The Causes And Effects Of Unocumented Migration To The United States

During the mid and late twentieth century a major Mexican immigration Boom happened. With many job opportunities in the agricultural field in the United States and an economy in mexico that was growing but only benefited the rich. Many poor Mexicans migrated to the United States. According to the book, “Mexican Immigrants In The United States” by Portes, Alejandro, Bach, Robert L. Between 1960 and 1970 the Mexican economy was growing at a rapid rate with only the top 5 percent benefiting from it. Unemployment and underemployment began to spread and income inequality got even wider. These events led to a migration of legal and illegal Mexican immigrant into the United States. Mexico became an economic paradise for those who were already wealthy. The rest who were left behind had no other choice than to

The first major wave of Hispanic migration to the United States was in 1848, which was a result from the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo. The newly acquired lands of the United States hosted a population of about 75,000-100,000 and the U.S. Government offered blanket naturalization to the former Mexican Citizens. After the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Mexican immigration to the U.S. “average[d] 3,000-5,000” persons per decade, with the exception of the California Gold Rush, where around 10,000 Mexican miners migrated to California, all totaling to about 100,000 Mexicans in the U.S. by the end of the 1900 (Gutierrez). However, “historical migration statistics for this period are inaccurate because of inconsistent enumeration techniques, changing methods of ethnic and racial classification in the U.S., and the constant movement of uncounted thousands of

Immigration has played an important role throughout American history. What fundamentally sets America apart from other nations is the foundation that it was created by immigrants seeking a better life for themselves and their children (Camarota & Zeigler, 2016). During times of economic growth, laborers have been imported, and deported during recessions (Flores, 2016). An average of 1.1 million immigrants relocate to the United States annually (Storesletten, 2000). US Customs and Border Control officials, have witnessed a significant increase in the number of “unaccompanied alien minors” from Latin America, anticipating 75,000 minors (if not more) from 2016 to 2017 (Rush, 2016). The average age for “unaccompanied alien minors” is 11 years

Following the Mexican-American War, a colossal tract of land was sold to the U.S. and quickly trampled by the California Gold Rush, catalyzing the first modern wave of Hispanic immigration to America (Gutiérrez).

This research project will investigate the migration process/journey Latin American immigrants endure in their attempts to immigrate to the United States. This paper will also study past and present immigration Laws and Policies such as: The Bracero Program (1942), the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, Immigration and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA), The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, The Development, Relief, and Education

Latin American migrants come into the United States for a better life. Many of them are seeking refuge from their home countries as it has become too dangerous to live in. They bring with them or later send for their children to come. Migrant parents push for their children to strive for success at school and to get a job where they won’t have to struggle with money. Migrant parents take a huge risk of coming here so that their children will have a better shot of a bright future that they could only dream of.

While Colombian immigrants are relative newcomers immigrating to the United States, their figures began to increase greatly during the last few decades. “By 2008, Colombians were the largest South American immigrant group in the United States, accounting for nearly thirty percent of all South Americans in the country” (Murnan). Like many of the other Latin American countries, Colombia’s political instability has played the biggest role in motivating people to leave the country and immigrate to the United States in search of a better and safer way of life. Colombia has, in fact, lacked political stability since it became independent from the Spanish Empire in 1819. Since their first arrival in the United States, Colombians have worked hard to establish their own identity among the many different Hispanic populations and to find their place within conventional America. However, despite this, many immigrants often suffer the effects of stereotyping and discrimination because of the many negative American perceptions of Colombia as a drug-trafficking, criminal country, even though a very tiny number of Colombians in the United States happen to engage in any of these illegal activities.

This fear increased as The Great Depression approached (Hoffnung-Garskof, 2007). In the 1930’s, Michigan officials felt that it was their duty to solve the issue at hand. “Ethnic cleansing” was their solution, and as a result, unemployed Mexicans were deported. After the depression, America found a way to kick start the economy again. The sugar beet industry was once again flourishing. Minimum wage was established, and manufacturers smuggled in Mexican workers to help. In 1957, the migrant worker population increased to 106,000 people in Michigan (Hoffnung-Garskof, 2007). The Mexican people migrated to the U.S. in search of better lives. They were an active part in the building of the United States economy and our culture.

