US Immigration: past and present

Glenn Sequeira

June 1, 2011

Image: History Alive, p. 371

Topic: US Immigration past and present

• Immigration is the voluntary movement of a group of people from one country or region to another. Immigration has been a pattern seen throughout history motivated by a number of reasons: better opportunities (jobs, education), more civil rights (freedom of speech, religion), desire to reunite with family, to avoid persecution or famine, or simply the adventure of living in a place that is new or exciting.

• Immigration in the United States and in many developed countries is experiencing a new surge with accompanying stress on the host country. Numbers of peoples coming in are affecting the economy and culture of the host country. Additionally the processes of legal immigration are being bypassed by a large number of people coming in outside of legal, diplomatic routes.

US Immigration: past: 1840-1860

• Immigration in the United States has had several phases. Most recognizably, during the period prior to the Civil War (1840-1860) the majority of the immigrants were from Northern and Western Europe. That shifted from 1860-1900 with the inclusion of many southern Europeans and other non Northern and Western European groups. Anti immigrant sentiment caused a number of immigration restriction laws that brought an end to that era’s immigrant growth.

source: History Alive, ch. 26

LAUSD District Assessment #3 Social Studies Grade 8

US Immigration: present: 2000

• Current immigration in the United States and elsewhere is happening at a rate that is once again alarming anti immigrant feeling. In addition to the traditional reasons for immigrating, many immigrants find that political asylum (freedom from political persecution or war) warrants a move out of their country of origin. This time the majority of immigrants are coming from North America and Asia. Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security.