Italian Immigration
During 1880–1924, Italy was suffering a major economic fall. Poverty levels were through the roof, and the lower class were trapped in cycles of debt. There were various "push and pull" factors leading to why Italians immigrated. The push factors on why they left Italy were due to these economic hardships, overpopulation, and an unstable agricultural economy. Some pull factors on why they chose to come to America were the economic opportunities such as higher wages and political and personal freedom. Italians immigrated to America to find a better life. Italian immigrants made up 10% of America's foreign-born population.
In this section of Italian Immigration, there will be different pages talking about some of the experiences Italians went through on their journey to America. Assimilation versus multiculturalism will be discussed first. It's very important to know the difference between these two terms. They are critical to the Italian immigrant experiences as it was pushed on them. Then, the idea of the melting pot and how it shaped American identity.