Immigration to the United States
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Immigration to the United States has been a major source of population growth and cultural change throughout much of its history. As of January 2025, the United States has the largest immigrant population in the world in absolute terms, with 53.3 million foreign-born residents, representing 15.8% of the total U.S. population—both record highs.<ref name="UNdef">Template:Cite web</ref> While the United States represented about 4% of the total global population in 2024, 17% of all international migrants resided in the United States.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite web</ref> In March 2025, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) estimated that approximately 18.6 million illegal immigrants resided in the United States.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2024, immigrants and their U.S.-born children number more than 93 million people, or 28% of the total U.S. population.<ref name=":4" />
According to the 2016 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics, the United States admitted a total of 1.18 million legal immigrants (618k new arrivals, 565k status adjustments) in 2016.<ref name="2016Yearbook">Template:Cite web</ref> Of these, 48% were the immediate relatives of United States citizens, 20% were family-sponsored, 13% were refugees or asylum seekers, 12% were employment-based preferences, 4.2% were part of the Diversity Immigrant Visa program, 1.4% were victims of a crime (U1) or their family members were (U2 to U5),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and 1.0% who were granted the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) for Iraqis and Afghans employed by the United States Government.<ref name="2016Yearbook"/> The remaining 0.4% included small numbers from several other categories, including 0.2% who were granted suspension of deportation as an immediate relative of a citizen (Z13);<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> persons admitted under the Nicaraguan and Central American Relief Act; children born after the issuance of a parent's visa; and certain parolees from the former Soviet Union, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam who were denied refugee status.<ref name="2016Yearbook"/>
Between 1921 and 1965 policies such as the National Origins Formula limited immigration and naturalization opportunities for people from areas outside Northwestern Europe. Exclusion laws enacted as early as the 1880s generally prohibited or severely restricted immigration from Asia, and quota laws enacted in the 1920s curtailed Southern and Eastern European immigration. The civil rights movement led to the replacement<ref name="american-gatekeeping" /> of these ethnic quotas with per-country limits for family-sponsored and employment-based preference visas.<ref name="per-country">Template:Cite web in 1965.</ref> Between 1970 and 2007, the number of first-generation immigrants living in the United States quadrupled from 9.6 million to 38.1 million residents.<ref name="migrationinformation" /><ref name="google1" /> Census estimates show 45.3 million foreign born residents in the United States as of March 2018 and 45.4 million in September 2021, the lowest three-year increase in decades.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2017, out of the U.S. foreign-born population, some 45% (20.7 million) were naturalized citizens, 27% (12.3 million) were lawful permanent residents, 6% (2.2 million) were temporary lawful residents, and 23% (10.5 million) were unauthorized immigrants.<ref name="KeyFindings">Template:Cite web</ref> The United States led the world in refugee resettlement for decades, admitting more refugees than the rest of the world combined.<ref name="PewRefugees">Template:Cite web</ref>
Some research suggests that immigration is beneficial to the United States economy. With few exceptions, the evidence suggests that on average, immigration has positive economic effects on the native population, but it is mixed as to whether low-skilled immigration adversely affects low-skilled natives. Studies also show that immigrants have lower crime rates than natives in the United States.<ref name="NASEM-2015">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="doleac">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="crimearticles">* Template:Cite journal
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- Template:Cite journal</ref> The economic, social, and political aspects of immigration have caused controversy regarding such issues as maintaining ethnic homogeneity, workers for employers versus jobs for non-immigrants, settlement patterns, impact on upward social mobility, crime, and voting behavior.
History
[edit]Template:Main Template:See also
Due to its history the United States can be described as an immigration country. American immigration history can be viewed in four epochs: the colonial period, the mid-19th century, the start of the 20th century, and post-1965. Each period brought distinct national groups, races, and ethnicities to the United States.
Colonial period
[edit]During the 17th century, approximately 400,000 English people migrated to America under European colonization.<ref name="virtualjamestown"/> They comprised 83.5% of the white population at the time of the first census in 1790.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> From 1700 to 1775, between 350,000 and 500,000 Europeans immigrated: estimates vary in sources. Regarding English settlers of the 18th century, one source says 52,000 English migrated during the period of 1701 to 1775, although this figure is likely too low.<ref>Butler, Becoming America, The Revolution before 1776, 2000, pp. 34–35 Template:ISBN</ref><ref>The Oxford History of the British Empire, "The Eighteenth Century," Ed. P. J. Marshall, p. 3 Template:ISBN the number given is at 80,000 less 29,000 Welsh which seems strange to the author, James Horn; Duncan also regards this as a "mystery"; it does not include the 50,000–120,000 convicts transported, most of whom were English</ref> 400,000–450,000 of the 18th-century migrants were Scots, Scots-Irish from Ulster, Germans, Swiss, and French Huguenots.<ref>Encyclopedia of the Colonial and Revolutionary America, 1996 pp. 200–02 Template:ISBN; Jon Butler, Becoming America, The Revolution before 1776, 2000, pp. 16–49 Template:ISBN)</ref> Over half of all European immigrants to Colonial America during the 17th and 18th centuries arrived as indentured servants.<ref name="mertsahinoglu"/> They numbered 350,000.<ref>Encyclopedia, p. 202)</ref> From 1770 to 1775 (the latter year being when the American Revolutionary War began), 7,000 English, 15,000 Scots, 13,200 Scots-Irish, 5,200 Germans, and 3,900 Irish Catholics migrated to the Thirteen Colonies.<ref>Butler, p. 35</ref> According to Butler (2000), up to half of English migrants in the 18th century may have been young, single men who were well-skilled, trained artisans, like the Huguenots.<ref>Butler, p. 35 producers of watches, jewelry, furniture, skilled construction workers, food and service trade workers</ref> Based on scholarly analysis, English was the largest single ancestry in all U.S. states at the time of the first census in 1790, ranging from a high of 82% in Massachusetts to a low of 35.3% in Pennsylvania, where Germans accounted for 33.3%.
