My View on the Faces of America

In the Faces of America video I learned a whole lot about immigrants, most of it I didn't already know. Among the people in the United States, there are alot of famous people with different cultural backgrounds with many different stories. I learned that even though the people that were speaking in the video weren't first generation immigrants, they still felt very close, sometimes emotionally to their previous family members. They also didn't know many of the family members that they felt so attached too. For example Eva Longoria cried when she heard about what a big deal her great grandfather was awarded for being such a good leader in war. I also learned that it is amazing how different people are drawn to their different cultures, like how Eva Longoria is tied to her Native American roots as well as her Hispanic roots.

It means alot to be a nation of immigrants. You would have to get up and leave your family, that you may never see again. You may also be nervous about the work that you are about to encounter as you come to America. It would take alot of courage and bravery to come to just pack up and leave. You may also be scared at what people may think when they see you, maybe not having seen someone of your race or color before. I think that many nations of immigrants has greatly made an impact on America today. I think due to the number of different races, colors, cultures, and religions has made people more accepted today. America one big melting pot where no one gets left behind or left out. Everyone is equal here and I think on of the reason that that is true is because of the nation of immigrants. While I'm not aware of any connections to immigrants of the 19th century that I have, I feel like I could absolutely take a walk in their shoes now more so then I could have before I watched this documentary. I have a better understand and respect for the 19th century immigrants, as well as the current immigrants today.

Irish immigrants of 1902

The Life and Times of Andrew W. Mellon

Andrew W. Mellon was a polish immigrant. He started to work at a young age with his father at his business.  Like an normal person Andrew wanted to make money on his own and create his own wealth. Even though he felt that way he never put forth the work necessary to create such wealth. Andrew helped found and fund ALCOA, Carborundum, Koppers, and Gulf Oil companies. While he helped fund and found these, he was rarely interested in details of oil business, but he acquired extensive holdings from these companies. That was fair, but he wasn't necessarily a "part" of these oil industries. He finally got his head in the game, and by 1914 he was the richest man in the U.S. He wanted to do other things involving politics, so he ran for sectary of treasury in 1921 and got his wish. As sectary he cut taxes and enforced Prohibition. After being sectary of treasury, he still wanted to be involved with the country, so he was sent to Britain as the American Ambassador. During his life time he gave away 10 million dollars during his life to charity, but mainly to the National Gallery of Art in D.C.

While Andrew was a great man who attained much wealth, he was some what unpopular during different times in his life. He became unpopular during the Great Depression which was a time when the U.S. as a whole was a dying as a country due to debt and the stock market crash. Hoover was the president at this time and Andrew suggested to liquidate everything, farmers and real estate, etc. This meant people would work hard and people would work for more life. But the problem with this was that people couldn't work during a period there being no work, jobs, or money. Andrew also wanted to "weed out" weak banks as a harsh but necessary need for recovery of the banking system. While he was Sectary of treasury during the the great depression, he was over sees most of the time in Europe, which did no good for the people suffering in America. Later on in his life Franklin Delano Roosevelt's administration subjected Andrew in full investigation of his personal income tax returns. Franklin and Andrew did not get along, but finally the trail was exonerated, sevens months before Mellon's death.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_W._Mellon

Andrew W. Mellon

http://www.mellon.org/about_foundation/history/andrew-w-mellon