The effects of Immigration- in depth

The main focuses of immigration have been the political and economical aspects of the affects it has on immigrants. I wanted to gear my attention first to the emotional and social aspects of immigration. They do play an important role in the processes of immigration as I have noticed from reading and gaining a general knowledge on it. Immigration undeniably effects those attempting to enter a country but it has a very large affect on the family as a whole. Some family members would not want to immigrate and could not be allowed to. The immigrants are faced with many insufficient finances as a result. Once the immigrant is settled in the new country, many times the "melting pot effect" or assimilation comes to play. Meaning, that the formation of new families are torn between keeping their original cultures traditions or adjusting to the new country's ways of the dominant culture. Certain cultures that are practiced could be illegal in a given country which becomes challenging to the immigrants to retain their original culture and are forced to adapt. Finances are another challenge for immigrants and often rely on their family in their home country to assist them. After all of these issues that can affect the immigration process there should be some sorts of rights that can help immigrants flourish in a new country.

Primary Source- rights of immigrants

Immigrants often lived close to other immigrants who are of the same nationalities. They would group together to speak that language of their native country. It gave them the opportunities to practice their native traditions. Although, the point in immigrating to America is to begin new traditions and start a new life. Some immigrants lean towards these communities because that is what they are used to. They feel they are more comfortable in areas with the same people and same traditions, but how will they learn to expand their horizon and form new traditions and live in other communities with different people. Some immigrants get too comfortable in their society where they don't even learn English and just speak their native language. A man who immigrated from Poland says he wants to be an American citizen but most of the people he knows are polish. He works and even lives with them. The American society he lives in is no different from Poland. He says that he wants to "live with american people, but I do not know anybody of american." He feels enclosed in this polish society but wants to be a polish living in an American society not in a polish society in America. This man has the right to take an English course and have a paying job but he does not have the best pay therefore he cannot pay for the English classes. He cant get a better paying job because he doesn't know English. He says he "don't like be like them I wanted they help me in english." He doesn't want to be like other immigrants who never learn English and go on with their lives only knowing the kind of society their used to from their native country. So many immigrants struggle to learn English and live up to their true potential in the new nation they'll live in. Should immigrants be given better rights by giving them the proper resources to live up to their potential as an American citizen?

Proposition 187 (1994)- Primary

The Proposition 187, mandated in 1994, prohibited illegal immigration into the state of California. Many Californians felt that they had the constitutional right to be protected in any way necessary. For the past decade or so, these residents had felt endangered by the growing amount of illegal immigrants that settled in California. The reason that they had felt so endangered was because illegals had been taking their jobs, as well as contributing to many criminal violences that disrupted the citizens of the state. Due to this, the Proposition 187 had been created. In this document, regulations had been made against illegal immigrants. This document separates, into sections, the different clauses that illegal immigrants and citizens of California must abide to. Many of these clauses consisted of if an illegal is to be found, they must be reported to the Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS). The result of this would be that the illegal would be questioned to figure out their origin. If their true origin is not America, then they would have to deal with the consequences. Consequences would include five years of prison or a fine of twenty-five thousand dollars. The reason that such consequences existed is so that illegal immigrants would be conscientious with the decision of living in America illegally. Along with this notation, illegal immigrants that have not yet come to America would already know the consequence of if they are to be caught. These regulations were made to be enforced and to eliminate the illegal immigrants that resided in California because the protection of Californian citizens was very important at the time.

America - A Cultural Melting Pot?

 Why/how is America known as a melting pot? Is it actually?

A lot of people have heard the saying that America is a cultural melting pot. This is because of the fact that each and every one of us can trace our roots from somewhere other than America. The United States are glorified as a diverse country where people of all backgrounds are accepted, but is this true? When you take a look at our history it is evident that minorities have had struggled whether it be differences in skin color, appearance, or even sexual orientation. The unfortunate truth is that almost immediately after the United Colonies became a country, America has welcomed only selected immigrants at selected times and under certain circumstances. If you were to look at our history, you would see a vast timeline of different Immigration Regulation. Whether it be limiting the flow of immigrants, or banning immigrants of certain countries (which many times were caused by other political agendas) - America has always been somewhat exclusive. In fact, dozens of laws were added regarding regulating immigration from 1790-1968 until finally an Act eliminated U.S. immigration discrimination based on race, place of birth, sex and residence.

How Illegal Immigration Has Helped America-Indepth

According to the Pew Hispanic Center, America has become a home for more than twelve million illegal immigrants. Due to these immigrants being illegal, they are not able to maintain citizenship in this country; but still they must work in order to survive. Therefore, these immigrants do jobs that some may classify as lower level jobs that no other America wants to do. This helps America because if no one does the dirty work that is needed, then the extensive work that people want to do cannot be done. These jobs can consist of anything: fruit picking, washing dishes, packing meat, sweeping the floor, etc. Illegal immigrants do these jobs because they know it will help Americans and help themselves. By having this mind set, illegal immigrants already conspire the American Dream and what it means to be an American. With the illegal immigration rate increasing, it's easy to think that the American government is not strict about keeping illegals out. However, billions of dollars are being spent every year to patrol the area and to rebuild the border that is destined to keep illegals out. Now, many have come to think that maybe there should not be a border because billions of dollars being wasted and illegal immigrants are still entering the country. Not only that, but the illegal immigrants are helping the country by helping the economy by getting jobs that are not high in demand, because basic Americans do not want to do them.

What was the effect, after WWI, from the other countries, after we had deferred some of their immigrants?

Many countries were experiencing mass emigration to the U.S. for numerous reasons but mostly it was from "economic pressure, political unrest and war weariness"(Historical Newspapers), that so many immigrants were accepted and allowed to gain citizenship. The war had caused problems all through out Europe and it fit in with the new need for fresh labor. The unaffected United States created a safe haven which allowed immigrants to escape the fear of war and threat of more violence. Their was no call for restriction, by the nativists, on the immigration yet and it made the U.S. a more liked place for foreigners. Their was no tensions or hostilities from other governments and countries as their became more emigration to the U.S., this allowed previous thoughts on the U.S.(disapproval of joining the Allied effort late) to dissipate.

What is the purpose of having a Visa in place?

The immigration background was a very different experience that what I had imagined.  The whole idea started with Aristotle when he proposed the idea of having people actually be part of a state, rather than just living in it. Aristotle said that just because people live in the same area, the people are not one with the state.  He went on and said that the people are citizens when they have some influence in how the country should be ruled.  He continued to talk about a democracy, where the people control how the government should act and all peoples' powers are equal to one another unless elected to have more power than the people.  Abraham Lincoln talked about a government made by the people, for the people during his great speech at Gettysburg.  Some countries believed that if a person gets in trouble with the state, then that person should lose his or her citizenship because the lack of control to be part of the country.  Immigration is one of four ways to become part of the state, the other three are to be born in the state, marry a citizen of the state, or naturalization which comes over time.  Between the 1990 and 2000, an estimated 9 million immigrants came into the country with visas supported by their friends, family, or people who want to help immigrants move into a "better" life, future, and or opportunity; the high amount of immigrants that cant get visas and enter into the country illegally, the job opportunities are getting smaller and smaller and the consumption of goods is getting less and less.  This caused the economy to drop.  People who came in to the states with visas, pay money to the US treasury which would help financially support the country as a whole.  This also amounts to people getting pay, thus the US would end up losing their money.  Asian students who came into the US for the purpose to study, with the study visa, contribute about $12 billion into the US which show how many people actually apply to get a visa and how much they contribute to help out the US indirectly.