Origins of immigrant stock in 1790
[edit]The Census Bureau published preliminary estimates of the origins of the colonial American population by scholarly classification of the names of all White heads of families recorded in the 1790 census in a 1909 report entitled A Century of Population Growth.<ref name="CPG1909" /> These initial estimates were scrutinized and rejected following passage of the Immigration Act of 1924, when the government required accurate official estimates of the origins of the colonial stock population as basis for computing National Origins Formula immigration quotas in the 1920s. In 1927, proposed quotas based on CPG figures were rejected by the President's Committee chaired by the Secretaries of State, Commerce, and Labor, with the President reporting to Congress "the statistical and historical information available raises grave doubts as to the whole value of these computations as the basis for the purposes intended".<ref name="ACLS1929" /> Concluding that CPG "had not been accepted by scholars as better than a first approximation of the truth", an extensive scientific revision was produced, in collaboration with the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), as basis for computing contemporary legal immigration quotas.<ref name="trends" /> For this task scholars estimated the proportion of names of unique derivation from each of the major national stocks present in the population as of the 1790 census. The final results, later also published in the journal of the American Historical Association, are presented below:<ref name="ACLS1929" />
Template:Small<ref name="ACLS1929">Template:Cite book</ref>
Historians estimate that fewer than one million immigrants moved to the United States from Europe between 1600 and 1799.<ref name="history"/> By comparison, in the first federal census, in 1790, the population of the United States was enumerated to be 3,929,214.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
These statistics do not include the 17.8% of the population who were enslaved, according to the 1790 census.
Early United States era
[edit]
The Naturalization Act of 1790 limited naturalization to "free white persons"; it was expanded to include black people in the 1860s and Asian people in the 1950s.<ref name="Encyclopedia of Minorities in American Politics: African Americans and Asian Americans"/> This made the United States an outlier, since laws that made racial distinctions were uncommon in the world in the 18th century.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The 1794 Jay Treaty provided freedom of movement for Americans, British subjects, and Native Americans into British and American jurisdictions, Hudson's Bay Company land excepted. The treaty is still in effect to the degree that it allows Native Americans born in Canada (subject to a blood quantum test) to enter the United States freely.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=rights>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the early years of the United States, immigration (not counting the enslaved, who were treated as merchandise rather than people) was fewer than 8,000 people a year,<ref name="americanheritage"/> including French refugees from the slave revolt in Haiti. Legal importation of enslaved African was prohibited after 1808, though many were smuggled in to sell. After 1820, immigration gradually increased. From 1836 to 1914, over 30 million Europeans migrated to the United States.<ref name="tandfonline"/>
First U.S. laws restricting immigration
[edit]After an initial wave of immigration from China following the California Gold Rush, racist attitudes toward the Chinese population of the West Coast led to Congress passing the very first U.S. law restricting immigration: The Page Act of 1875 banned Chinese women who, it was claimed, were arriving to engage in prostitution.<ref name="The real immigration scare tactics"/> This was followed by the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, banning virtually all immigration from China until the law's repeal in 1943. In the late 1800s, immigration from other Asian countries, especially to the West Coast, became more common.
Exclusion Era
[edit]The peak year of European immigration was in 1907, when 1,285,349 persons entered the country.<ref name="houstonhistory"/> By 1910, 13.5 million immigrants were living in the United States.<ref name="google3"/>
While the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 had already excluded immigrants from China, the immigration of people from Asian countries in addition to China was banned by the Immigration Act of 1917, also known as the Asiatic Barred Zone Act, which also banned homosexuals, people with intellectual disability, and people with an anarchist worldview.<ref name="Hitler's American Model 2017 p. 35">James Whitman, Hitler's American Model: The United States and the Making of Nazi Race Law, (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2017), p. 35</ref> The Emergency Quota Act was enacted in 1921, limiting immigration from the Eastern Hemisphere by national quotas equal to 3 percent of the number of foreign-born from each nation in the 1910 census. The Act aimed to further restrict immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe, particularly Italian, Slavic, and Jewish people, who had begun to enter the country in large numbers beginning in the 1890s.<ref name="nwsource" /> The temporary quota system was superseded by the National Origins Formula of the Immigration Act of 1924, which computed national quotas as a fraction of 150,000 in proportion to the national origins of the entire White American population as of the 1920 census, except those having origins in the nonquota countries of the Western Hemisphere (which remained unrestricted).<ref name="ABA1924">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="statabstract1931">Template:Cite web</ref>
Origins of immigrant stock in 1920
[edit]The National Origins Formula was a unique computation which attempted to measure the total contributions of "blood" from each national origin as a share of the total stock of White Americans in 1920, counting immigrants, children of immigrants, and the grandchildren of immigrants (and later generations), in addition to estimating the colonial stock descended from the population who had immigrated in the colonial period and were enumerated in the 1790 census. European Americans remained predominant, although there were shifts toward Southern, Central, and Eastern Europe from immigration in the period 1790 to 1920. The formula determined that ancestry derived from Great Britain accounted for over 40% of the American gene pool, followed by German ancestry at 16%, then Irish ancestry at 11%. The restrictive immigration quota system established by the Immigration Act of 1924, revised and re-affirmed by the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, sought to preserve this demographic makeup of America by allotting quotas in proportion to how much blood each national origin had contributed to the total stock of the population in 1920, as presented below:<ref name="trends">Template:Cite book</ref> Template:Multiple image
Immigration patterns of the 1930s were affected by the Great Depression. In the final prosperous year, 1929, there were 279,678 immigrants recorded,<ref name="mit"/> but in 1933, only 23,068 moved to the U.S.<ref name="history"/> In the early 1930s, more people emigrated from the United States than to it.<ref name="cato"/> The U.S. government sponsored a Mexican Repatriation program which was intended to encourage people to voluntarily move to Mexico, but thousands were deported against their will.<ref name="thernstrom"/> Altogether, approximately 400,000 Mexicans were repatriated; half of them were US citizens.<ref name="yale"/> Most of the Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazis and World War II were barred from coming to the United States.<ref name="ushmm" /> In the post-war era, the Justice Department launched Operation Wetback, under which 1,075,168 Mexicans were deported in 1954.<ref name="experience" />
