Проект на тему: "The Russian emigration to America"

                   Ministry of education of the Russian Federation

                   Department of education of the city of Moscow

                              The state Educational institution

                     “The Russian Emigration to America”

                                        A research project

                                                     The author of the project :

                                                                                         The student of 8th Form

                                                                                         Kolotina Milena

                                                                                         Supervisor: Ludmila Valentinovna

                                                      Moscow 2022

The passport of the project

                                                   Contents

  1.   Introdution

2. What is migration and emigration?
3. The history of Emigration.
4. The reasons of Emigration
5. Disadvantages of emigration.
6. People’s experience
7. Conclusion

Object of the study:

The process of migration and emigration.

 Subject of the study:

The migration of Russian people to the US.

The aim:

To determine the reasons and motives for immigration of Russian people to the USA and distinguish main difficulties of Russian immigrants in the foreign country.

The tasks:

1) define the concept of «immigration and emigration» and distinguish primary reasons of emigration;

2) find out the reasons for Russian emigration and their immigration to the USA;

3) carry out the polls among the students of our school;

4) make a survey.

HYPOTHESES:

     1)Most people want to immigrate to the USA because they think that       they will have more opportunities there.

2)Russian immigrants face various cultural and language difficulties in the USA.

4) the real stories of  emigration  shall help people who wish to immigrate to the USA get a general image of America.

HYPOTHESES:

analysis of English and American English, work with various sources of information, comparison, survey, search.

NOVELTY AND PRACTICAL VALUE:

        The present work may be a guide for Russian people who wish to leave our country for the USA having a beautiful picture of wealthy and successful life in America in their mind.

Migration is any territorial movement of the population associated with the crossing of both external and internal boundaries of administrative and territorial entities with the aim of changing the permanent place of residence or temporary stay in the territory for the purpose of conducting studies or labor activity, regardless of the prevailing influence of what factors it occurs - attracting or pushing out.

Emigration —  relocation from one country to another for economic, political, personal circumstances

The history of emigration

The political situation in the country is the main reason for the emigration of the Russian population. The flight of the Russian people to a more comfortable country from repression and religious oppression began several centuries ago. In history, there are 5 waves of Russian emigration:

The first Russian immigrants began to leave their homeland in the XVIII-XIX centuries. Crossing the Pacific Ocean, they parted along the coast and started a new life.

The second wave of the XIX-the beginning of the XX century. The main emigrants were Jews, high society and White Guards.

The third period consisted of former political prisoners and creative people (writers, dancers). They left the Soviet Union in the period since the end of the Great Patriotic War.

The fall of the "Iron Curtain" and the collapse of the USSR led to a new, fourth wave of migration. Those Russians who had the opportunity and a great desire went in search of a better life.

The fifth period fell at the beginning of the new millennium. The unstable economy and political structure did not suit the Russians, and they were in a hurry to leave their homeland.

Also, a new wave of emigration is currently taking place. Most students prefer to study in the United States of America, and some entrepreneurs move to the New World in order to develop their business.

The number of Russians in the United States

It is generally assumed that in the United States of America, all immigrants  are from the Soviet Union  and they are "Russians". Among them are Ukrainians, Belarusians, Kazakhs and others. When they move to this country, they try to unite and establish ethnic groups called diasporas.

About 5 million Russian-speaking people currently live in the United States of America.

Among them:

Russians - over 2.5 million migrants

Ukrainians - just over 900 thousand

Belarusians - 30 thousand people

Other nationalities - over 1 million migrants.

The largest number of Russian-speaking people live in New York - about 2 million. Another popular state for living among the    Russians is California. The comfortable climate and relaxed atmosphere attracted almost 500 thousand

Russians for permanent residence.

The reasons of Emigration

there are several options for moving to permanent residence in the United States of America:

- job invitation

- obtaining higher education in one of the US universities

- getting a green card

- marriage

- political refuge

Interesting! Most Russian-speaking emigrants, moving to America, choose housing in Russian regions. Thus, they assume that adaptation will be much easier and faster. However, apart from homesickness and a sad mood, they will receive nothing.

However, there are Russian diasporas in many states. They lead an active social life and help newly arrived migrants to quickly get used to new conditions. Moreover, most of the ethnic Russian-speaking groups create foundations. They provide various information, life hacks and other material and even spiritual assistance to "new" Russians on the North American continent.

