Recent Immigration

WHY?: Continued “Nativism”

1914-1918: WWI • strong anti-immigrant feelings• literacy tests required in 1917

Anti-German Riot in U.S. 1915 Led to “Americanization”

1924: National Origins Act law that discriminated against S. & E. Europe

165,000 per year versus 1921’s 350,000

Took 2% from 1890--Germany 51,000-- Italy 4,000-- Egypt 100

Italy went from 42, 058 to 3, 845

“America must be kept forAmericans!” Pres. Coolidge

1925: KKK membership reaches 5 million

KKK PamphletKKK March in D.C. in 1925

KKKGrowth

1920-5,000

1925- 5 million

1930s -1945: low immigration due to Depression & WWII

500,000 Mexican workers deported due to worries about jobs.

1948: Displaced Persons Act

allowed homeless of WWII to immigrate to U.S.

400,000Jewish survivors and refugesarrive in U.S.

1960s: quotas questioned; are they fair?

1965: Immigration Act•Set annual limits for ALL countries to make laws fair

Johnson signs at Liberty Island

170,000 Eastern Hemisphere120,000 Western Hemisphere

1965: Immigration Act

Opponent of the bill :"We estimate that if the President gets his way, and the current immigration laws are repealed, the number of immigrants next year will increase threefold and in subsequent years will increase even more ... shall we, instead, look at this situation realistically and begin solving our own unemployment problems before we start tackling the world's?"

Republican Vice Presidential candidate Rep. William E. Miller of NYThe New York Times, Sept. 8, 1964, p. 14

Supporters of the bill: "With the end of discrimination due to place of birth, there will be shifts in countries other than those of northern and western Europe. Immigrants from Asia and Africa will have to compete and qualify in order to get in, quantitatively and qualitatively, which, itself will hold the numbers down. There will not be, comparatively, many Asians or Africans entering this country. ...Since the people of Africa and Asia have very few relatives here, comparatively few could immigrate from those countries because they have no family ties in the U.S."

Democratic Rep. Emanuel Celler of NYCongressional Record, Aug. 25, 1965, p. 21812

Refugee: Someone who flees a country because of persecution

1980 Refugee Act: President can admit refugees in an emergency

Illegal Immigrants: enter the U.S. w/o government approval

• i.e. Mexicans crossing the border

Busted illegal Immigrants await the border patrol

In Mexico, make $3 a day vs. $10 in U.S.

1986: Immigration Reform and Control Actpenalties on employers who hire illegal immigrants; little impact

Required I-9 Form - Still UsedFrom gov’t web page

Fines:•$100 - $1, 100 per individual for illegal•$250 - $11,000 per violations for continuing to employ illegals• $3,000 for perpetual violators and up to 6 mths in prison

1996: Immigration Actdoubled border control forces and added fences

U.S. Mexican Border in New Mexico

Differences Similarities Differences

Historical Recent Immigration Immigration

Immigration Issues Today

Legal• preference to family and skilled workers• long wait time

Refugees• need more spots• can be sent back

Illegal• U.S. security/border control• estimated 10 million