Immigration through the Decades

Abstract

Initial research into immigration history in the United States.

Full text

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Immigration through the Decades
Sarah J. White
University of Mississippi

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Table of Contents
Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………3
Purpose…………………………………………………………………………………………….4
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………..4
History of Immigrations……………………………………………………………………….…..6
Immigration Reform………………………………………………………………………………7
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………..…...10
References……………………………………………………………………………………......11

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Abstract
. Immigration is defined as “a person [who comes to a country] to take up permanent
residence. The United States has experienced major movements of immigration since the earlier
part of the 19th century until current day. Many came to America to seek greater economic
opportunity and religious freedom. Regardless of how wide-range our immigration system is,
nevertheless, immigration within our nation remains an immense ignored area of investigation,
especially in the length of the effects of solutions for immigrants entering into our country
illegally. Until society understands the effects of immigration, both legal and illegal, for both the
American citizens and the immigrant, we will continue to be unqualified to better create
programs and other resources that tackle immigrants and their distinct needs. Thus further
highlights the notion of needed research to assist focus on the gap in current research and
awareness. Further research should illustrate programs to help immigrants obtain identification,
citizenship and documentation. This will help provide a better all-inclusive understanding of the
effect of immigration and the future it holds on American borders. In prediction the finding of the
research would be more conclusive if we considered both sides of immigration policies. In order
to make for a safe country we must protect American citizens and our American boarders. This
paper will examine the history, literature review and solutions on fixing our current immigration
policies.

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Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to inform readers of the history of immigration and fixing of
current immigration policies. Readers will also be informed of current immigration programs and
jobs associated with those who work with immigrants, including congress. With our current
election of President-elect Donald Trump, and his plans of building a massive wall between the
Americana and Mexican border, it is imperative we focus on other alternatives than simply
building a wall. With intense security vetting strategies and monitoring programs for
immigration we are able to keep the United Citizens out of harm and danger of potential
terroristic activities. This paper has been formed in the hopes of informing readers of the history
of immigration, programs for immigrants and the treatment of immigrants on the border and
once they are on American soil.
Introduction
Why immigration reform is so important to our nation? Immigration reform is important
because it plays a huge role in the economy of our country, helping to gather food and
management for children as well as employe labs and aid in designing electronics. America and
the citizens of America surely recognize the benefits from the dedication and hard work of all
immigrants, but yet a lot of people do not want to realize that working in America also helps
contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of individuals in the home countries of these
workers (Portes, 1998). Often times, immigrants send their hard earned money to their families,
who are then able to live a more productive life. The United States immigration reform plays a
major part in political discussion regarding change to current immigration policies of our country
[ CITATION McE141 \l 1033 ]. Immigration reform includes but not limited to “promoting,

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expanding or opening immigration, as well as reducing or eliminating immigration” (Todaro and
Maruszko, 1987).
In this paper we will focus on international migration, when people move between countries;
rather than internal migration which refer to people moving within their home country because
international migration has the most appreciable economic effect. I am also not going to discuss
“forced migration” such as the Atlantic slave trade that kidnapped millions of Africans and
transported them to America as chattel during the 19th centenary. Instead I want to focus on
voluntary migration.
People who choose to move internationally are very often seeking economic opportunity.
A geographer named Ernst George Ravenstein wrote “bad or oppressive laws, heavy taxation, an
unattractive climate, uncongenial social surroundings, and even compulsion… all have produced
and are still producing currents of migration, but none of these currents can compare in volume
with that which arises from the desire inherent in most men to ‘better ‘themselves in material
respects” (The Laws of Migration, 1885). He wrote during the great Atlantic migration, which
begin in the 1840’s as Europeans relocated to the Americas. Between that time alone somewhere
in the ballpark of 1700 Europeans arrived in the United States. Around this time the Americas
also saw a slight rise in Asian immigrants. Beginning in the late nineteenth century a series of
laws were passed to restrict immigration. Today, immigration is really big deal. Even as I am
writing this paper, immigration was one of the most contentious issues in the past 2016
Presidential election. The legislative, executive and juridical branches are all in a three way fight
about how America and Congress should handle immigration. Of course, we will not come to a
resolution overnight, but a discussion about the economic arguments for and against can start our
debate. First, the overwhelming majority of economists agree that immigration is a good for

