On the surface, it might appear that we have returned to a world in which America represents a promised land of freedom and social mobility. This view has certainly been a powerful incitement to many migrants. But the reality -- then and now -- has typically been far bleaker. Contrary to popular imagination, 30 to 40 percent of immigrants from Europe before the First World War ultimately returned home. For many this was always the plan. But others returned disappointed and disillusioned. They found little reward for their hard work, lack of support in times of illness and old age and questionable moral values in an ego-driven society.