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The Hot Topic of Immigration Essay

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Immigration remains to be a hot topic. There are many issues to consider but let’s look at stereotypes and regulatory control issues. Just what are some of the stereotypes about the economic impact of immigration in the United States? We have all heard that immigrants are taking jobs away from Americans. This stereotype is based on two fallacies: that there are a fixed number of jobs to go around, and that foreign workers are direct substitutes for citizens (Dangelo 236). The truth is that immigrants fill the low-end jobs that increasingly the well-educated and comfortable citizens do not want (Dangelo 234).
Another stereotype is that immigrant population is responsible for the rising costs of health care, education, and other human …show more content…

In the late 19th century, there was a brief period of strict requirements for naturalization but immigration was basically unregulated through most of the 1800s. (Schaefer 90). Until 1870, naturalization was limited to “free white persons” (Schaefer 90). During the period of railroad building, Chinese immigrants were used for hard labor. As that period ended, the large number of Chinese entering the country caused concern.
In 1882, Congress enacted the Chinese Exclusion Act, outlawing Chinese immigration for 10 years and explicitly denied naturalization rights to the Chinese (Schaefer91). In 1884 there was a 10 year ban on Chinese laborers and in 1992 Congress extended the Exclusion Act another10 years and stipulated that Chinese laborers obtain certificates of residence within a year or face deportation. As Congress closed the door to Chinese immigration, immigration laws turned in new directions (Schaefer 92).
In 1908 the United States and Japan agreed that Japan would halt further immigration to the United States, and the United States agreed to end discrimination against the Japanese who had already arrived (Schaefer 92). A new era of immigration policies began in 1921. Immigration was now regulated by the National Origin System. Measures blocked the growing immigration from southern Europe and completely blocked Asian immigrants with a zero quota (Schaefer

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