People throughout history cite a better life as a reason for immigrating to the United States. In the search for a better life, the idea of ​​freedom was born. For example, Protestants fled persecution because of their religion. They wholeheartedly believed that they would discover a better life full of freedom in the new world. As the story continues into the 19th and 20th centuries, more and more immigrants from around the world come to America in search of the freedom they so seek. For example, Irish immigrants dreamed of America as the place to escape the potato famine and English oppression in the mid-1800s (Irish Immigrants in America During the 19th Century). In the early 20th century, waves of immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe rushed to the United States (U.S. Immigration). As history progresses to the present day, people still dream of freedom, now Mexicans seek it. Everyone hunts for freedom, but what is it? In “Becoming an American,” Dinesh D’Souza describes freedom as the ability to “determine [your identity and destiny] for yourself” (D’Souza, p. 345). With this definition, D'Souza explains why America attracts immigrants: not for the money, but actually, for the choices the country offers. Instead of D'Souza's approach to immigration, many critics believe immigrants travel to America in search of wealth. . As D'Souza says: "What the immigrant cannot help but notice is that America is a country where the poor live relatively well" (D'Souza, p. 340). Compared to third world countries, the American people are spoiled. Poor people don't need to fetch water from rivers or die from infection because they lack money for basic aspects of American society, like running water..... . middle of paper ...... him to free himself from the constraints that held him captive, so that the future becomes a landscape of his choice” (D'Souza, p. 345). In America, an immigrant will no longer be forced to live according to where they come from, but rather who they become. This is the true freedom that millions of people, throughout history and today, need and would risk everything to find. Works Cited D'Souza, Dinesh. “Becoming American.” The Blair Reader: Exploring issues and ideas. By Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell. Boston: Prentice Hall, 2011. 339-45. Print. “Immigration to the United States”. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 2011. Internet. November 19, 2011. “Irish Immigrants to America in the 19th Century.” Page Kinsella. 2011. Internet. November 19. 2011. .