Since 1965
[edit]
● Encounter data for 2021–2023: Template:Cite web
● Data source for U.S. population: Template:Cite web Data between each decade's value is linearly interpolated.</ref>
The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, also known as the Hart–Celler Act, abolished the system of national-origin quotas. By equalizing immigration policies, the act resulted in new immigration from non-European nations, which changed the ethnic demographics of the United States.<ref name="globe obama" /> In 1970, 60% of immigrants were from Europe; this decreased to 15% by 2000.<ref name="google4"/>
The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Law of 1965 abolished the former quota system and gave preference to people with skills regarded as being "especially advantageous" to the United States, which resulted in an increase in immigration from Asia.<ref name="Lazonick2009">Template:Cite book</ref> In the 1980s, this accelerated as the Federal government of the United States encouraged the immigration of engineers, mathematicians, and scientists from Asia, particularly India and China, to help support STEM-related endeavors in the country.<ref name="KandelWilsonDonovan2022">Template:Cite web</ref> Skilled immigration from these countries was strengthened through the Immigration Act of 1990.<ref name="RansomWinters2021">Template:Cite journal</ref> The National Academy of Sciences has supported U.S. policymakers to design legislation that attracts foreign mathematicians, engineers and scientists to emigrate to the United States.<ref name="Anderson2022">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1986 president Ronald Reagan signed immigration reform that gave amnesty to 3 million undocumented immigrants in the country.<ref name="npr" />
In 1990, George H. W. Bush signed the Immigration Act of 1990,<ref name="google5"/> which increased legal immigration to the United States by 40%.<ref name="google6"/> In 1991, Bush signed the Armed Forces Immigration Adjustment Act 1991, allowing foreign service members who had served 12 or more years in the US Armed Forces to qualify for permanent residency and, in some cases, citizenship.
In November 1994, California voters passed Proposition 187 amending the state constitution, denying state financial aid to illegal immigrants. The federal courts voided this change, ruling that it violated the federal constitution.<ref name=ft160313>Template:Cite news</ref>
Appointed by President Bill Clinton,<ref name="sfgate"/> the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform recommended reducing legal immigration from about 800,000 people per year to approximately 550,000.<ref name="google7"/> While an influx of new residents from different cultures presents some challenges, "the United States has always been energized by its immigrant populations", said President Bill Clinton in 1998. "America has constantly drawn strength and spirit from wave after wave of immigrantsTemplate:Nbsp... They have proved to be the most restless, the most adventurous, the most innovative, the most industrious of people."<ref name="immigration"/>
In 2001, President George W. Bush discussed an accord with Mexican President Vicente Fox. Due to the September 11 attacks, the possible accord did not occur. From 2005 to 2013, the US Congress discussed various ways of controlling immigration. The Senate and House were unable to reach an agreement.<ref name=ft160313/>
Nearly 8 million people immigrated to the United States from 2000 to 2005; 3.7 million of them entered without papers.<ref name="usatoday.com" /><ref name="washingtontimes" /> Hispanic immigrants suffered job losses during the late-2000s recession,<ref name="france24" /> but since the recession's end in June 2009, immigrants posted a net gain of 656,000 jobs.<ref name="cnn" />
Nearly 14 million immigrants entered the United States from 2000 to 2010,<ref>"Immigrant Population at Record 40 Million in 2010". Yahoo! News. October 6, 2011.</ref> and over one million persons were naturalized as U.S. citizens in 2008. The per-country limit<ref name="per-country" /> applies the same maximum on the number of visas to all countries regardless of their population and has therefore had the effect of significantly restricting immigration of persons born in populous nations such as Mexico, China, India, and the Philippines—the leading countries of origin for legally admitted immigrants to the United States in 2013;<ref name="Legal2013">Template:Cite web</ref> nevertheless, China, India, and Mexico were the leading countries of origin for immigrants overall to the United States in 2013, regardless of legal status, according to a U.S. Census Bureau study.<ref name="All2013">Template:Cite news</ref>
Over 1 million immigrants were granted legal residence in 2011.<ref>"U.S. Legal Permanent Residents: 2011" Template:Webarchive. Office of Immigration Statistics Annual Flow Report.</ref>
For those who enter the US illegally across the Mexico–United States border and elsewhere, migration is difficult, expensive and dangerous.<ref name="Illegal Immigrants Slain in an Attack in Arizona" /> Virtually all undocumented immigrants have no avenues for legal entry to the United States due to the restrictive legal limits on green cards, and lack of immigrant visas for low-skilled workers.<ref name="why-dont-they-just-get-in-line">Template:Cite web</ref> Participants in debates on immigration in the early 21st century called for increasing enforcement of existing laws governing illegal immigration to the United States, building a barrier along some or all of the Template:Convert Mexico-U.S. border, or creating a new guest worker program. Through much of 2006 the country and Congress was engaged in a debate about these proposals. Template:As of few of these proposals had become law, though a partial border fence had been approved and subsequently canceled.<ref name="US Cancels 'virtual fence'" />
Modern reform attempts
[edit]Beginning with Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, presidents from both political parties have steadily increased the number of border patrol agents and instituted harsher punitive measures for immigration violations. Examples of these policies include Ronald Reagan's Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 and the Clinton-era Prevention Through Deterrence strategy. The sociologist Douglas Massey has argued that these policies have succeeded at producing a perception of border enforcement but have largely failed at preventing emigration from Latin America. Notably, rather than curtailing illegal immigration, the increase in border patrol agents decreased circular migration across the U.S.–Mexico border, thus increasing the population of Hispanics in the U.S.Template:Sfn
