Which term refers to immigrants who came to the United States seeking opportunities, often settling in urban areas?

• A. Native-born
• B. New Immigrants
• C. Old Immigrants
• D. Refugees

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is how historians categorize different groups of immigrants by the era they arrived and the reasons they came. The term that fits describes the wave that moved to the United States in large numbers during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, coming mainly from Southern and Eastern Europe and seeking economic opportunities. These newcomers often settled in urban areas, attracted by factory jobs and the chance to build a new life in cities, which is why they are labeled New Immigrants.

This group contrasts with earlier arrivals, who are identified as Old Immigrants and tended to come from Western and Northern Europe; they arrived earlier and in somewhat different patterns. Native-born refers to people born in the United States, not immigrants. Refugees are people fleeing danger or persecution, which isn’t the specific situation described in this question. So the term that best captures immigrants who came seeking opportunities and settled in urban areas is the New Immigrants.