The Immigration - Essay Example

Immigration I will attempt to examine the contrast in the 1820-1920 periods and the 1960 periods of immigration. The contrasts shall focus on demographics, pull and push factors and social integration of immigrants. Overview: 1847-1854 saw the highest rate of immigrants in American history. Demographics: Most of the immigrants were men aged between 15-35 years. Children and adults over the age of 45 accounted for less than 20% of immigrants. In the 1960-2010 periods, the number of immigrant men is still higher than that of females, but the gap between them is not as large as before. Children and persons over the age of 45 still account for a small majority of immigrants as compared to the 15-35 years age bracket who represent a whooping 70 plus %. 1820- 1920, there were more European immigrants than there are in the 1960-2010 period. According to Department of Homeland Security, Yearbook of Immigration Statistics, 2008 1820-1920 is the peak of European period to the Americas. The European immigrants were mainly Germans, Irish, and English. Other significant immigrations included Scandinavians, Czechs and Poles. Settlements concentrated in areas with large industrial activity such as New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Immigrants with intentions of farming preferred Midwest or Great Lakes states. 1960-2010 saw the integration of immigrants for instance through the significant increase of arrival of African immigrants at will. Mexicans currently top the list if 21st century immigrants to the United States. However, European immigrants make up for more than 15 percent of the total immigrants in America each year in the 1960-2010 periods. Push and pull factors: Social: history of immigrants in the U.S was particularly crucial in influencing immigration. This is because immigrants prefer to move in with already established relatives and friends in the U.S. for instance most Jews preferred to settle in New York in the 19th century, and this trend remains the same in the 20th and 21st century. Geographic positioning: it is crucial to note that during 1820-1920 period means of transport were tiresome and unreliable. Therefore, migration was subject to proximity to the U.S. Most immigrants were from Europe because it is close to the U.S; however, change from sail boats to steam boats essentially making transport faster and more convenient. Steam boats also led to immigrants’ ability to move in and out of America easily, therefore, reducing the chances of them permanently settling in the U.S. There were even movements in the 1900’s such as the Eugenics movement that discriminated against immigrants, not from North Europe, like Mexicans and southern immigrants because they were inferior races. Eugenics also influenced the passing of the Immigration Restriction Act of 1924. 1960-2010: advanced technology and fast means of transportation favors immigration. Proximity no longer tops the list as a pull factor for immigrants. Laws: in the 1920’s policies on immigration had prejudice tendencies unlike in the 21st century and this discouraged immigration of certain nationalities. There are various acts set up as of 1921 that have restricted immigration for instance the Quota act. Other acts include the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act. The 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act is the one act not biased against a nation (Organization of Americans 15). Economic reasons: the most significant in this sector is the discrepancy of real wages in the United States and the immigrants’ countries of origin. This fact closely ties to the industrial revolution and urbanization. The real wages in the U.S were higher than those of most European and Asian countries. This caused workers to move from their countries to the U.S. the industrial revolution was a significant source of employment for the immigrants. Industrialization in the immigrants’ native country led to urbanization. The impact of the potato famine is extremely crucial in describing the large number of northern Europeans during this period (World Economic and Social Survey 33). There were negative economic impacts to immigration, for instance the economic depressions in the 1870’s, 1890’s and the greatest of them all 1930’s. Depressions have serious implications on a country’s ability to provide employment thus individuals do not see the need to migrate. The September 11 attacks on America, followed closely by the recession that begun in late 2007, have impacted the rate of immigration. This period saw fluctuation of immigrants, with the 9/11 tragedy marking the greatest decrease. Immigrant workers either came to stay permanently or for a while. In most cases, native immigrants are not as skilled as natives thus their lower wages. However, this factor does not have a significant impact in the 21st century because the immigrants have advanced education prior to settling in America. Studies show that the immigrant workers with experience get better wages than those without experience. For instance, a survey of the labor market around the 1860’s reveals that British immigrants and German immigrants improve their status in the labor market over time. The same is applicable in the 1960-2010 periods with Asian immigrants such as Chinese and Japanese showing marked influence in the technological and corporate realms. Achieving economic stability gives immigrants morale to stay (World Economic and Social Survey 14). 