Push And Pull Factors
What is a push factor?
A reason someone leaves their home country, like war or poverty
Name one type of food that became popular in the U.S. due to immigrants
Tacos, Pizza, Dumplings
What country did most immigrants come from during the Irish Potato Famine?
Ireland
What does a “green card” allow someone to do in the U.S.?
Live and work in the U.S. permanently.
What is a refugee?
person forced to flee their country due to war, violence, or persecution.
What is a pull factor?
A reason someone is attracted to a new country, like jobs or safety.
How do immigrants contribute to the U.S. economy?
By filling jobs, starting businesses, and paying taxes.
What was Ellis Island Used for?
A processing center for immigrants arriving on the East Coast (New York)
What government agency handles legal immigration and citizenship?
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
What is one reason people are leaving Venezuela today?
Hyperinflation, food shortages, or lack of medicine and jobs.
Name one pull factor.
job opportunities
Name one famous American who is an immigrant or child of immigrants.
Albert Einstein, Madeleine Albright, Kamala Harris (daughter of immigrants)
Which group helped build the transcontinental railroad in the 1800s?
Chinese Immigrants
What did the Immigration Act of 1965 change about who could immigrate?
It ended quotas based on nationality and allowed more immigrants from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Name one country where people are fleeing due to war today.
Syria, Sudan, Ukraine
How might climate change act as a push factor?
Droughts or rising sea levels can destroy homes or farms, forcing people to leave.
Describe a cultural or religious tradition immigrants brought to the U.S.
Diwali (India), Lunar New Year (China), Hanukkah (Jewish tradition)
What was the Chinese Exclusion Act, and when was it passed?
A law passed in 1882 that banned Chinese immigration to the U.S.
What is DACA, and who does it affect?
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals – it protects certain undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.
What is asylum, and how is it different from general immigration?
Asylum is protection for people fleeing persecution; it’s a legal status given to refugees.
Explain how a single event can have both push and pull effects for different people
A war may push people out of one country while another country’s safety pulls them in.
How have immigrants influenced American music, literature, or art?
They’ve helped create genres like jazz and hip-hop, and written books reflecting immigrant life
Describe one reason Jewish immigrants fled Europe before World War II.
To escape anti-Semitic persecution, including violence and discriminatory laws
Describe how U.S. immigration quotas worked in the early 1900s.
The U.S. used national origin quotas that favored European countries and limited others.
What challenges do undocumented immigrants face in the U.S.?
Fear of deportation, difficulty finding work, limited access to healthcare or education.