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national economy. Many studies indicate that increased immigration is associated with overall
increases in productivity (Lisenkova,Merette, & Wright, 2013).Opponents of immigration point
to some of the cost that come along with immigration, they also point to data that proves
immigrants with low skills are likely to remain poor, and that some of those economic
disadvantages can be passed to their children. They also argue that recent immigrants use a lot of
social services, and in the long run immigration might result in drops in wages, while
contributing to inequality, shifting money from labor to capital (Jacoby, 2006). This thing is these
arguments do not look at the net (overall) effects of immigration.
Professor George Borjas wrote about the immigration surplus which examines the
population growth via immigration increase and the demand for goods. Which can in the long
run lead to more hiring and hire wages (Borjas, 1995). This can come at a cost of people who are
already working, as inexpensive immigrant labor can drive down wages, but most economist
point to this as a short term effect and that the overall growth in the economy driven by
population growth will eventually push wages up, so the benefits of immigration tend to not only
outweigh but exceed the cost.
History of Immigration
The poem located on the statue of Liberty reads “give me your tired, your poor, your
huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore”
(Island,1997) is a lofty and powerful statement, but sentiments aside immigrants are good for the
economy. Homo sapiens have been moving around the planet for a long time. Estimates vary
but modern humans started to spread out from Africa between 60 and 80 thousand years ago, and
since then they have been busy migrating all over the globe (Dinnerstein & Reimers, 2009).
Roughly 12 thousand years ago, humans were in all the countries except Antarctica. Upon the

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arrival of 17 hundred Europeans and even smaller population of Asians most settled on the west
coast. Many came to join the Gold Rush, working as laborers in the mines. They also worked in
factories and helped build the transcontinental railroad. In many ways, all of this immigration
was a result of technological advances. These advances improved transportation such as steam
ships, which reduced the cost of difficulties of migrating across the Atlantic Ocean. The rapidly
growing industry of the United States needed workers to keep producing. This influx of
immigration did more good for the industrial economy of the United States.
Economic scientists categorize immigration in three major waves: early immigration,
second wave, and recent immigration. Early immigration consists of America’s first settlers
coming in search of practicing their faith. Roughly a hundred people known as ‘pilgrims’ fled
religious persecution in Europe and arrived in what is now known as Massachusetts (Gjerde,
1998). Later, the original hundred were joined by a larger group seeking the same religious
freedom. Another group of immigrants were African slaves from West Africa. A larger share of
immigrants came to America in 1815 to 1865. Majority of these immigrants traveled from the
Northern and Western part of Europe, some came from Ireland. During this time Ireland were
experiencing massive famine, which forced immigrants to travel other places such as America.
Beginning in 1820, lasting nearly a century, 4.5 million Irish migrates entered to the United
States, along with 5 million German immigrants.
Immigration Reform
The first United States Naturalization Law was passed in March 26, 1790. The Act set the
first rules to be followed in the granting of national citizenship. The law limited naturalization to
immigrants of Caucasian decent who were free and of good character. Good character was
defined as a required one year in the state residence and two years of residence in the United