Presidents from both parties have employed anti-immigrant rhetoric to appeal to their political base or to garner bi-partisan support for their policies. While Republicans like Reagan and Donald Trump have led the way in framing Hispanic immigrants as criminals, Douglas Massey points out that "the current moment of open racism and xenophobia could not have happened with Democratic acquiescence".Template:Sfn For example, while lobbying for his 1986 immigration bill, Reagan framed unauthorized immigration as a "national security" issue and warned that "terrorists and subversives are just two days' driving time" from the border.Template:Sfn Later presidents, including Democrats Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, used similar "security" rhetoric in their efforts to court Republican support for comprehensive immigration reform. In his 2013 State of the Union Address, Obama said "real reform means strong border security, and we can build on the progress my administration has already madeTemplate:Sndputting more boots on the southern border than at any time in our history".Template:Sfn
First Trump administration policies
[edit]Template:Main ICE reports that it removed 240,255 immigrants in fiscal year 2016, as well as 226,119 in FY2017 and 256,085 in FY2018. Citizens of Central American countries (including Mexico) made up over 90% of removals in FY2017 and over 80% in FY2018.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In January 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order temporarily suspending entry to the United States by nationals of seven Muslim-majority countries. It was replaced by another executive order in March 2017 and by a presidential proclamation in September 2017, with various changes to the list of countries and exemptions.<ref>Fact Sheet: The President's Proclamation on Enhancing Vetting Capabilities and Processes for Detecting Attempted Entry into the United States by Terrorists or Other Public-Safety Threats Template:Webarchive, United States Department of Homeland Security, September 24, 2017.</ref> The orders were temporarily suspended by federal courts but later allowed to proceed by the Supreme Court, pending a definite ruling on their legality.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Cbignore</ref> Another executive order called for the immediate construction of a wall across the U.S.–Mexico border, the hiring of 5,000 new border patrol agents and 10,000 new immigration officers, and federal funding penalties for sanctuary cities.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The "zero-tolerance" policy was put in place in 2018, which legally allows children to be separated from adults unlawfully entering the United States. This is justified by labeling all adults that enter unlawfully as criminals, thus subjecting them to criminal prosecution.<ref>Villazor, Rose, and Kevin Johnson. "The Trump Administration and the War on Immigration Diversity." Wake Forest Law Review 54.2 (2019): 575.</ref> The Trump Administration also argued that its policy had precedent under the Obama Administration, which had opened family detention centers in response to migrants increasingly using children as a way to get adults into the country. However, the Obama Administration detained families together in administrative, rather than criminal, detention.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Cbignore</ref><ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Cbignore</ref>
Other policies focused on what it means for an asylum seeker to claim credible fear.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> To further decrease the amount of asylum seekers into the United States, Attorney General Jeff Sessions released a decision that restricts those fleeing gang violence and domestic abuse as "private crime", therefore making their claims ineligible for asylum.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> These new policies that had been put in place were controversial for putting the lives of the asylum seekers at risk, to the point that the ACLU sued Jeff Sessions along with other members of the Trump Administration. The ACLU claimed that the policies put in place by the Trump Administration undermined the fundamental human rights of those immigrating into the United States, specifically women. They also claimed that these policies violated decades of settle asylum law.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In April 2020, President Trump said he will sign an executive order to temporarily suspend immigration to the United States because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Biden administration policies
[edit]Template:Main In January 2023, regarding the Mexico–United States border crisis, Joe Biden announced a new immigration policy that would allow 30,000 migrants per month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela<ref name="politico1">Template:Cite web</ref> but will also expel the migrants from those countries who violate US laws of immigration.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The policy has faced criticism from "immigration reform advocates and lawyers who decry any expansion of Title 42."<ref name="politico1"/>
On October 31, 2023, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testified before the Senate Homeland Security Committee that more than 600,000 people illegally made their way into the United States without being apprehended by border agents during the 2023 fiscal year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In fiscal year 2022, over one million immigrants (most of whom entered through family reunification) were granted legal residence,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> up from 707,000 in 2020.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Border Security and Asylum Reform in the Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024
[edit]The 2024 Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act represents a change, in the immigration system with a focus, on strengthening border security and improving asylum processes. This bill, backed by both Republican senators and endorsed by President Biden seeks to address the surge in border crossings in the U.S. Mexico border by revolutionizing how migrants and asylum seekers are processed by border authorities. More specifically, asylum officers to consider certain bars to asylum during screening interviews, which were previously only considered by immigration judges. The legislation aims to streamline provisions for effective management.
The proposed law introduces an asylum procedure in the U.S. Border, where asylum officers from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) can review asylum applications at a more rapid pace. This new process, called removal proceedings, is detailed in a new section of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) specifically Section 235B.<ref name=":03">Template:Citation</ref> The bill sets a bar for passing an asylum screening by requiring a "reasonable possibility" standard instead of the previous "credible fear" standard. Requiring more evidence at the preliminary screening stages at the same level needed for a full hearing. Notably excluded apprehended individuals between ports of entry from asylum eligibility except under narrow exceptions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This adjustment makes it more difficult for asylum seekers to qualify for a hearing in front of an immigration judge and has raised questions in regards to potential violations against the right to seek asylum and due process.
Furthermore, the legislation establishes an emergency expulsion authority that empowers the branch to expel migrants and asylum seekers during times of " extraordinary migration circumstances." When the seven-day average of encounters between ports of entry exceeds 2,500, the restrictions come into effect.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The restrictions continue until the average falls below 1,500 for 14 consecutive days. If this occurs the DHS Secretary can promptly send migrants back to their home country unless they can prove they face a risk of persecution or torture.
