanish colony. With all of these generalizations in place, it only made sense that the United States invade the island. Almost too much sense that it made it seem as the States were trying to come up with reasons to take Cuba. It would also make sense that the States take Cuba which is geographically rich. The United States invaded Cuba in 1898 not only because of the destruction of the Maine and the oppression of the Cuban people, but because of Cuba's geographical benefits.

USS Maine being evacuated after explosion.

Cuba was said to be filled with bones from those who had died.

The Maine was destroyed in 1898 near the shores of Cuba. Almost instantly, Americans placed the blame on none other than the Spanish. Marie Elizabeth Lamb, an American poet, wrote, "Dost hear the sailors scream? Comrades will you go? Avenge the cruel blow!" Yellow journalism of the incident were created so that Americans would be on board with an invasion of Cuba in a way that would remind Americans that the Spanish were the cause of the lost of many lives. The other case of yellow journalism would be Spain's treatment of Cubans. It was written by American writer Fitzhugh Lee that the Cuban people were put into "reconcentration camps" and were "heaped pell-mell as animals, some in a dying condition, others sick and others dead." These explicit details were written strictly to make United States citizens supportive of the invasion of Cuba.
The Cuban island is still today a very important area geographically. Being an island, it was most likely full of natural resources. Also, owning Cuba would only help America's case as a world power. Clearly, there were many reasons for the United States to have an interest in acquiring Cuba. The interest not being in annexing according to the teller amendment. So, to avoid being labeled as an imperialistic nation, the United States forged evidence to make a Cuban invasion seem appropriate. America exaggerated details, making gruesome claims and statements, and made it seem as if their invasion of Cuba had many reasons behind it. In an article from the New York Times, it was found that within American naval ships "fire would sometimes be generated in the coal bunkers", which could easily spark an explosion due to the high amount of explosives inside of the battleship. Captain Schuley, a naval captain of the time, was "not prepared to believe that the Spanish or Cubans in Havana were supplied with either the information or the appliances necessary" to destroy the Maine.
The United States at the end of the day came up with excuses to cover up the fact that their invasion of Cuba was only because of Cuba's geographic benefits. The Spaniards were not responsible for the  destruction of the Maine, and their mistreatment of Cubans were true but were blown up to what we would today call holocaust size. Cuba was valuable for the United States. So valuable that they couldn't let the opportunity slide by, so they found a few reasons being  the Maine and "reconcentration camps." Due to Cuba's geographic benefits, the United States carried out the invasion. It was only because of the "reasons" they forged together to sway the nation.