American Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

American Studies - Essay Example nd their wives were hostages in the home, unaffected by self-interest thus creating a perfect world in which men were free to pursue every material pursuit they wished while women were constrained to remain at home and protect the moral and ethical values of the family unit. Submission became a defining aspect of the urban, immigrant woman first as daughter then later as wife and mother. She was taught that if she chose to think for herself or espouse her own opinions, she would lose both her happiness and respect of others. The immigrant woman living in urban areas began taking advantage of the abundant job opportunities and enjoyed a measure of individuality and autonomy those previous generations of women in America had seldom experienced.   The individuality and power of these women marked a shift away from communal domesticity, undermining the Victorian culture that had existed prior to the mass immigration of that era, with a new emphasis upon autonomy, pleasure, and consumpt ion. Between 1900 and World War I the old Victorian code which prescribed the subjugation of women crumbled.   The feminist movement that has served to lift women to a greater level of equality today was greatly aided by these immigrant women who broke the mold by working outside the home. Immigrants to the U.S. leave the familiar surrounding of their country of origin, the homeland of their ancestors, to travel great distances then struggle to assimilate into a new culture and learn a new language. They are strongly motivated to embark on this life-altering journey into the unknown because they are impoverished with little hope of improving their situation within their home country. That the U.S. is a prosperous nation, that its people enjoy high standards of living is not and has not been a secret. The tired, poor and huddled masses that immigrated to the U.S. at the turn of the twentieth century had heard of ‘streets paved with gold.’ In most cases, if the streets were