1960-2010: urbanization is a crucial pull factor for immigration. However, an increasing number of immigrants are interested in education so they immigrate as students rather than workers. After their education, some consider the work opportunities in America and stay while others go back to their countries. Unlike in the 1800’s, immigrant workers now focus on the health and construction sector. Social Integration: Gerber: ethnic identity is dependent on the ethnic niche in regard to country of origin, language culture and preferred economic activity and religion. Assimilation: absorbing new rules and behaviors necessary for adaptation in the new environment (Gerber 110 &108). Gerber tries to put ethnicity in a positive light such that through ethnicity, immigrants are able to fit into the American system. He looks at ethnicity as a way to seek communal and psychological support in the new environment. He sees the “live-and-let-live” attitude which implies that the immigrant will try to adopt the American culture but still retain their ethnicity. He challenges the stand of other scholars who hold that the immigrants seem unwilling to be Americanized. Ethnicity is not only a form of identity to them but a way of separating themselves from natives (101). According to the Census Bureau 2007, illegal immigrants make up the largest number of immigrants without legal status. More than 11 million people are illegal immigrants with close to 60% of them constituting Mexicans. Immigrants are subject to racial discrimination. Though not as influential as in the past decade, the Ku Klux Klan is an example of how violent natives were against immigrants in the 20th and a part of the 21st century. Immigrants in the 21st century, 20th century and 19th century are likely to be poor, whether it is a matter of oppressive policies, or their apparent lack of assimilation skills is a debate. With poverty come their lack of insurance and the increased chances of them using welfare funds (Organization of Americans, 24). 1960-2010: the amended version of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 applies in the 21st century. The aim of this act was impartiality to all countries. Immigration permits rely on considerations such as if the immigrant has a relative who is an American citizen or a person of interest such as Scientist and artists. This act has subsequently increased the number of immigrants of Asian origin such as China and Japan and from other continents such as Africa. This Act did not work alone there are other factors to consider such as the fall of European communism and other ethnic wars. These two factors have contributed to increases immigrants of Russian and Romanian and Polish origin. Critiques of the American system blame the government for increasing the number of immigrants in the country. The problem is not immigrants as such but illegal immigrants. They point out issues such as The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. They feel that this causes legal citizens to sharing medical care and facilities with immigrants is wrong. A considerable amount of felons committed in the U.S is by immigrants. These crimes include drug and human trafficking. The threat of terrorism has taken fear of immigrant groupings to another level. Their threats are real and fatal. For instance, there is the Al-Qaida mostly associated with Immigrants from the Middle East and North African countries. However, Gerber (54) sees contrary he states that native born persons are more likely to commit crimes in the 21st century than immigrants. Aside from the social aspect the most debated impact is the economic impact. Contrary to hearsay, immigrants have a positive impact on the economy for various reasons. They pay taxes through the purchase of goods and paying rent. They also contribute to economic growth through enterprises such as businesses and contribute to the labor force of the country (Gerber 55). With the above mentioned Acts and events, the economy and class structure since the 1900’s has changed. America is relatively receptive to the immigrants. For instance, the state of Asians in the country has significantly changed. The events of world war two affected the state of the Japanese in America. Immediately after the war, they could not own land, but things have changed since then. Suspicions of Germans as terrorists have shifted, and the group in focus is Arabs. Economic opportunities may not be equal to natives, but immigrants have a relatively fair chance for economic advancements. Opportunities are available in both the skilled and non-skilled labor sectors. Even the immigrant act is in favor of scientists and other persons of interest such as artists, scholars and musicians. However, differences in the growth of the population, in 1820-1920, did not have significant influence on the increase of the population as is in the period 1960-2010 (Haines 15). Bibliography: Haines, D. W. (2000). Illegal Immigration in America: A Reference Handbook. New York: Greenwood Publishing Group. Gerber, D. A. (2011). American Immigration: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. International Migration in the Americas. (2011). Organization of Americans States, 2-96. Migration during 1820-1920. (2004). World Economic and Social Survey, 3-22. Read More