he individuals that make up the term “Americans” come from various backgrounds of ethnicities and race. Beginning with Jamestown and later the English Puritans, who fled religious persecution, the United States of America was built by immigrants who came to this country seeking change and a new life. From the Irish who left a famine-torn country, to the Chinese who found prejudice wherever they turned, every group faced challenges and overcame obstacles in the process of becoming American. The history of immigration in the United States includes millions of individuals, hundreds of cultures, and dozens of countries. It is a patchwork quilt and a melting pot. Most of all, the history of American immigration is the story of the individuals who crossed water and land to take part in the “American Dream” and change the lives of their families for generations.