The various immigrants to the United States were traditionally quickly integrated into the English-speaking culture. Few of them had any desire to return to their native countries, and their children often quickly abandoned their native language and many of their national customs. There were a number of reasons for this. Many of the immigrants fled political or religious oppression or sought better economic opportunities in the United States. Not only did they want to stay in the United States but they could hardly wait to persuade their relatives and friends to join them. In the case of African Americans, the process was less voluntary, but the preservation of African languages and customs was discouraged or even prohibited. Another factor was that many of the slaves came from different African tribes and did not share a common language.