Syllabus Area Three:

The Immigration Debate

Theories of Immigration

Melting Pot

Salad Bowl

The Mosaic

Theories of Immigration

Melting Pot No matter how people in the USA start out – Cuban, African American, Chinese – once they have been in the USA for a while they become ‘American’ and lose their individual identity.

Theories of Immigration

Salad Bowl Different ethnic groups mix together to create an American society, but keep their individual identities and cultures to enrich their society.

Theories of Immigration

Mosaic People have a choice about whether they wanted to be either an ‘American’ or to keep their own identity.

Immigration

Aims:

Examine the ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors which attract people to the USA.

Identify the main arguments for and against immigration.

Push and Pull FactorsPULL FACTORS

Reasons why people areattracted to the USA.

• Wealth• Land• Jobs• Good education• Religious Freedom• Political Freedom

PUSH FACTORS

Reasons why people want to

leave their own country.

• Poverty• Hunger• War• No religious freedom• No land• No free speech• No political freedom

California

Texas

US-Mexican Border is 2,000 miles long

The Problem of Immigration

• Each year around 700,000 immigrants enter the USA.• But there are 4-8 million illegal immigrants in the USA.• 2-3,000 illegals attempt to cross the US-Mexican border

each night. Many come through organised gangs who transport people over to work in the USA.

• States near that border e.g. California have high numbers of illegal immigrants and some US farmers pay to have illegal workers brought over as cheap labour.

• Many Americans are particularly concerned about the high number of illegal immigrants.

Illegal Immigration

• Your teacher will show you four short video clips about illegal immigration.

• Watch the clips carefully and then write down 5 key points about illegal immigration.

Arguments For Immigration Immigrants do jobs that American

citizens refuse to do. Many immigrants are young and

contribute to the economy by working and paying taxes.

The USA attracts hard-working and skilled workers from other country.

The majority of new businesses are started by foreign-born people.

Immigrants bring new cultures which makes the US a multi-cultural society.

Arguments Against Immigration

• They take jobs from Americans.• They will work for less and undercut

the wages of US workers.• They receive government benefits

and cost the country money.• Around 25% of prison inmates are

recent immigrants.• Whites fear they will no longer be in

the majority.

The Immigration Debate

As a group discuss and answer thefollowing questions:

What is the strongest argument in favour of immigration?

What is the strongest argument against immigration?

Illegal Immigration Illegal immigration particularly affects

border states e.g. California, Texas. Many Mexicans cross the border illegally

and many farmers, business owners and wealthy people are willing to employ illegal immigrants because they can pay them low wages.

Many illegal immigrants cross the border on their own or are smuggled over by organised gangs.

Proposition 187 In 1994 this referendum

was part of the state electionsin California.

Voters were asked to vote in favour of denying illegal immigrants education, healthcare and welfare benefits.

Public workers e.g. teachers, social workers, health workers would have to report anyone who was suspected.

The supporters of Proposition 187 argued illegal immigration was costing the taxpayer too much money and causing unemployment.

The Results 59% of Californian voters were in favour of

Proposition 187. The only ethnic group where a majority

voted against the Proposition were the Hispanics.

Many poor whites/blacks were angry and concerned about unemployment and job competition with illegal immigrants.

The Proposition was challenged in the courts and it was declared ‘unconstitutional’ as only the federal government has the power to make laws about immigration.

Attitudes To Immigration Since the mid-1990s anti-immigration feeling

softened in the USA as the economy improved and unemployment fell.

Since Hispanic Americans are the fastest growing group many politicians recognise that cannot afford to lose their support in elections.

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks the government has tightened up the rules which allow people into the USA and this has reduced the number of immigrants entering the USA.