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The face of American Jewry – and of world Jewry as a whole – was transformed in the 19th century. The ‘golden land’ myth also emerged at the same time. In the middle of the century, it was primarily German Jews who came to the United States; by the end of the century, the United States was a new home to about a third of Eastern European Jews. This huge human influx was called the Great Migration and it lasted until the 1920s when laws were passed setting quotas that restricted it considerably.
Despite the unpleasant experience that awaited immigrants at the immigration stations, and despite acclimation difficulties, the image of the Statue of Liberty that was visible from the ship approaching the harbor was and has remained a symbol of a promising start for many people.