Employment

A popular reason for moving is employment. The American dream of a good life is firmly rooted in the minds of not only Russian emigrants, but also residents of other countries. In this connection, many in adulthood move to the United States in search of a better life.

If the purpose of the move is work, then the Russian emigrant needs to be prepared for the fact that a diploma of education in the United States will need to be confirmed. The education system in Russia and the United States is different from each other,

Interesting! The salary level depends on the specialty and the state in which the

employee lives. The average salary in the United States is $ 40,000 per year

Standard of living

It seems that on such a high salary you can live happily ever after and not worry about anything. However, life in the United States is also expensive.

The first thing a Russian emigrant can spend on is housing. The rental price depends on the region:

- New York - 1500 - 3000 (dollars per month)

- Miami - 1800 - 2000

- Detroit - 500 – 800

Studying new cultures and broadening horizons. Mostly immigrants live in America. I rarely meet Native Americans in general. And if I meet, they were almost always born in other states. This makes it possible to learn about a huge number of countries and cultures. People are insanely interesting and completely different. Every day I hear amazing stories of people who came with nothing and how they achieved everything. It's very motivating and developing.

There are always happy people around. Everyone smiles and greets you, every day you hear wishes for a good day and an apology if someone somehow violated your comfort zone. People can talk to you on the street freely on any topic and will always help you figure it out if you can't do something.

Street food with masquerade and show

A huge number of new opportunities. Any immigration is a way out of your comfort zone. You can always try something new: learn a new profession, start surfing or drawing, become a photographer or open your own restaurant, shop, etc. You understand that life has completely changed and it's much easier to force yourself to start doing something from scratch. In America, there are an incredible number of opportunities - affordable loans for a new business, free quality training programs, sites such as eBay, Amazon and Craigslist, where you can sell any goods and people have money to buy them. A lot of interesting startups, and people who are always ready to help you. 

 The future for children

Late immigrants - people who move to the United States after 40-50 years - do not always have time to regain themselves in a new country: the educational, cultural and linguistic gaps between man and the environment are sometimes too large.

Immigrant children can immediately go to an American public school

Moving to the United States is not only an act of selfishness, but also an investment in the future of your children. People born in America automatically become its citizens, grow up in a natural language environment and can access the best schools, colleges and universities in the world.

Why go to study in the USA

Professional prospects

American education is aimed at enabling a person to work in the international community. Having received an education in the USA, you can become a specialist who is in demand in Russia, Europe and Asia.

Interactive learning style

American universities are characterized by a specific learning style. It implies closer interaction between the student and the teacher, as well as significant independence of the student in choosing an educational program.

A unique life experience

It is worth going to study in America at least in order to gain experience of living in another country, develop the ability to adapt to the conditions of a foreign culture, develop flexibility of thinking, strengthen knowledge of the English language. Education abroad develops independence, courage, openness in communication.

Business and friendly relations

The USA is a huge fusion of cultures, to which representatives of various countries of the world contribute. During your studies, you will be able to communicate with interesting people, find friends and like-minded people, and acquire useful business and friendly connections.

Admission assistance

It may seem that education in the United States is available only to a few, but in fact it is not. More than one million international students are already studying at American universities, including more than five thousand students from Russia. Information assistance to applicants is provided by EducationUSA Russia.

The most prestigious universities in the USA according to employers

1 Harvard University

2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology

3 Stanford University

4 California Institute of Technology

5 Princeton University

Old age

The United States is a great country to meet old age. Comfortable conditions have been created for pensioners here: a mild climate in many states, a barrier-free environment for low-mobility citizens, state programs to help the elderly, disabled and the poor, comfortable nursing homes and boarding houses. There are even unique federal programs in which relatives of pensioners are paid for independent care.

Home, lawn and fresh air - what's not a place to meet old age?

America cannot boast of high pensions, but here anyone for their working life can accumulate enough assets for a comfortable old age - with a spacious house, a good car, quality medicine and regular trips within and outside the country.

I love America endlessly and consider it the best place on the planet, but do not forget that no place paints a person. If you are happy in your home country, stay. If you feel that your homeland limits development and pulls you down, come. America gives everyone a chance and is always glad to see new immigrants.

