The Reason of Immigrants come to the United States and Indonesia

Ikrar

States College of Islamic Studies of Watampone

Abstract

This paper discusses the reason of immigrants come to the certain country. The author found some interesting topic about what does the reason of immigrants come to United State and also Indonesia. Both countries have their respective reasons, besides the United States as a developing country compared with Indonesia which is still regarded as developed countries. That is the key points that are discussed in detail.

Keyword: Reasons, Immigrants, US, Indonesia.

1.    Historical Background of Immigrant in United States

       During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, millions of immigrants were coming to the United States. The majority of these immigrants came from eastern and western Europe. Immigration increased during this time period for several reasons. One reason was the hope for a better life, which included economic opportunities and an escape from oppressive governments. Another reason was for the adventure. A final reason includes religious freedom, especially for the Jewish people who were facing religious persecution in Russia.

2.    Why do immigrants come to United States of America?

       The answer to this question lies in the history of this country, because the history of the United States is deeply related to immigration. For many years, the United States opened its doors to welcome those seeking political and religious freedom as well as the "adventurer, the wanderer, the persecuted, the fortune seekers, and others." Immigrants built up the United States from the very beginning. This country was, and continues to be a kaleidoscope of ethnic and cultural groups.

       One common belief is that wanderers from Northeast Asia originally peopled America about 20,000 years ago. These wanderers were believed by some to be the founding population (and ancestors) of today's Native Americans.

       Around the year 1500, the great European migration began. All of them came full of hopes and dreams of the "Promised Land." Many settlers from Europe and Asia came to seek their fortune in a new country which was thought to have unlimited resources. Many people from Africa and the Caribbean, however, were brought forcibly to America to work as forced laborers in the building of a new nation.

       Europeans were the immigrants back then, but they did not behave like today's immigrants do. Instead, they executed, isolated, and attacked Native Americans. Although Native Americans could not fight back with guns, they did what they could to defend themselves.

       There is always a touch of irony when a citizen of the United States complains about immigration. Except for those of pure Native American origin, everyone in this country is of immigrant descent. The United States gained its territory largely through the dishonest and violent removal of the indigenous population. Yet, somehow Americans maintain the idea that this land is theirs alone and that it is not only harmful but also immoral for other people to enter it.

But, why do people from all over the world want to come to the US?

a.      Some Reasons 

Immigrants chose to come for various reasons, such as to live in freedom, to practice their religion freely, to escape poverty or oppression, and to make better lives for themselves and their children.

       Some people already have members of their family residing in this country, and desire reunification. Through family-sponsored immigration, a U.S. citizen can sponsor his or her foreign-born spouse, parent, minor, and adult married and unmarried children, and brothers and sisters.

       Some immigrants come to the U.S. because of employment opportunities. Through employment-based immigration, a U.S. employer can sponsor an individual for a specific position where there is a demonstrated absence of U.S. workers.

       But the real reason is prosperity. For decades, economic growth has easily surpassed population growth, giving the U.S., and much of the rest of the world, both more people and more prosperity. Simply put, the desire for a better life somewhere other than the current residence. And this country offers that better life they wish for.

       After they get here, immigrants start contributing to the economy of this country. They wear many hats in American society. They are family members, students, workers, business owners, investors, clergymen, and members of the armed services, to name just a few of their roles. Actually, according to a very recent study found that in all their combined roles, immigrants make indispensable contributions to the economy. They compose an increasingly essential proportion of the workforce.

       The study also found that immigrants are a Plus for the Economy. Immigrants and their children bring long-term economic benefits to the United States as a whole. Immigrants add about $10 billion each year to the U.S. economy.

       If the media disseminated positive information about immigrants, Americans would have very different perceptions of immigrants. American citizens believe that the poverty of developing nations is solely of their own making, that way they find it easier to justify keeping them out of this country.

       The only way to stop this irony is spreading correct facts about these issues. This will be the first step in working towards a more fair immigration policy. Hopefully, a greater dissemination of knowledge and deeper ethical meditation will spur to adopt a healthier attitude towards immigrants in the future.

       In short, the reasons as shown below:

a.       They came to escape poverty.

            This was probably the biggest reason. Famine, particularly the Great Potato Famine--an Gorta Mór--of Ireland in the 1840s to early 1850s, compelled people to seek their living in another place. 

b.      They came for religious freedom.

                  We've all heard that this is why the pilgrims came to America. Many of our ancestors' narratives passed down contain this reason. But don't forget that in centuries past the church ran the government, so in a sense they were coming for liberty. However, religious freedom is one of our rights we cherish in America.

c.       They came to avoid persecution.