Mexico and the U.S share one the largest international borders in the world of 1,951 miles in length. The history of Mexican migration to the United States involves sharp shifts between periods of labor shortages. When employers aggressively recruited cheap Mexican labor, and periods of intense anti-Mexican sentiment, when many Mexicans and even Mexican Americans were deported or pressured to leave the country. Mexican immigrants were, pushed out of the country at a rapid pace, because of the jealousy and greed of native farmers. Who felt their jobs weren't entitled to have their jobs. According to an article from digitalhistory.com by John Box “During the Great Depression, when dust bowl farmers from Texas and Oklahoma poured into California, Mexicans were unneeded. Between 1929 and 1935, more than 415,000 Mexicans were expelled and thousands more left voluntarily. The legal pretext for deportation was that many Mexicans lacked proof of legal residency”. The farmers took over farms in California and the immigrants were deported back to Mexico. They were not needed anymore and were thought of as, a waste of space because they were never truly citizens. In the 1950s Mexican immigrants were very alienated, and were not truly identified as American citizens, meaning they can be deported at any time. According to an article

The Mexican revolutionary war brought a flow of Mexicans into America due to America’s thriving economy and Mexico’s crippling. Crops in Mexico weren’t producing enough and employment was dwindling. Faced with the struggle of survival many Mexicans looked for hope in the north. In America, life seemed to be going well. Although World War I was going on at the time and most people were overseas, this allowed for Mexicans to find many job opportunities. Especially in the making of the railways. Many Mexican agencies pushed its citizens to make the trek to America. But for this to happen Mexicans had to sign a contract, this contract also happened to grant the workers with certain rights from the Mexican constitution and it also allowed them to bring their families. This time period saw thousands of Mexicans come into America, “Between 1910 and 1930, the number of Mexican immigrants counted by the U.S. census tripled from 200,000 to 600,000.” (?) In a way the border of El Paso served as an Ellis island, but most of the time with Mexico being so close workers returned home. However in the 1930s the Great Depression hit America. Now even more than ever were Mexicans were struggling to survive but they were also faced with a greater issue, deportation. People were rounded by the thousands and shipped off to Mexico. Many of which were U.S born citizens. Over 400,000 Mexican and Mexican Americans were sent back to Mexico in hopes of this helping the great depression in other words

Up to the present time, a strong connection exists between the Mexican and American labor markets most outstandingly the workforce market of California. By the year 1980, an approximate percentage of 20 percent of the California’s population was from Mexico. In the first part of the twentieth century, there was a colossal exodus of people from Mexico. It approximates that from the year 1910 to 1930, over 1.5 million Mexicans moved to the USA with about 40 percent moving to Northern California at least temporarily. In Mexico at around this period, there were disruptions from the military revolutions and the many rebellions taking place. Such factors effectively, “pushed” the Mexicans. They were also “pulled” to the United States owing to the improving and rising standards of living, mostly in the agricultural sector (Pries, 2004).

To what extent have United States immigration policies contributed to the fluctuating trends in Mexican immigration across the border from the mid-20th century into the 21st century? This report is centralized around two main arguments. The first argument accounts for the ineffectiveness of the United States’ original 20th century Immigration and Nationality Acts and work programs for Mexican migrants, as they contributed to the gradual rise in Mexican immigration trends from the

Salvadoran immigration to the United States has been fairly recent, intensifying in the late 80’s and continuing today unabated. The movement has a profound significance for both countries. Salvadorans help make up the backbone of America by taking low paying jobs few others show interest in taking. They work long hours and send money back to family members in El Salvador. This cash flow is vital to sustaining the El Salvadoran economy and preserving peace in an area plagued by violence--- a goal long sought by policy makers in America beginning in the 1980s.

After several decades of fairly slow immigration, the numbers of Ecuadorian immigrants to the United States jumped dramatically during the 1990’s. The main cause of this migration wave was directly related to the economy in Ecuador. A drop in Ecuadorian petroleum revenue combined with

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