Of those who came here by choice, most everyone. Inclusive of those seeking religious freedom, political freedom, and so forth. The Puritans came seeking land, for land in Europe meant wealth and power. Those with power could pray as they believed until someone with more wealth and power said no. The intended destination for the Puritans was NY Harbor, on their way to promised lands in Virginia and Pennsylvania. The landed at Plymouth rock because they ran out of beer. The land was free, they stayed, started making lots of babies, lusty people that they were, and rest is history. The families of the Mayflower today are among the very rich.
Jews who ran from the pograms of eastern Europe and Russia, came here seeking not only religious freedom but freedom to make a living, to gain wealth. And so on and on for every group that arrived. Some succeeded some didn't. Look at the Irish who fled famine and political oppression. Many found a living, and future generations found the wealth of the middle class, something that eluded the starving Irish under the hands of the English oppressors.
The ancient Norse who travelled here sought new fertile lands. Columbus was seeking a quicker route to the spices (wealth) of the east, and the Conquistadors who followed sought gold. The vision for European immigrants of America was wealth, as it was for Asians and all others who followed.
You obviously assume that other objectives excluded the desire for wealth. Nothing could be further from the truth. Not even for those who suffered and fled the depredations of Europe's endless wars and the suffering thereof because their ethnic groups had beens scapegoated. Wealth meant a future for subsequent generations and for most it proved out. Our poorest still live better than the nobility of Europe did during most of European history. Some don't, but the onus of failure is their own. Whether by drugs, alcohol, stupidity, laziness, luck of the draw, whatever, but the hope of their progenitors was always wealth and all that wealth carried with it.
Look in the mirror, you're fat, sassy, own a computer and have time for wasting on the net. A luxury not even imagined by those who came before you. Likely you own a car, have a warm place to sleep nights that isn't a pigsty, and can buy multiple sets of underwear. You have access to healthcare. That is wealth at work. Not mega wealth, but rich in the eyes of your ancestors.