The proposed legislation involves around $18.3 billion in funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to carry out the border policies and changes in the asylum process. Moreover, it designates $2.3 billion to support arrived refugees through the "Refugee and Entrant Assistance" program.<ref name=":03" /> The program itself is designed to fund a broad range of social services to newly arrived refugees, both through states and direct service grants. The bill outlines provisions for granting status to allies safeguarding most "Documented Dreamers " and issuing an additional 250,000 immigrant visas.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> It introduces a program for repatriation enabling asylum seekers to go to their home countries at any point during the proceedings. The proposed legislation also contains clauses that do not affect the humanitarian parole initiatives of the Biden administration, for individuals from Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti and Nicaragua.<ref>Template:Cite thesis</ref> These individuals are granted approval to travel and a temporary period of parole in the United States.
Origins of the U.S. immigrant population, 1960–2016
[edit]| 1960 | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe-Canada | 84% | 68% | 42% | 26% | 19% | 15% | 15% | 14% | 14% | 14% | 14% | 13% | 13% |
| South and East Asia | 4% | 7% | 15% | 22% | 23% | 25% | 25% | 26% | 26% | 26% | 27% | 27% | 28% |
| Other Latin America | 4% | 11% | 16% | 21% | 22% | 24% | 24% | 24% | 24% | 24% | 24% | 25% | 25% |
| Mexico | 6% | 8% | 16% | 22% | 29% | 29% | 29% | 28% | 28% | 28% | 27% | 26% | 25% |
Note: "Other Latin America" includes Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
| Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | Year | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1855 | 200,877 | 1880 | 457,257 | 1905 | 1,026,499 | 1930 | 241,700 | 1955 | 237,790 | 1980 | 524,295 | 2005 | 1,122,257 | 2018 | 1,096,611 |
| 1860 | 153,640 | 1885 | 395,346 | 1910 | 1,041,570 | 1935 | 34,956 | 1960 | 265,398 | 1985 | 568,149 | 2010 | 1,042,625 | 2019 | 1,031,765 |
| 1865 | 248,120 | 1890 | 455,302 | 1915 | 326,700 | 1940 | 70,756 | 1965 | 296,697 | 1990 | 1,535,872 | 2015 | 1,051,031 | 2020 | 707,362 |
| 1870 | 387,203 | 1895 | 258,536 | 1920 | 430,001 | 1945 | 38,119 | 1970 | 373,326 | 1995 | 720,177 | 2016 | 1,183,505 | 2021 | 740,002 |
| 1875 | 227,498 | 1900 | 448,572 | 1925 | 294,314 | 1950 | 249,187 | 1975 | 385,378 | 2000 | 841,002 | 2017 | 1,127,167 | 2022 | 1,018,349 |
| Decade | Average per year |
|---|---|
| 1890–99 | 369,100 |
| 1900–09 | 745,100 |
| 1910–19 | 634,400 |
| 1920–29 | 429,600 |
| 1930–39 | 69,900 |
| 1940–49 | 85,700 |
| 1950–59 | 249,900 |
| 1960–69 | 321,400 |
| 1970–79 | 424,800 |
| 1980–89 | 624,400 |
| 1990–99 | 977,500 |
| 2000–09 | 1,029,900 |
| 2010–19 | 1,063,300 |
- Refugee numbers
According to the Department of State, in the 2016 fiscal year 84,988 refugees were accepted into the US from around the world. In the fiscal year of 2017, 53,691 refugees were accepted to the US. There was a significant decrease after Trump took office; it continued in the fiscal year of 2018 when only 22,405 refugees were accepted into the US. This displays a massive drop in acceptance of refugees since the Trump Administration has been in place.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Original research inline
On September 26, 2019, the Trump administration announced that it planned to allow only 18,000 refugees to resettle in the United States in the 2020 fiscal year, its lowest level since the modern program began in 1980.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="cbsnews.com">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2020 the Trump administration announced that it planned to slash refugee admissions to U.S. for 2021 to a record low of 15,000 refugees down from a cap of 18,000 for 2020, making 2021 the fourth consecutive year of declining refugee admissions under the Trump term.<ref name=TrumpLimit>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="nbcnews.com">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=TrumpLow>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Biden administration pledged to welcome 125,000 refugees in 2024.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
| Period | Refugee Program <ref name="aljazeera.com">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Shameful">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=TrumpLimit /><ref name="nbcnews.com"/><ref name=TrumpLow /> |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 45,000 |
| 2019 | 30,000 |
| 2020 | 18,000 |
| 2021 | 15,000 |
Contemporary immigration
[edit]
Template:As of, approximately half of immigrants living in the United States are from Mexico and other Latin American countries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Many Central Americans are fleeing because of desperate social and economic circumstances in their countries. Some believe that the large number of Central American refugees arriving in the United States can be explained as a "blowback" to policies such as United States military interventions and covert operations that installed or maintained in power authoritarian leaders allied with wealthy land owners and multinational corporations who stop family farming and democratic efforts, which have caused drastically sharp social inequality, wide-scale poverty and rampant crime.<ref>The Guardian, December 19, 2019 "Fleeing a Hell the U.S. Helped Create: Why Central Americans Journey NorthTemplate:SndThe region's inequality and violence, in which the US has long played a role, is driving people to leave their homes"</ref> Economic austerity dictated by neoliberal policies imposed by the International Monetary Fund and its ally, the U.S., has also been cited as a driver of the dire social and economic conditions, as has the U.S. "War on Drugs", which has been understood as fueling murderous gang violence in the region.<ref>The Nation, October 18, 2017, "How US Foreign Policy Helped Create the Immigration Crisis: Neoliberal Strictures, Support for Oligarchs, and the War on Drugs Have Impoverished Millions and Destabilized Latin America" Template:Webarchive</ref> Another major migration driver from Central America (Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador) are crop failures, which are (partly) caused by climate change.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "The current debateTemplate:Nbsp... is almost totally about what to do about immigrants when they get here. But the 800-pound gorilla that's missing from the table is what we have been doing there that brings them here, that drives them here", according to Jeff Faux, an economist who is a distinguished fellow at the Economic Policy Institute.