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States, prior to applying for citizenship (Tehranian, 2000). In turn it excluded: Indians,
indentured servants (Africans), free Africans and Asians. The law also allowed children of born
abroad United State parents. Once the requirements were met, the immigrants filed a petition for
naturalization with any court. The Act was repealed in 1795 by the Naturalization Act of 1795,
which extended the 5, then 14 years.
President Chester Arthur signed the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. The act held the most
significant restrictions on free immigration in United States history. It prohibited all laborers
(especially Chinese) to prevent a specific ethnic group from immigrating to the United States. As
stated above, Chinese immigration began with the California Gold Rush, and continued with
larger labor projects such as the railroad. This was one of the first laws that proscribed entry of
an ethic working group, it also suspended Chinese immigration for at least ten years and made it
impossible for naturalization [ CITATION McE141 \l 1033 ]. Of course, such discrimination
caused immigrants to challenge the constitution resulting in failed efforts (Congress, 1882).The
law also opened movements for immigration restrictions against other ethnicities such as Middle
Easterners, Hindu, East Indians and Japanese. Chinese descents were not granted citizenship
until 1943.
On February 20, 1907 Congress signed an Act of reforms law aimed at restricting the
increasing number of groups of immigrants during and after the World War I. The law was set to
decrease the number of immigrants entering into the country, most notably persons regarding
disability and disease. The act was signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt. Once the
Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was passed, the elimination of immigrants in the 20th century
was on the rise. The law was designed to band all “lunatics, idiots, or any person unable to take

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care of him or herself with becoming a public charge” (Gaines, 1998). The act also went further
by preventing diseases from entering into the United States [ CITATION Wal091 \l 1033 ].
Fast forward about twenty years to current day immigration policies. Republican
opponents are calling President Obama’s plan amnesty by saying the president is acting beyond
his authority. What exactly is the president’s plan? First, the plan focuses on families of
undocumented immigrants, and he framed this plan as a deportation of felons but not families.
Current policy states anyone who is born in the United States is a citizen and many
undocumented immigrants have children who are United Citizens. Once more a prior executive
order protected many immigrants brought here as children from deportation. What about the
parents of the immigrants? That is the main focus of President Obama’s plan, of the roughly
eleven million undocumented immigrants in the United States 4 million of them have children
either have green cards or are citizens (Dorsey, 2007). The President’s policy will protect them
from deportation. Let’s look at what the plan does not do. It does not out immigrants on a path to
citizenship and those who are eligible are not guaranteed permanent residency. The policy will
allow those four million to get work permits in the United States, along with social security
numbers. As long as they do not break any laws, and as long as congress cannot put together a
meaningful immigration reform plan they should be safe to stay [ CITATION Dos16 \l 1033 ].
Already some of the so called “dreamers”, undocumented immigrants, brought here as
children were protected by deferred action. The plan also allows immigrants who were brought
here by businesses for high – tech jobs to be able to change jobs without having to return to their
home countries to start over. At the moment immigrants can come here to start businesses if they
have one million dollars upfront to invest into those companies. This plan will allow them to do
that with investments from the United States. Republicans have said we should secure the

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borders first, and this plan does that. The plan adds more border security agents as well as
immigration judges and attorneys to handle deportation. Also it shifts the focus of immigration
enforcement to deport criminals with known national security risk. Ultimately, this is a stop gap
measure and intermit step until congress and the president can agree on a comprehensive
immigration reform plan.
Conclusion
If the debate of immigration were solely about economics there would not be much of a
debate, but as we learned the world is a complex place. Many immigration opponents argue that
expanding immigration is a security risk, they argue that relaxed boarder enforcement can lead to
more illegal activity like drugs being smuggled into the country. There is also a strong notion that
people should not be rewarded with citizenship for breaking the law, but let’s go back to the
broader community of all immigrants. Cliché that might sound the United States is really a
nation of immigrants, the United States has the world’s largest total immigrant population at 41
million, and cement in the United States about immigrants is changing.
A 2015 study from the Pew research center found that about half of United States adults
say immigrants strengthen the economy, compared to 40% who say they’re a burden (Wilson,
2015). Back in the mid 90’s that notion was reversed [ CITATION McE14 \l 1033 ]. Wilson
discovered that young people hold a more positive view of the contributions to the country than
older generation, which means it’s like that pro immigrant’s sentiments are going to keep on
growing economically and otherwise.

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