                  That reason does not appear in any family Bibles, but it was feared enough that the US government put in place more stringent immigration rules so we did not end up with all world's criminals. This did not appear to be a widespread problem at the turn of the 20th century, however. Tthere were some good stories out there, though, about folks who ran from the law.

d.      They came because a relative was already here.

                  Often men would come first, get a job, earn money, and then send for their wives and children. Or older children in a family would come first and prepare the way. I'm sure many people have stories in their families about reunions at Ellis Island and other immigrant stations. At Ellis Island in the room where families were finally reunited, there was a post nicknamed The Kissing Post.

e.       They came not to stay.

                  This was particularly true of some Italian immigrants in the early 20th century. They brought no family, sent for no one, and came just to work and save enough money to buy their own businesses or farms in their native country. This was the Industrial Revolution. American needed workers. These immigrants put up with squalid living conditions because they hoarded all they could to send home to their families and to invest there. It's not a story you hear very often when you look at those tenement pictures. I'm not saying everyone who came chose that kind of life, but some did. And some who had planned to only stay temporarily actually never did go home.

3.    Historical Background of Immigrant in Indonesia

       The experts have their own views about the origin of the Indonesian population, there was investigating the origins of the Indonesian people based on the spread of language, heritage artifacts, as well as its ancient human fossils. Dr. H. Kern, scientists from the Dutch stated that the language used in Indonesia, came from Asian, can be considered the root of the pattern languages ​​such as Polynesian , Melanesia , Micronesia , all of which are Austronesian. Another expert called Hogen stated that people who inhabit the coastal Malays from Sumatra which was then mixed with the Mongols called Proto Malay nation then spread around the territory of Indonesia in the year of  3000 to 1500 BC, while Deutro Malay Nation came to Indonesia around the year 1500 to 500 BC.

       But historians of Indonesia, Prof. . Mohammad Yamin opposed to the earlier theories, according to him, the Indonesian native is Indonesia's own territory, he even believes that some nation or tribe overseas from Indonesia.

       Indonesia today is a pretty big country providing various stories, the population until now spawned a variety of different ethnic cultures. In regard to the discussion of this paper, immigrants from outside also contribute enough to the changes in this country, as countries spread across Asia. Among the common reasons that are often known by many people, most of them have settled and not temporarily stay but also infrequently, the next discussion will discuss the reasons of these migrants come to Indonesia .

4.        Why do immigrants come to in Indonesia

       In general, Indonesia as developed country do not have as much attractive to newcomers to settle in Indonesia in this case talking about the good purpose of establishing the Indonesian State to be better, because most of them want to move to Indonesia only to seek asylum or refuge, and many of them are considered as illegal immigrant, this will be explained for more detail about the reasons of immigrants as shown below;

1.      Seeking for refuge

           As a result of the prolonged war and conflict from the various countries, Indonesia is the most frequently visited places, geographical viewed of the state of Indonesia consists of 17 thousand islands, so we can imagine how long coastline that would be easy to reach by the immigrant who wants to come to Australia as one of the biggest immigrants receiver, moreover the security in this country is weak because the lack of technology. So in this case the Australian also played an important rol.

            Power of immigration policy in Australia is a biggest weakness from over time. One of the forces that is used by illegal immigrant , who claimed to be refugees is when Australia gives space to the refugees by giving them shelter facility.

2.       Planting stock

                         Indonesia has abundant natural resources, many mines are scattered in 33 provinces, such as oil, coal, gold, silver, copper, diamonds, asphalt uranium, iron, nickel, tin, iron sand and much more. If we think , Which country has natural resources like that, it is no wonder many foreign companies competing for planting stock in Indonesia, such as Exon Mobile, Newmont, Freeport, and much more, but ironically again, Indonesia as the host only enjoy a fraction, while outsiders get the biggest

5.        Conclusion

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, millions of immigrants were coming to the United States. The majority of these immigrants came from eastern and western Europe. Immigration increased during this time period for various reasons, such as to live in freedom, to practice their religion freely, to escape poverty or oppression, and to make better lives for themselves and their children, which included economic opportunities and an escape from oppressive governments.

When we talking about Indonesia, due to its position as the developed country which are so many immigrants who use it to manipulate, even most of the reasons of the settlers came to Indonesia become negative impact for the country, because the majority of the immigrant is illegal and has no settled country, they just want to seek protection and asylum, in addition to the other reasons which ironically migrants trying to re-colonize Indonesia which has already to be free,  by planting stock in this paradise of natural resources.

Reference

[1] Dr. Sztrik János, Basic Queueing Theory, University of Debrecen, Faculty of Informatics

[2] Hendrayana, , Sejarah, Departemen pendidikan Nasional, Jakarta. 2009