Until the 1930s most legal immigrants were male. By the 1990s women accounted for just over half of all legal immigrants.<ref name="nap"/> Contemporary immigrants tend to be younger than the native population of the United States, with people between the ages of 15 and 34 substantially overrepresented.<ref name="nap9"/> Immigrants are also more likely to be married and less likely to be divorced than native-born Americans of the same age.<ref name="nap10"/>
Immigrants are likely to move to and live in areas populated by people with similar backgrounds. This phenomenon has remained true throughout the history of immigration to the United States.<ref name="nap11"/> Seven out of ten immigrants surveyed by Public Agenda in 2009 said they intended to make the U.S. their permanent home, and 71% said if they could do it over again they would still come to the US. In the same study, 76% of immigrants say the government has become stricter on enforcing immigration laws since the September 11 attacks ("9/11"), and 24% report that they personally have experienced some or a great deal of discrimination.<ref name="publicagenda"/>
Public attitudes about immigration in the U.S. were heavily influenced in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. After the attacks, 52% of Americans believed that immigration was a good thing overall for the U.S., down from 62% the year before, according to a 2009 Gallup poll.<ref name="gallup"/> A 2008 Public Agenda survey found that half of Americans said tighter controls on immigration would do "a great deal" to enhance U.S. national security.<ref name="publicagenda12"/> Harvard political scientist and historian Samuel P. Huntington argued in his 2004 book Who Are We? The Challenges to America's National Identity that a potential future consequence of continuing massive immigration from Latin America, especially Mexico, could lead to the bifurcation of the United States.<ref name="TOC of book on Library of Congress">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Samuel Huntington Interview">Template:Cite web</ref>
The estimated population of illegal Mexican immigrants in the US decreased from approximately 7 million in 2007 to 6.1 million in 2011<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Commentators link the reversal of the immigration trend to the economic downturn that started in 2008 and which meant fewer available jobs, and to the introduction of tough immigration laws in many states.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> According to the Pew Hispanic Center, the net immigration of Mexican born persons had stagnated in 2010, and tended toward going into negative figures.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The share of international job seekers looking to work in the U.S. declined sharply in 2025 as per a report from Indeed. The slowing labor market and stricter immigration policy beginning with the Biden administration and accelerating under President Trump has led to further cooling demand for American jobs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
More than 80 cities in the United States,<ref name="sfgate13"/> including Washington D.C., New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, San Diego, San Jose, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Detroit, Jersey City, Minneapolis, Denver, Baltimore, Seattle, Portland, Oregon and Portland, Maine, have sanctuary policies, which vary locally.<ref name="Sanctuary Cities, USA"/>
Origin countries
[edit]| Region | 2015 | % of total | 2016 | % of total | 2017 | % of total | 2018<ref name=2018data/> | % of total | 2019<ref name=2019data/> | % of total | 2020<ref name=2020data/> | % of total | 2021<ref name=":1">Template:Cite journal</ref> | % of total | 2022<ref name=":1" /> | % of total | 2023<ref name=":2023">U.S. Lawful Permanent Immigration Residents: 2023 Office of Homeland Security</ref> | % of total | Template:Growth/Template:Decrease% in 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | 438,435 | 41.7% | 506,901 | 42.8% | 492,726 | 43.7% | 497,860 | 45.4% | 461,710 | 44.8% | 284,491 | 40.2% | 240,440 | 32.5% | 332,670 | 32.7% | 450,310 | 38.4% | Template:Growth35.4% |
| Asia | 419,297 | 39.9% | 462,299 | 39.1% | 424,743 | 37.7% | 397,187 | 36.2% | 364,761 | 35.4% | 272,597 | 38.5% | 295,306 | 39.9% | 414,951 | 40.7% | 418,930 | 35.7% | Template:Growth1.0% |
| South America | 71,370 | 9.6% | 99,030 | 9.7% | 112,130 | 9.6% | Template:Growth13.2% | ||||||||||||
| Africa | 101,415 | 9.7% | 113,426 | 9.6% | 118,824 | 10.5% | 115,736 | 10.6% | 111,194 | 10.8% | 76,649 | 10.8% | 66,211 | 8.9% | 89,571 | 8.8% | 105,520 | 9.0% | Template:Growth17.8% |
| Europe | 85,803 | 8.2% | 93,567 | 7.9% | 84,335 | 7.5% | 80,024 | 7.3% | 87,597 | 8.5% | 68,994 | 9.8% | 61,521 | 8.3% | 75,606 | 7.4% | 80,280 | 6.8% | Template:Growth6.2% |
| Oceania | 5,404 | 0.5% | 5,588 | 0.5% | 5,071 | 0.5% | 4,653 | 0.4% | 5,359 | 0.5% | 3,998 | 0.6% | 4,147 | 0.6% | 5,132 | 0.5% | 5,000 | 0.4% | ~ |
| unknown | 677 | 0.1% | 1,724 | 0.1% | 1,468 | 0.1% | 1,151 | 0.1% | 1,144 | 0.1% | 633 | >0.1% | 1,011 | 0.1% | 1,392 | 0.1% | 730 | ~ | ~ |
| Total | 1,051,031 | 100% | 1,183,505 | 100% | 1,127,167 | 100% | 1,096,611 | 100% | 1,031,765 | 100% | 707,632 | 100% | 740,002 | 100% | 1,018,349 | 100% | 1,172,910 | 100% | Template:Growth27.3% |
- Before 2021, Americas included borth North (inc. Central and Caribbean region) and South America.