 Disadvantages

Emigration is a very responsible thing. It may take someone years of deliberation to make a final decision. And some are ready at one moment to pack a suitcase and move overseas for permanent residence. As much as life in the United States is romanticized, there are pros and cons. The Russian people in their time experienced a lot: the fall of the monarchy, world wars, repressions, the collapse of the USSR, the dashing 90s and much more. So moving to a capitalist country is not difficult for him. It’s harder to get used to someone else’s mentality, and even harder is to overcome the longing for the Motherland and Russian birches.

The concept of the "American Dream" has been stirring the imagination of people from the former Soviet republics for a century and a half. We are used to thinking that everything is perfect in a country overseas, and everyone who wants can  achieve prosperity. But in reality, not everything is as it seems.

Treatment and housing

Huge prices for treatment and housing.

Getting sick in America without insurance is like death.  The account will impress you. For example, for calling an ambulance, you will pay $ 1,500, and an appointment with a regular therapist will cost $ 200-300.

Specific food

 There is no national cuisine in America. It is replaced by burgers, French fries and steaks. Portions in cafes and restaurants are always huge, and the dishes are very tasty, but not nutritious at all. The feeling of hunger returns an hour after you're fed up to the dump.

Another problem is the range of American stores. They sell ready-made breakfasts and lunches, which only need to be heated in the microwave. Needless to say, products with a slaughter dose of salt and sugar are very popular here, which is very harmful to health. So, if you want to move to the States with a child or try to eat right yourself - be prepared for difficulties. In this country, it is much more difficult to find quality dietary

People are like robots

.

After living in the States for a while, you will notice that Americans are very similar to robots. Most Americans are deprived of any flexibility at all, in business they act strictly according to instructions and it is simply impossible to agree with them. On the roads in this country, they almost never rebuild, they drive strictly along their lane, even if there is a traffic jam ahead and the other part of the road is driving, the American will stand patiently and wait. 

Independence

One of the advantages of living in America is the independence of the inhabitants of this country from the opinion of others, but this is also a disadvantage. Of course, it's great when you can not hesitate to demonstrate your individuality, but without being absurd.

The fact is that most residents of the country look very sloppy, dressed in stretched sweatpants, faded T-shirts and leaky sneakers. Some people don't bother even with elementary combing their hair at all. A huge percentage of residents in the States suffer from obesity, but no one condemns them, criticizes them, and they continue to live their lives, while quietly shoving their bodies into tight clothes. 

Significantly higher standard of living and income. 

It is difficult to find a job, but even working in the service sector, you can afford to travel, buy equipment, buy a car on credit and rent an apartment in a good area. In Ukraine, working on such jobs, people often barely cope with monthly costs and do not even dream of traveling or a car.

Positive and negative experiences of moving to America

 Many values are being rethought. In the first months after moving, my husband's parents and I went to a concert. It was a beautiful rock band show. I'm not a fan of such music, but I should have gone there for the sake of the show. It was a shock to me when I saw people go to this concert with all families. They walked for 5-6 people with children, grandparents, wheelchair users and old men with chopsticks. And it was an ordinary concert. The same can be seen in Disney Land and at any other mass events. Everyone helps each other, and there are special services that disabled people can call at any time to be helped to get somewhere or with any other problem that they have. And not one person will pass by if he thinks that someone needs help.

Many people write that by immigrating, you lose friends, but it all depends on you and your desire to maintain relationships with loved ones. Don't expect them to call and write every day. It's all changed for you and you're lonely, and they still have the same life there and are also planned every day. I call my parents, grandparents almost every day, I have a general chat with close friends, where we correspond almost daily. I regularly call my former colleagues with my favorite job. Everyone I've been friends with and communicated with is still with me, and I'm not going to lose them, despite the fact that now we live so far from each other.

