North American economic development has gone through several stages of development. The first stage of economic development was a slave plantation economy mixed with mercantilism, the second stage of development was a competitive industrial economy, and the third stage of economic development was multinational capitalism. Economic institutions and associated government actions shaped the waves of migration and resulting patterns of immigrant adjustment. The first groups of people to inhabit North America were the Native Americans. These indigenous peoples lost much of their land and many of their lives to vicious European invasions. Many immigrant groups have come to America, but each group left their home country for various reasons and under various circumstances. Some immigrant groups entered America as slaves, others came to work in low-paying jobs, and some came as entrepreneurs. These different groups experienced discrimination at varying levels, depending on the resources the group brought with them. Immigrants who made the journey to America willingly and with economic resources found that it was much easier to find good jobs than immigrants with less freedom and resources. Small business opportunities were unfortunately not available to most immigrants. Waves of immigrant migration to North America are highlighted in phases. With the first phase came the English settlers from the 1600s to the 1800s. The English created colonies and took land from the natives. The English also established a form of capitalism. At the same time, Africans were being torn from their native lands and shipped involuntarily to America as property, to be used as slaves. Furthermore, the first phase marked the time when Irish Catholics immigrated to America, driven from their homeland between the 1830s and 1860s, due to famine, oppression, and poor living conditions. These Irish immigrants were able to obtain low-wage jobs. The second phase began with Chinese immigration from the 1850s to the 1870s; these people came thanks to U.S. recruitment efforts and in hopes of better living conditions. The Chinese were employed mainly in construction and menial services. The Italians arrived between the 1880s and 1910. The Italian people were recruited to build...... middle of paper ......e rioters to stop the violence. Despite hostilities in different regions, Korean entrepreneurs remain committed to building successful businesses. Through their successes in New York and Los Angeles, in disadvantaged neighborhoods, they have spearheaded urban renewal. (Articles and papers, "Why Koreans Succeed" by Heather MacDonald, City Journal, Spring 1995) Koreans have been such a recent addition to the culture and mainstream of the United States that we cannot make general assessments of the validity of their contributions to society. All indications are that they have had and will continue to have a positive and inspiring impact as they continue to integrate into our society. Large numbers of Korean immigrants came to this country as a result of the Korean War. American armed forces involved in the war returned to the United States with their wives and children. The larger influx of Korean Americans occurred after 1965, when a new immigration law..