¶ … immigration in the United States is a complex topic that can only be understood in any depth by employing the perspectives of different social-science disciplines. The focus of this paper is immigration to American in the early to mid-nineteenth century and looks at the causes and consequences of it from a historical, economic, political, and geographic perspective. Given the paper's scope and the fact that immigration to America is such a large, complex topic, this paper will, by necessity, speak in generalities, using information from specific countries as examples rather than thoroughly analyzing and discussing the immigration experience of individual countries.
The United States began its "life" as a new nation "with no encouragement to immigrants except those offered by its [inherent] opportunities and with no barriers except those confronting native and foreigner alike" (Hansen, p. 56). Although "immigration policy has been a political issue since the nation's founding," it was not until the late nineteenth century that the nation began to seriously question this policy (INS, 1991). In the 1890s, Congress passed national immigration laws, created a federal agency to oversee immigration, and began to consider uniform rules for naturalization.
Three distinct stages of migration marked the nineteenth century. The first, from the 1830s to around 1854, consisted of people primarily from Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The next period, from 1860 to 1890, consisted primarily of English and German peoples. The third period, from 1890 to 1914,...
Immigration The United States is known as the "nation of immigrants." The reason for this is not hard to find: the economic opportunities and the "American Dream" have attracted waves of immigrants from different parts of the world to make America a mosaic of diverse cultures. While America has lived up to its reputation as the "land of opportunities" and provided new settlers with the freedom and means to achieve their
Although Kirch points out that migrants could initially be protected from such non-communicable diseases, such an advantage could be short-lived. It is also important to note that most migrants (especially those seeking to escape harsh conditions back home) could be forced to do menial jobs to make ends meet. This is more so the case for those who do not possess a specific set of skills which could enhance
Advocacy groups, whether private or government-sponsored, ease transition from home to America but being uprooted poses severe psychological and sociological problems that are not easy to fix. The United States remains one of the only nations to openly welcome immigrants as a national policy; Canada is another. For centuries the United States has relied on immigrant labor to fuel industry and add nuance to the nation's cultural fabric. The United
Even European immigrants experienced discrimination in the 19th century. As Vellos (1997) points out, "American society did not accept the Irish Catholics and Germans, and movements to limit immigration began to form." The Chinese Exclusion Act established anti-Asian sentiments and was not repealed until as late as 1943. For the first time in American history, immigration was "seen as a threat to the United States economy, and Congress began
S. And formed a country overflowing with thoughts, ways of life and backgrounds. The people arrived and continue to do so for many reasons, but, for all time, to realize one thing -- an improved life for their families. And, they have changed our nation, mostly for the better. When we ask are we in favor of immigration, how can any one of us say no. For, except the Native Indians,
To an extent, the idea of Cold War nation building has been in evidence in attempts to instill democracy in fronts such as Afghanistan and Iraq. But as a new president seeks to undo the damage of previous security policy conditions, it is apparent that this is an archaic approach to understanding the way individuals tend to behave under foreign occupation. The resistance that has made Iraq one of
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