IMMIGRATION AND THE UNITED STATES

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IMMIGRATION AND THE UNITED STATES

• CHAPTER 4

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Immigration A Global Phenomenon

• Can be a result of Push and Pull factors
• Chain Migration
• Refers to an immigrant who sponsors several other
  immigrants who upon their arrival may sponsor
  still more
• Potent factor contributing to immigration
  globally
• Most important aspect is that the immigrant
  anticipates knowing someone that can help in
  adjustment

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Patterns of Immigration to the United States

• Three unmistakable patterns
• Number of immigrants has fluctuated dramatically
  over time due to government policy changes
• Settlement has not been uniform across the
  country but centered in certain regions and
  cities
• The source of immigrants has changed over time

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Todays Foreign-Born Population

• About 12 are foreign born
• Six states account for 70 of total foreign born
  population
• California, New York, Florida, Texas, New Jersey,
  Illinois
• Approximately 32.5 million foreign born people
  are from Latin America
• Primarily Central America and Mexico
• Europeans account for less than 6 foreign born
  today

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Early Immigration

• In 1790 English immigrants were the dominant
  group, numerically 60 of the population,
  socially and politically
• 35 of all immigrants to US eventually emigrated
  back to their home country
• Not all new arrivals were welcome
• Xenophobia
• Fear of hatred of strangers
• Nativism
• Beliefs and policies favoring native-born
  citizens over immigrants

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The Anti-Chinese Movement

• Lured by discovery of gold and opening of job
  opportunities in the West
• Railroad provided the greatest demand
• White settlers found Chinese customs and religion
  difficult to understand
• Sinophobes
• People with a fear of anything associated with
  China
• Fear of yellow peril
• Threat they posed as laborers

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• Though many arguments were voiced, racial fears
  motivated the anti-Chinese movement and race was
  the critical issue
• Conflict Theory
• Chinese were welcomed only when their labor was
  necessary
• Restrictions were not applied evenly
• Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882
• Denied naturalization rights to Chinese in the US
• Decline in legal immigration
• Dramatically effected the structure of the
  Chinese community and family

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Restrictionist Sentiment Increases

• The extension of restrictions from the anti-Asian
  movement to European nationalities
• 1908 The Gentlemans Agreement was signed
• Prodded by anti-Japanese feelings
• Japan agreed to halt further immigration to US
  and US agreed end discrimination of Japanese in
  US
• Immigration ended but anti-Japanese feelings
  continued

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• Two types of immigrants old and new
• New immigrants were seen as a threat to democracy
  and the American way of life
• 1917 Congressional Bill on immigration
• Included controversial literacy test
• Prohibited immigration from South Sea Islands and
  other parts of Asia not already excluded
• Curiously, law that closed the door on
  non-Anglo-Saxons yet permitted a waiver of the
  test if the immigrants came because of racial
  discrimination from their home governments

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The National Origin System

• National Origins system 1920-1921 established
  quotas based on the percent of each (Nationality)
  ethnic group from the 1910 census
• Drawn to block growing immigration from Southern
  Europe, such as Greece and Italy
• The National Origin System
• Favored Northern and Western European immigrants
  over Southern and Eastern European immigrants
• Quotas went unfilled and immigration dropped
• Backlog in other countries
• Shaped the ethnic landscape of America

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Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965

• Primary goals of the act was to reunite families
  and protect American labor market
• Also initiated restrictions on immigration from
  Latin America
• Naturalization
• The conferring of citizenship on a person after
  birth
• Rules for naturalization
• 18 years of age
• Continuous resident for 5 years (3 years for
  spouses of citizens)
• Good moral character (absence of criminal
  offenses)
• Ability to read and write ordinary English
• Pass a test in U.S. government and history

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• In 2000 and 2004,850,000 and 1,100,000 were
  legally admitted annually for the following
  reasons
• Citizen Family unification
• Spouses of citizens (11)
• Children and adoptees (11)
• Parents (8)
• Other residents (10)
• Spouses of legal residents (10)
• Employment based (16)
• Refugees/political asylum seekers (7)
• Diversity (lottery among applicants from nations
  historically sending few immigrants (5)
• Other (6)

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Contemporary Social Concerns

• Brain Drain
• The immigration to the United States of skilled
  workers, professionals, and technicians who are
  desperately needed by their home countries
• H-1B Visas
• Permanent work permits to highly skilled
  immigrants resulting in an economic and social
  cost to the developing nations
• India
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Several African nations

