Immigration Struggles In America Research Paper

Abrego, Leisy. "Legitimacy, Social Identity, and the Mobilization of Law: The Effects of Assembly Bill 540 on Undocumented Students in California." Law & Social Inquiry 33.3 (2008): 709-734. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 3 Apr. 2010.

Globally, the United States has been known as "a nation of immigrants" almost from its inception. Beginning in the 1600s with English Puritans and continuing today, America is a melting pot of culture and ethnicity. In fact, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, immigration was the major source of U.S. population growth. Looking over our 200+ years we find that to clearly be true, with approximately 1 million immigrants coming to America during the 17th and 18th century. Almost 3 million arrived during the 1860s, and another 3 million in the 1870s. In the next four decades, the number of immigrants rose to over 25 million people, most from various European nations, most arriving in New York or one of the Eastern seaports (Damon, 1981). Despite the politicization, as of 2006, the United States actually was the number one country globally to accept legal immigrants into the country, with a current immigrant population of almost 40 million (Terrazas and Batalova, 2009). In fact, the peak of immigration was 1907, when over 1.2 million Europeans entered the country beginning a push towards legislation limiting immigration in the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1924 and the 1921 Congressional Quota Act. These immigrants came for two sociological reasons: the push factor (wars, famine, persecution and overpopulation) and the pull factors (jobs and the promise of freedom). Most came by ship, and a passage often cost the equivalent of an entire life's savings causing many

Since its founding, the United States has attracted immigrants from all over the world and consists of a variety of different cultures. Immigration has had an enormous impact on American society and economy and shaped the country remarkably.

The issue of immigration has become a major debate for everyone. Although people argue over the negative impacts of immigrants living in America such as overcrowding, less jobs due to immigrants taking them, drug trafficking, and threatening of American culture, immigrants still have a huge impact in the American society. The United States is by far the largest destination for immigrants, annually receiving over a million legal immigrants and about seven hundred thousand illegal immigrants. Many people come to the United States to get a better life for themselves as well as for the education system for their children.

A common biased opinion on immigration is that immigrants coming to the United States are taking American jobs. According to the Immigration Policy Center, “research indicates there is little connection between immigrant labor and unemployment rates of native-born workers.” The jobs that immigrants are taking are the low-budget jobs that Americans do not want. They not only get less pay, but also less benefits in comparison to American workers. In fact, according to Forbes, “illegal immigrants actually raise wages for documented/native workers.” America is considered to be more productive when we have more trading partners, Undocumented workers with limited English skills allows more American workers

In recent history, many Americans have had a growing concern for the immigration (both legal and illegal) growth in our country. While the United States of America was settled by European immigrants, the unprecedented growth the late 1800s saw, led to reform on the immigration policy, which once was nonexistent. Based on conditions floods of immigrants caused in the cities of the country, the immigration reform was needed. Not only were the lives of immigrants negatively impacted in the United States, but so were previously settled Americans.

Immigration can be defined as passing foreigners to a country and making it their permanent residence. Reasons ranging from politics, economy, natural disasters, wish to change ones surroundings and poverty are in the list of the major causes of immigration in both history and today. In untied states, immigration comes with complexities in its demographic nature. A lot of cultural and population growth changes have been witnessed as a result of immigration. In the following paper, I will focus on how immigration helps United States as compared to the mostly held view that it hurts America.

Immigrants began migrating to America in 1607, when they settled in Jamestown. They were involved in the first wave of immigration to America, which lasted until the early 1800’s. Between 1607-1622 six thousand immigrants arrived with only two thousand surviving; however, we begin to see the shaping of America and vice versa. Life was not easy upon arrival. The immigrant’s fact of life was likely death, and if they survived the year of seasoning (year one) they faced tedious, menial jobs everyday, with poor living conditions. The immigrants of Jamestown shaped America’s history as the plantation system beginning with their labor. The colonies began to form as more unsettled Americans began to populate areas.

“The worst loneliness is to not be comfortable with yourself.” (-Mark Twain) Being a child of immigrant parents who move to American can be hard. There is a lingering feeling of not feeling like a child belongs. They are stuck in the invisible world between where their parents came from, in this specific case, Asia and where the child lives now. It can be difficult to be raised as an Asian American and learning both culture and traditions. Many Asian American kids end up deviating from the Asian culture and embracing the American culture. However, children of immigrants should embrace their own culture in order to keep traditions alive and be proud of who they are.

This essay will focus primarily on the immigrants and their struggles faced in America. As it has been noted, many immigrants who come to America seek economic opportunity. Their goals of advancing and becoming successful at times can be over turned by discrimination. As seen in the essay from literature reviews and intensive interviews, the struggles faced by American immigrants are discovered. However, the goal is to explore the various acts of discriminations and look at how some immigrants have preserved.

When discussing the topic of immigration in the U.S., it is important to look back on how it has helped shape our past. The U.S. was essentially built by immigrants. The general increase in innovation since the beginning of the U.S. was greatly due to the millions of immigrants that were coming to America in search for a better life. Almost every city that’s seen here in the U.S. today was built by immigrants and their descendants. Every new mind entering our country, brought with it hundreds of new ideas.

Growing up as the child of parents who immigrated to the United States and being an immigrant myself, I realize the challenges that we continue to face. The current political stance on immigration in the United States of America is not in our favor, but regardless I see the U.S as the land of opportunity compared to the town I left behind in Xochipala, Guerrero. Being an undocumented student can be perceived as negative thing by others, but coming to the United States, has made me the responsible, ambitious, resilient, sagacious, and loquacious young man I am today.

The United States of America is one of the most advanced countries around the world. It is a country full of opportunities where most of its citizens have a high standard of living unlike many other countries around the world. It is a country that ensures its citizens with “the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The qualities of this country are the leading cause for the increase in immigration. People from Mexico, Asia, Europe, South America and the rest of the world immigrate to the U. S. for reasons, such as freedom and the desire of a better life. Immigration is not a recent issue. There were thousands of immigrants coming into this country years ago. Immigration waves mostly began in the nineteenth century. However,

Since the 19th Century, America has become known as the nation of immigrants. During that time the United States experienced the biggest wave of immigration of any place or time in the history of the world. It was also during that same time that America felt the greatest growth in production and standard of living than any other point in history (Divine, 1957). For many, the link between these two exceptional points in history was no coincidence.

Today, the United States is home to the largest immigrant population in the world. Even though immigrants assimilate faster in the United States compared to different developed nations, immigration policy has become an highly controversial topic in the Unite States, while much of the debate is around culture and religion, the effects of immigration on economy is clear. Immigration policy has become a highly pressing issue in America. While much of the debate centers on cultural issues, the economic effects of immigration are clear. Economic analysis finds little to no proof to support that influx of foreign labor have reduced jobs or American wages. Economic theoretical predictions and a bulk of academic research confirms that wages are unaffected by immigration over the long term and the economic effects immigration are mostly positive for natives and for the economy over all.