They weren't and aren't allowed to emigrate to the AMericas. Read the "White only" policies of your ancestors. That changed in the 1960s for Canada, the USA, Australia, etc.

Remember, if Europe was great 300 years ago, nobody would have come here. It was a rat infested hellhole that had been mainly uncivilized for most of history (Greece and Italy were the only civilized European countries a 2000 years ago).