Immigration: the search for a new life Over the course of a hundred years of time difference, the concept of immigration has changed, not only in the approach, but also in the consequences and in how the immigrant continues with his life afterward. Immigration from 1870 to 1900 helped double the foreign-born population of the United States, rapidly adopting new cultures over pre-existing ones. With the rapid increase in immigration underway, Americans living there began to fear that the newcomers would destroy not only their American culture, but also their politics and economy. Although both waves of immigrants who migrated to America came for more or less the same reasons, their experiences were very different. Ellis Island, opened in 1892, and Angel Island, opened in 1910, provided a new and better life. where they would have new opportunities for themselves and their families. The experience that the immigrants had to endure was horrendous. Once the immigrants arrived, loaded onto steamboats with sometimes only a suitcase from their previous life, they arrived at immigration ports. For an immigrant to even set foot in the immigration processing building, they had to be healthy and also demonstrate that they had money, skills, and a sponsor (capable of providing for them). Only third class or third class had to pass through Ellis Island. About 2% of immigrants who come to America are non-crossers. Immigrants immigrating to the West across the Pacific Ocean arrived via Angel Island. Most of the immigrants arriving there were Chinese or of some other Asian descent. Angel Island was known for "filtering" Chinese immigrants, and only those who could prove they had family there or were actual American citizens... at the center of the paper... tried to convince people that the immigrants were bad. They convinced the natives that these immigrants were taking their jobs and were against their religion. This, along with hostility towards Chinese workers, led to the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882. This act substantially limited the freedom of the Chinese people. It prohibited the immigration of Chinese workers, limited the rights of Chinese already in America, and prohibited the naturalization of Chinese residents. Many Chinese have suffered persecution and unfair treatment. Most Chinese have not even considered visiting their families back home, for fear of not being accepted in America. However, in 1898 a court case was established declaring that Chinese born in the United States were citizens and could come and go without hesitation..