Immigrants that traveled across seas from other countries had it pretty tough coming to the great land of opportunity. The faced many hardships that most Americans never had to go through. Laws were even made in their spite and they had no choice but to follow them or else they wouldn't be let into the country.
The Alien Contract Labor Laws of 1885, 1887, 1888, and 1891 prohibited immigrants from entering the country to work under contracts made before their arrival. Professional actors, artists, singers, lecturers, educators, ministers, personal domestic servants, and some categories of skilled laborers were exempted from these restrictions.
Additional immigration laws were passed in 1875, 1882, and 1892. One law provided for the physical examination of arriving immigrants. Another mandated the exclusion of convicts, polygamists, prostitutes, persons suffering from "loathsome or contagious diseases," and persons likely to become dependent on public financial assistance. In 1891 Congress created the Immigration and Naturalization Service, better know as the INS, to administer federal laws relating to the admission, exclusion, and deportation of aliens and to the naturalization of aliens lawfully residing in the United States. In 1892 the INS opened an immigrant screening station at Ellis Island in New York Harbor. Approximately 12 million immigrants entered the United States through the Ellis Island station, which remained open until 1954.
Italian immigrants experienced poverty in Italy during the late 19th century. The Italian land system was poor which resulted in difficulty for peasants and unskilled workers. The Italian government policy didn't benefit the people because it industrialized the land at the people's expense. Landlords controlled the land, charged .
high rent, paid low wages, and fired employees at random. Malnutrition was also a factor .
since there was a shortage of foodstuffs except for fresh fruit, vegetables, fish and tomatoes.