- Published: October 3, 2022
- Updated: October 3, 2022
- University / College: University of Notre Dame
- Level: Undergraduate
- Language: English
- Downloads: 38
The paper ” Long Way Home: An American Journey from Ellis Island to the Great War by David Laskin” is a perfect example of a history book review.
World War I had different implications for different people who were affected. The story has been told in different ways by several people. Each perspective reveals varying consequences that were as a result of the war. David Laskin in The Long Way Home follows the lives of eleven individuals on a journey that starts from Ellis Island to the time they fight in the Great War. The origins include Poland, Norway, Russia, and Italy (Laskin). Their origins are traced, from their native land, to how they arrive in America. Their service in the war and life after the war are all documented. The America immigrants who served in the war during its course suffered both long and short-term consequences. World War I also played an ‘ Americanization’ role for the immigrants.
The short-term impacts included tension in America, as some immigrants refused to fight in the war due to conflict of interest. The immigrants could trace their origins to the countries America was asking them to fight. Their refusal to fight their distant relatives got them imprisoned. Such a reaction from the authorities increased tension along religious and political spheres.
In the long run, World War I could be said to have resulted in the diversity of America. Immigrants from different regions earned their citizenship, and America became a diverse population. The war also created barriers for those who wanted to immigrate to America in the future. Those who wanted to emulate the paths of the immigrant soldiers were treated as suspects dropping the immigration rate.
For the immigrants, the War was an ‘ Americanization’ program since it was a means of the immigrant to earn citizenship. The immigrants were bound by a social contract that required them to serve in the war before being awarded citizenship (Laskin). These immigrants fought fervently in the war, sticking to the requirements of the social contract, and serving with pride. The loyalty they showed earned them a place in America for both them and their children. The immigrant soldiers became Americans, thus their Americanization.