Family story

My husband and I are considered reliable, because we need to stubbornly go towards the goal, not giving up and not regretting anything. Once they changed their lives abruptly, went through real trials and still managed to get what they wanted. Of course, these are all big words. Continuous pathos. In reality, there were tears, hysterics, and joys, and resentments, and even accusations of each other in a hasty struggle.We ourselves are from Voronezh. We lived like everyone else and never thought about America. I can't even say how the thought of leaving was born in our heads. But she appeared and started up. The husband filled out a questionnaire on the site with the green card lottery. No money is required for this procedure, so we do not risk anything. And we were lucky. With the first case among the winners.We need to use the chance, we decided, and started applying for a visa. Passed a medical examination, attended an interview at the embassy and, as soon as they received approval, rushed to the States. For us, America was associated exclusively with New York, which is why we headed to this city. The logic was simple: New York is a millionaire metropolis with a huge Russian diaspora, can't we find work in it! We will find, of course. So we thought, but the reality turned out to be different. We frivolously decided that at first the school English course would be enough for us, and then, on the spot, we'll figure it out. But it didn't work out that way. Bad language has greatly reduced our range of vacancies. We were not hired for decent work. I managed to get a job as a cleaner in a restaurant, and my husband started packing candy at the factory. A scanty salary was enough for us from payday to payday. They managed to put aside some completely ridiculous pennies. At work, they were tired, like slaves in galleys, but after it they did not go home to rest, but rushed to English courses, which was indispensable. We lived in such conditions for two years. And nothing has changed for the better during this time in our life. Even knowing the language did not help us find a decent job and break out of the grip of poverty. But we did not come to America in order to quietly bend in it. And my husband and I decided that it would not be worse if we change the uncomfortable, fussy and expensive New York for sunny California. At least the climate is milder. We packed our things, loaded them into an old pickup truck we bought for a penny, grabbed the $ 2,000 we saved in sweat and blood and drove to San Diego. We decided that it’s better to die on the white coast of the ocean. In such an ambiguous mood, we arrived at the place. Surprisingly, they quickly found housing. We started sending out resumes and, lo and behold, almost immediately received job invitations. The husband got a job in his specialty. He was hired as the head of a department in a construction company that makes repairs. And I got a job as a nanny with a very decent salary. Of course, I will try to confirm my nursing diploma and eventually plan to get a job in a hospital, but the option now available at this stage suits me quite well. Our life began to improve before our eyes. It would be untrue to say that we live richly. But my husband and I have enough income for decent housing, insurance and a comfortable life. In general, after four years, I can only say one thing: the United States is indeed a country of great opportunities. And there is no need to be depressed if life did not shine with bright colors immediately after the move. Patience and work will eventually be crowned with success. The main thing is not to be afraid to take risks and change something.

My friend’s story

I have several friends who have gone to live in America. To say that they had a very hard time is to say nothing. At first, they almost starved, if not for the financial help of relatives and friends, they probably would have returned to Russia. But, who is looking, he will always find. There was a job for them, the possibility of extending their visa, housing ... now many have found husbands there and all say with one voice that they do not regret at all that they moved to live there.

Kate’s story

Three years ago, I finished all my chores at home, quit my toxic job and went  to America. But very quickly  I  realized that I didn't want to live  in the States.

The entire first year of the life in America was like a series of disappointments. Yes, even if nothing is expected from the country, this is possible. Perhaps this happened because I could not correctly assess the degree of discomfort that emigration brings. The degree of loneliness without loved ones. The degree of attachment to home: places, people, language, food, a million nuances.

t's funny to say, but I could cry from the memory of a coffee shop on the corner of Tverskaya. I bought coffee there every morning when I worked at TASS. My favorite was with halva. There is no such thing in America.

The Californian dry land and smooth surface were extremely depressing. Dull, dusty colors and meager grass underfoot - and now I am acutely longing for the village forbs.

The majestic Pacific Ocean seemed to me a pitiful likeness of the Black Sea.

It is customary for emigrants to say: "You will never be your own there." So is this really a problem, I think. America will never be yours! This is really a problem. And this is my main disappointment.

Survey

Conclusion

In conclusion I want to say that the process of emigration was and will be. In spite of a lot of difficulties people want to change their live and try something new. They believe that they have more opportunities for the better future in other country. But according my project not everyone can find happiness in America. And as for me, I do not want to emigrate to the USA

“ There is no place like home”

Literature

1.Бурстин Д. Американцы: Национальный опыт. М., 1993.

 2.Воробьёва О. Д. Миграционные процессы населения: вопросы теории и государственной миграционной политики

 3. Web: https://vizaimm.com/immigratsiya/ssha-amerika Миграция из России: тенденции и маршруты. Emigranto.RU.

 4. Web: регулирования миграционных процессов на территории Российской Федерации

5. Web: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emigration Все о жизни русских иммигрантов в США: интересные факты и отзывы.