Source: US Department of Homeland Security, Office of Immigration Statistics<ref name=":1" /><ref name=2014-data>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=2015data>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=update2016>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="update2017">Template:Cite web</ref>
| Country | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Flagu | 64,687 | 60,394 | 59,821 | 54,495 | 46,363 | 93,450 | 120,121 | |
| Template:Flagu | 174,534 | 170,581 | 161,858 | 156,052 | 100,325 | 107,230 | 117,710 | |
| Template:Flagu | 81,772 | 71,565 | 65,214 | 62,248 | 41,483 | 49,847 | 62,022 | |
| Template:Flagu | 61,161 | 58,520 | 57,413 | 49,911 | 30,005 | 24,553 | 36,007 | |
| Template:Flagu | 66,516 | 65,028 | 76,486 | 41,641 | 16,367 | 23,077 | 31,019 | |
| Template:Flagu | 53,287 | 49,147 | 47,258 | 45,920 | 25,491 | 27,511 | 27,692 | |
| Template:Flagu | 23,449 | 25,109 | 28,326 | 27,656 | 17,907 | 18,668 | 25,609 | |
| Template:Flagu | 41,451 | 38,231 | 33,834 | 39,712 | 29,995 | 16,312 | 22,604 | |
| Template:Flagu | 13,812 | 14,989 | 15,394 | 19,825 | 16,746 | 18,351 | 20,806 | |
| Template:Flagu | 18,610 | 17,956 | 17,545 | 19,841 | 11,989 | 15,293 | 16,763 | |
| Template:Flagu | 10,772 | 11,809 | 11,762 | 15,720 | 12,136 | 14,412 | 16,604 | |
| Template:Flagu | 13,002<ref name=":2">Template:Cite book</ref> | 13,198<ref name=":2" /> | 15,638<ref name=":2" /> | 13,453<ref name=":2" /> | 7,369 | 8,199 | 15,328 | |
| Template:Flagu | 21,801 | 19,194 | 17,676 | 18,479 | 16,244 | 12,351 | Template:Data missing | |
| Template:Flagu | 13,302<ref name=":2" /> | 11,387<ref name=":2" /> | 13,794<ref name=":2" /> | 15,901<ref name=":2" /> | 7,843 | 9,425 | 14,762 | |
| Template:Flagu | 12,793<ref name=":3">Template:Cite book</ref> | 11,484<ref name=":3" /> | 9,898<ref name=":3" /> | 11,388<ref name=":3" /> | 11,297 | 12,053 | 13,916 | |
| Template:Flagu | 23,350 | 21,905 | 20,347 | 21,689 | 12,826 | 13,357 | 13,603 | |
| Total | 1,183,505 | 1,127,167 | 1,096,611 | 1,031,765 | 707,362 | 740,002 | 1,018,349 | 1,172,910 |
Charts
[edit]Template:Pie chart Template:Pie chart
Demography
[edit]Extent and destinations
[edit]
| Year<ref>Nativity of the Population and Place of Birth of the Native Population: 1850 to 2000 – .xls Template:Webarchive, .csv Template:Webarchive</ref> | Number of foreign-born |
Percent foreign-born |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 2,244,602 | 9.7 |
| 1860 | 4,138,697 | 13.2 |
| 1870 | 5,567,229 | 14.4 |
| 1880 | 6,679,943 | 13.3 |
| 1890 | 9,249,547 | 14.8 |
| 1900 | 10,341,276 | 13.6 |
| 1910 | 13,515,886 | 14.7 |
| 1920 | 13,920,692 | 13.2 |
| 1930 | 14,204,149 | 11.6 |
| 1940 | 11,594,896 | 8.8 |
| 1950 | 10,347,395 | 6.9 |
| 1960 | 9,738,091 | 5.4 |
| 1970 | 9,619,302 | 4.7 |
| 1980 | 14,079,906 | 6.2 |
| 1990 | 19,767,316 | 7.9 |
| 2000 | 31,107,889 | 11.1 |
| 2010 | 39,956,000 | 12.9 |
| 2017 | 44,525,500 | 13.7 |
| 2018 | 44,728,502 | 13.5 |
| 2019 | 44,932,799 | |
| 2023 | 47,831,053 | 14.3 |
- 2010,<ref>Population by Nativity Status and Citizenship: 2010 Template:Webarchive (estimated to nearest thousand)</ref> 2017,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 2018<ref name=J>Template:Cite web Retrieved September 1, 2020</ref><ref>Template:Cite web Retrieved September 1, 2020</ref>
Template:GraphChart The United States admitted more legal immigrants from 1991 to 2000, between ten and eleven million, than in any previous decade. In the most recent decade,Template:When the 10 million legal immigrants that settled in the U.S. represent roughly one third of the annual growth, as the U.S. population increased by 32 million (from 249 million to 281 million). By comparison, the highest previous decade was the 1900s, when 8.8 million people arrived, increasing the total U.S. population by one percent every year. Specifically, "nearly 15% of Americans were foreign-born in 1910, while in 1999, only about 10% were foreign-born".<ref name="autogenerated1"/>
By 1970, immigrants accounted for 4.7 percent of the US population and rising to 6.2 percent in 1980, with an estimated 12.5 percent in 2009.<ref name="migrationinformation14"/> Template:As of, 25% of US residents under age 18 were first- or second-generation immigrants.<ref name="nytimes"/> Eight percent of all babies born in the U.S. in 2008 belonged to illegal immigrant parents, according to a recentTemplate:When analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data by the Pew Hispanic Center.<ref name="wsj"/>
Legal immigration to the U.S. increased from 250,000 in the 1930s, to 2.5 million in the 1950s, to 4.5 million in the 1970s, and to 7.3 million in the 1980s, before becoming stable at about 10 million in the 1990s.<ref name="findarticles"/> Since 2000, legal immigrants to the United States number approximately 1,000,000 per year, of whom about 600,000 are Change of Status who already are in the U.S. Legal immigrants to the United States nowTemplate:When are at their highest level ever, at just over 37,000,000 legal immigrants. In reports in 2005–2006, estimates of illegal immigration ranged from 700,000 to 1,500,000 per year.<ref name="csmonitor"/><ref name="pewhispanic"/> Immigration led to a 57.4% increase in foreign-born population from 1990 to 2000.<ref name="migrationinformation15"/>