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• Conflict Theory
• Views brain drain as another symptom of the
  unequal distribution of world resources
• By relying on foreign talent, US does not need to
  take the steps necessary to encourage native
  members of subordinate groups to enter desirable
  fields of employment

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• Population Growth
• US is continues to accept large numbers of
  permanent immigrants
• Nations birth rate has decreased so
  consequently, contribution of immigration is more
  significant
• Legal immigration accounts for about 45-60 of
  nations growth
• To some, US is overpopulated
• Sierra Club took official position restricting
  immigration, recognizing more people puts greater
  strain on nations natural resources
• Patterns of uneven settlement in US expected to
  increase so impact on population growth will be
  felt more in certain areas

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Illegal Immigration

• Control of illegal or undocumented immigrants
  most bitterly debated aspect of US immigration
  policy
• Exact number of undocumented or unauthorized
  workers is subject to estimates and disputes
• Illegal and even legal immigrants tied by the
  public to almost every social problem in the
  nation
• Scapegoats for unemployment, drug runners
  terrorists

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• Cost of policing borders and locating illegal
  immigrants is sizable
• Immigration and Reform Act of 1986 (IRCA)
• Historic change in immigration policy
• Amnesty granted to 1.7 million illegal immigrants
  who could document long term residency
• Conflict Theory
• Immigrants, primarily poor and Hispanic or Asian,
  are being lodged at the bottom of the nations
  social and economic hierarchies

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• Functionalist Theory
• Employers, by paying low wages, are able to
  produce goods and services that are profitable
  for industry and affordable to consumers
• Despite poor working conditions often experienced
  by illegal immigrants, continue to come because
  it is in their best economic interest
• Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant
  Responsibility Act of 1996
• Emphasized more effort to keep immigrants from
  entering the country illegally
• No access to social security and welfare

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Economic Impact of Immigration

• Much public and scholarly debate
• Most significant factor is whether a study
  examines national impact of immigration or only
  its effect on a local area
• Many hold stereotypical belief that immigrants
  end up on welfare and cause increase in taxes

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• Remittances (Migradollars)
• Money that immigrants return to their country of
  origin
• Widely recognized as critical to the survival to
  millions of households worldwide
• States have sought legal redress because federal
  government has not seriously considered granting
  impact aid to heavily burdened states
• Paradoxical situation
• Strong economy and concerns about immigration
• Suggests other concerns
• Ethnic and racial tension more important in
  explaining current attitudes toward immigration
  in US

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Women and Immigration

• Men dominate much of labor migration worldwide
• Diversified labor force in US and policies that
  facilitate relatives coming
• US immigration has been fairly balanced
• Second-class status of women in society is
  reflected in immigration
• 1907-1922
• Women who married immigrants who were not
  citizens lost their US citizenship did not
  apply to men

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• Immigrant women face additional challenges
• Responsibility of navigating the new society when
  it comes to services for their family
• Males are more consumed with work leaving adult
  women to navigate bureaucracies
• City services, schools, medical facilities,
  stores, and markets
• Less likely to seek outside help for medical care
  or issues of domestic violence
• More likely to be the liaison for the household

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The Global Economy and Immigration

• Globalization
• The worldwide integration of government policies,
  cultures, social movements, and financial markets
  through trade, movement of people, and exchange
  of ideas
• Transnationals
• Immigrants who sustain multiple social
  relationships linking their societies of origin
  and settlement

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Refugees

• People living outside their country of
  citizenship for fear of political or religious
  persecution
• Enough exist to populate an entire nation
• US makes the largest contribution of any nation
  to worldwide assistance programs
• Resettles 70,000 refugees annually and
  cumulatively hosted 1 million between 1990 and
  2003

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• Despite periodic public opposition, US government
  is officially committed to accepting refugees
  from other nations
• 1968 United Nations treaty on refugees
• Countries are obliged to refrain from forcibly
  returning people to territories where their lives
  or liberty might be endangered
• Asylees
• Foreigners who have already entered the US and
  now seek protection because of persecution or a
  well-founded fear of persecution based on race,
  religion, nationality, social group, or political
  opinion

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Questions
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• What are the functions and dysfunctions of
  immigration?

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• What were the social and economic issues when
  public opinion mounted against Chinese
  immigration into the United States?

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• Ultimately, what do you think is the major
  concern people have about contemporary
  immigration to the United States, the numbers of
  immigrants, their legal status, or their
  nationality?

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• What principles appear to guide US refugee policy?

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• Your Opinion!
• Is it right or wrong, post 9/11, to return
  refugees who may be fleeing their homelands
  because of war, famine, or religious persecution?