Sociological Analysis Of Migration During The Twenty First Century

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

People migrate in search of better economic prospects and opportunities. Many move to enjoy a better lifestyle and improve standard of living. A segment migrates from the home country to find a secure place where they can spend lives peacefully. Recently, the increasing pace of globalization has prompted migrant workers to move from one country to another.

Immigration involves the movement of a group of people from one country to another where they do not possess citizenship. There are many reasons in which people may leave their country such as employment, lack of resources, family, fear due to violence, exile, the American dream. In 1965, Congress changed immigration law in ways that allowed much more intake from Asia and Latin America than earlier. Before 1965, the intake was mostly from Europe. Since then, over half has come from Latin America—28 % just from Mexico. The share of population composed of non-Hispanic whites plunged from 84 % in 1965 to only 62 % in 2015 while Hispanics soared from 4 to 18 %. (Mead, L.M., 2016)

Ever since the creation of the human race, human beings have been prone to moving place to place for new opportunities and beginnings. People who move from one country to another are called immigrants. As nations started to form, their were rules and laws set on who could and could not live in a specific country. Most of these laws included immigrants to go through a lengthy process to get approved to go into the country they desired. However, even after the lengthy process is completed, the country still has the right to deny their entrance. In fear of being rejected, many immigrants decided to illegally cross the borders of other countries causing many problems with the country's society, specially the United States of America. Historians saw a great example of this in the 1920s. The 1920s in America unfolded the greatest wave of immigration in American history; more than 25 million foreigners, also known as immigrants, arrived on American shores (Shmoop). Before the 1920s, immigration in the United States had never been systematically restricted by federal law, however that changed with the 1921 Emergency Quota Act and the 1924 Immigration Act. For the first time in American history, these acts imposed a limit on the number of immigrants allowed to enter the United States which eventually caused many to enter illegally. Today America is faced with some similar issues with immigration as they did in the 1920s, for example, the number of illegal immigrants in

The nature of western migration was good and bad. With out western migration America wouldn’t be what it is now. But if we had found a different way to deal with the Indians it could have happened with less blood shed. We could have upheld our part of the treats with the Indians. We could have found a way to live with them instead of kicking them out. Then we would have been able to use the knowledge they have since they lived there for so long. But the increase in western migration kicked the indians out of their land.

(Portes, 2011) The United States continues to be a magnet for many people around the world because of the opportunities that are seen within this country. There are legal ways in which many people around the world enter, however, because of the demand for unskilled labor; many also migrate here through other means that are often illegal. These immigrants similar to the immigrants of old sought a better life in the United States because of the opportunity that is offered. Those who migrate to the United States illegally are often from countries that are in close proximity.

The U.S. has been facing a number of foreign policy issues, most of them regional, some of them global. Washington’s immigration policy has not changed significantly for almost 25 years. The Obama Administration’s immigration system continues to be an outmoded, hedged mess that makes legal migration often all but impossible for many to achieve. According a report on the Center for Migration Study (CMS) website, approximately 41.3 million immigrants lived in the United States in 2013, accounting for 13 percent of the overall U.S. population, North and Central America represent 69.5%, Asia 14.1%, Africa 2.9%, Europe 2.8% and Oceania 0.2%. According to the same report, Black African immigrants represent one of the fastest-growing segments of

Thirteen million refugees and about 100 million immigrants have moved across borders within the last several decades (Potocky-Tripodi 2002). Global changes that have currently occured account for an unprecedented movement of individuals across the world in search of better opportunities and conditions.

The “great migration” is a historical movement of approximately 1.3 million African Americans from the Southern to the Northern United States from 1910 to 1930, settling primarily in large industrialized cities such as New York, Cleveland and Chicago. A second wave of northward migration occurred from 1940 to 1970 and involved approximately 5 million African Americans. This historical movement provides an opportunity to explore differences in cognitive test performance in old age among the African-American community related to early life environment.

Although, nearly all states have experienced instances of immigration, there is no nation in the world that has maintained such as high rate of immigration over a long time as has the U.S. (Chebel & Reich, 2008). Since 1820, when the American government began keeping records of immigration over 78 million people have settled within the U.S. with the exception of Native Americans and the few individuals compelled by annexation and enslavement, each person is an immigrant either as an immigrant descendant or actual migration. This paper analyzes the issue of immigration, discussing the motivations for immigration of the major groups entering the U.S. over the past two centuries. An analysis of the change in the immigration trends over the past two centuries is also presented.

A black women by the name of Isabel Wilkerson, once stated some very influential words of wisdom to express her feelings toward the Great Migration. She stated,

Immigration is what shapes the picture of today’s present-day world. Traveling from country to country for trading and other necessities or personal reasons has been popular since historic times. Immigration means the one way movement of people to a specific country or place. People, or immigrants, move out of their native country for numerous reasons. The aspiration for a better life and future and improved employment opportunities are the key driving forces for immigrants to migrate. The United States is no less than immigrants coming from diverse parts of the world. Because of this, the United States implemented immigration laws and policies. The United States immigration policy has endured great change since the era of the 20th century. There are several reasons that have subsidized to this change in policy. These reasons being poverty, lack of jobs and political problems. The United States has altered its immigration policy various times in the past century but the motives for immigration have stayed mostly the same.

Immigration in America started way back in the day specifically in 1600 with the English pilgrims. People tend migrate in other countries for many different reasons. The colonization/mass immigration to the Americas started with Europeans seeking for religious freedom, about 100 settlers has settled themselves not too far from Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620.They were welcomed by the native people who taught them how to survive some bad weather condition. The settlers came and started a new life, many of them became very rich and wealthy. As the years passed, more immigrants from many other countries including; Europe, China, Japan, and Australia have come to America. One of the exceptions was the Africans who were

Immigration is the process of entry of individuals into a new country (23). Throughout past centuries, immigration has been a means of discovery and exploration of new lands. In today’s culture, immigration to the United States is an avenue for individuals who wish to start new lives and take advantage of the capitalistic, entrepreneurial system. People from many countries have migrated into the United States. Most recently, the migrants have come from Central and South American countries. These Latin American countries influence America’s society culturally and economically through their language, traditions, and workforce. From the 1990s to the present time, immigration from Latin American countries has more than

Although Immigration is a complex topic with many different factors, the most common reason for immigration is poverty and the hopes of building a new future elsewhere. In the past migration was largely caused by the fore-mentioned issue of poverty, social strife, war, or other political conflicts. As of today these things are still issues and in some cases political asylum does play part in immigration decisions. Globalization is defined as the tendency for business, technologies, or philosophies to spread throughout the world. Globalization is also a major factor in the decisions made before immigration, often times families and friends will eventually re-unite in one region in order to remain together. Living in a more technical world with an advanced society has brought us to the point we are at today, a nearly global community with more in common than in any century before. With the beginning of modern technology in the 1900’s came a more closely knit world, with more communication than what was seen in the past.