The USA Immigration to the USA

Reasons for emigrating to the USA?

The reasons can be divided into two main categories:

Push Factors – these are things that make them want to leave their own country.

Pull Factors – these are things that attract them to America.

Push Factors

Dictatorship – no Dictatorship – no

freedom of speechfreedom of speech

Conflict / War Conflict / War PovertyPoverty

Pull Factors

Rights & FreedomsRights & Freedoms

The Land of Opportunity The Land of Opportunity &&

the American Dream the American Dream

Economic SuccessEconomic Success

Pattern of Immigration

• Between the year 2000 to 2007, over 10 million immigrants arrived in the US.

• Every year roughly a million new people arrive (700,000 legally, 300,000 illegally); more than in any other country in absolute numbers.

• The total immigrant population in the USA is estimated to be 37.9 million.

• About a quarter of this total is estimated to be illegal immigrants.

The USA – a welcoming nation?

The Inscription on the Statue of Liberty

Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me.I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

Task 3

Arguments for Immigration

Arguments against Immigration

The USA is a land of immigrants who came to America to work hard and enjoy the “American Dream”, like millions before them.

The Immigration Debate

Immigration places huge strain on welfare services in states like California, Texas and Florida where many immigrants settle.

The Immigration Debate

“The biggest thing I don’t like about New York are the foreigners, Asians and Koreans and Vietnamese and Indians and Russians and Spanish people and everything up there. How the hell did they get in

this country?”

Immigrants contribute to the economy because they take jobs that

lots of Americans will not take. Their

low wages keep prices low and they also pay

taxes.

May cause unemployment because immigrants are highly

concentrated in certain

jobs creating competition

for these jobs.

The Immigration Debate

Many immigrants (especially APIs) set up their own

businesses, contributing

to the economy by creating jobs & paying tax e.g. Silicon Valley in

California.

Many new immigrants

are unskilled & cost the

country money in welfare

benefits e.g. Hispanics.

The Immigration Debate

The Immigration Debate

• The immigration debate before September 11th centred mainly on economics and social issues.

• After the 9/11 the focus had become about security.

• The Credit Crunch coupled with the continued threat of terrorist attacks means the debate is about all these issues now.

Question

• There are many things about the USA which attract immigrants.

• Describe, in details, two things about the USA which attract immigrants.

• (4 marks).