Immigration policies and societal effects

Immigration

The United States is a land of immigrants. The first waves of immigrants killed or encroached on the land of the indigenous people. Some American immigrants were forcibly moved as slaves from Africa. The 19th century bore witness to the first era of "mass migration," during which some 15 million European immigrants moved to the United States (Diner 2008). A policy of Manifest Destiny enabled Westward expansion that allowed for such tremendous and rapid population growth. The Industrial Age also necessitated population growth, to meet the needs of a growing labor market. Patterns of immigration changed over time. For example, Asian immigrants arrived in droves to the West coast of the United States in the late 19th century. Until then, most immigrants to the United States except for African slaves hailed from Europe. Racial discrimination has consistently been a part of the American immigration experience. African slaves experienced the brunt of discrimination, even after abolition. However, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 showed that anti-Asian sentiment would also become a hallmark of the American immigration experience. Around the turn of the last century, mass migrations of southern and eastern Europeans also altered the ethnic, linguistic, and cultural character of the country. Discrimination against groups like the Jews and Irish became commonplace. By the late 20th century, immigration patterns shifted once again as Southeast Asians claimed refugee status in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Increasing numbers of Central Americans and Caribbean immigrants, many of whom were also seeking political asylum, entered the United States. The immigrant experience in the United States has been shaped by two seemly divergent but related issues: discrimination and the American Dream.

Immigration has altered American demographics over the course of the country's development. In fact, population growth in the United States depends in part on immigrants. The following chart shows how immigration patterns have changed, and how current levels of mass migration "vastly exceeds traditional levels," (Colorado Alliance for Immigration Reform 2010). The Center for Immigration Studies points out that the first great wave of immigrants arrived around the time of the First World War, from between 1900 to 1920. By 1924, Americans were becoming overwhelmed by the changing demographics of the nation and Congress created the country's first border control (Center for Immigration Studies). During World War Two, new immigrants fleeing the war in Eastern Europe were prohibited entry, as were East Asians ("A Historical Look at U.S. Immigration Policy" 1995).

The current outcry against "illegal immigrants" is an extension of the prejudice that has pervaded the American immigration experience. There is nothing qualitatively different about the immigration patterns of the 21st century vs. The 17th. When the nation was first formed, "the only immigration restrictions at this time were on criminals and public charges," (Vellos 1997). Immigration was viewed as a means to bolster the labor market, make industrialization more profitable, and enable the extraction of natural resources throughout the nation. Especially after slavery was abolished after the Civil War, the need for a viable source of cheap labor encouraged mass immigration. Urbanization also permitted for large numbers of new immigrants to form communities. Even European immigrants experienced discrimination in the 19th century. As Vellos (1997) points out, "American society did not accept the Irish Catholics and Germans, and movements to limit immigration began to form." The Chinese Exclusion Act established anti-Asian sentiments and was not repealed until as late as 1943. For the first time in American history, immigration was "seen as a threat to the United States economy, and Congress began expanding the list of 'undesirable classes' hoping to upgrade the quality of immigrants and to limit overall entry," (Vellos 1997).

In spite of having to live in squalid inner city tenement buildings, new waves of immigrants relished the idea of the American Dream. The American Dream provides the ideological and psychological incentive for new immigrants to a pursue a path of upward social mobility. Upward social mobility was most likely unavailable in the home country, whereas the United States has been portrayed as the "land of opportunity." In some cases, immigrants to the United States escaped dire poverty. In other cases, immigrants to the United States were college graduates and white collar professionals who contended with an overly competitive labor market. In any case, the American Dream promised immigrants the possibility of self-employment or viable work that would enable financial stability. Moreover, the American Dream promised freedom and liberty. Political and economic motivations have continually driven the American immigrant experience, especially since Ellis Island. The United States government continues to peddle the myth of the American Dream. For example, Washington recently claimed that "Immigrants to the United States continue to find a land of opportunity both for themselves and for their children," (Thomas 2007). While many immigrants do find fulfillment in accordance with the American Dream, many do not.

The American government is fully in charge of which immigrants qualify for residence status. Doors have opened or closed in response mainly to labor market needs. In 1990, a reformed Immigration Act increased the overall quota for immigrants to the United States (Center for Immigration Studies). However, "newly enacted immigration legislation has been motivated by rising anti-immigrant sentiments in the United States," (Vellos 1997). Anti-immigrant sentiments are as old as the American Dream; both discrimination and false hope unite immigrants regardless of their personal backgrounds.