Foreign-born immigration has caused the U.S. population to continue its rapid increase with the foreign-born population doubling from almost 20 million in 1990 to over 47 million in 2015.<ref name="immigrationun">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2018, there were almost 90 million immigrants and U.S.-born children of immigrants (second-generation Americans) in the United States, accounting for 28% of the overall U.S. population.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
While immigration has increased drastically over the 20th century, the foreign-born share of the population is, at 13.4, only somewhat below what it was at its peak in 1910 at 14.7%. A number of factors may be attributed to the decrease in the representation of foreign-born residents in the United States. Most significant has been the change in the composition of immigrants; prior to 1890, 82% of immigrants came from North and Western Europe. From 1891 to 1920, that number decreased to 25%, with a rise in immigrants from East, Central, and South Europe, summing up to 64%. Animosity towards these ethnically different immigrants increased in the United States, resulting in much legislation to limit immigration in the 20th century.<ref name="Cohn 2020">Template:Cite web</ref>
Origin
[edit]Template:Srn Template:Mw-datatable
| Template:Legend Template:Legend Template:Legend Template:Legend Template:Legend Template:Legend Template:Legend |
| Template:Legend Template:Legend Template:Legend Template:Legend | Template:Legend Template:Legend Template:Legend |
Foreign-born population in the United States in 2019 by country of birth<ref name=J/><ref name="data.census.gov">Template:Cite web</ref>
| Country of birth | Change (2019) | Population (2019) | 2018–2019 change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total foreign-born | Template:Growth | 44,932,799 | +204,297 |
| Mexico | Template:Decrease | 10,931,939 | −239,954 |
| India | Template:Increase | 2,688,075 | +35,222 |
| ChinaTemplate:Efn | Template:Increase | 2,250,230 | +28,287 |
| Philippines | Template:Increase | 2,045,248 | +31,492 |
| El Salvador | Template:Decrease | 1,412,101 | −7,229 |
| Vietnam | Template:Increase | 1,383,779 | +38,026 |
| Cuba | Template:Increase | 1,359,990 | +16,030 |
| Dominican Republic | Template:Decrease | 1,169,420 | −8,444 |
| South KoreaTemplate:Efn | Template:Decrease | 1,038,885 | −214 |
| Guatemala | Template:Increase | 1,111,495 | +104,508 |
| Colombia | Template:Increase | 808,148 | +18,587 |
| Canada | Template:Decrease | 797,158 | −16,506 |
| Jamaica | Template:Increase | 772,215 | +38,786 |
| Honduras | Template:Increase | 745,838 | +99,585 |
| Haiti | Template:Increase | 701,688 | +14,502 |
| United KingdomTemplate:Efn | Template:Decrease | 687,186 | −12,007 |
| Germany | Template:Decrease | 537,691 | −21,411 |
| Brazil | Template:Increase | 502,104 | +29,467 |
| Venezuela | Template:Increase | 465,235 | +71,394 |
| Peru | Template:Decrease | 446,063 | −21,109 |
| Ecuador | Template:Decrease | 431,150 | −11,955 |
| Poland | Template:Increase | 404,107 | +5,321 |
| Pakistan | Template:Increase | 398,399 | +19,296 |
| Nigeria | Template:Increase | 392,811 | +18,100 |
| Russia | Template:Increase | 392,422 | +8,917 |
| Iran | Template:Increase | 385,473 | +3,522 |
| Taiwan | Template:Decrease | 371,851 | −18,299 |
| Ukraine | Template:Increase | 354,832 | +28,947 |
| Japan | Template:Decrease | 333,273 | −28,292 |
| Italy | Template:Decrease | 314,867 | −10,036 |
| Bangladesh | Template:Increase | 261,348 | +296 |
| Thailand | Template:Decrease | 260,820 | −8,561 |
| Nicaragua | Template:Decrease | 257,343 | −4,734 |
| Ethiopia | Template:Decrease | 256,032 | −22,051 |
| Guyana | Template:Decrease | 253,847 | −26,450 |
| Iraq | Template:Increase | 249,670 | +12,248 |
| Hong Kong | Template:Decrease | 231,469 | −1,779 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Template:Decrease | 212,798 | −9,770 |
| Argentina | Template:Increase | 210,767 | +16,346 |
| EgyptTemplate:Efn | Template:Decrease | 205,852 | −1,727 |
| Ghana | Template:Increase | 199,163 | +3,792 |
| Laos | Template:Decrease | 176,904 | −7,486 |
| FranceTemplate:Efn | Template:Decrease | 171,452 | −19,727 |
| Romania | Template:Increase | 167,751 | +5,308 |
| Nepal | Template:Increase | 166,651 | +18,017 |
| Portugal | Template:Decrease | 161,500 | −8,390 |
| Kenya | Template:Increase | 153,414 | +6,854 |
| Burma | Template:Increase | 150,877 | +10,486 |
| Cambodia | Template:Increase | 149,326 | +10,792 |
| IsraelTemplate:Efn | Template:Increase | 132,477 | +2,551 |
| Afghanistan | Template:Increase | 132,160 | +18,491 |
| Lebanon | Template:Decrease | 120,065 | −1,861 |
| Greece | Template:Decrease | 119,571 | −6,128 |
| Turkey | Template:Decrease | 117,291 | −9,203 |
| Spain | Template:Decrease | 116,077 | −1,713 |
| Somalia | Template:Increase | 114,607 | +11,230 |
| Ireland | Template:Decrease | 111,886 | −13,104 |
| South Africa | Template:Increase | 111,116 | +11,444 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Template:Decrease | 104,612 | −957 |
| Indonesia | Template:Increase | 101,622 | +7,543 |
| Panama | Template:Decrease | 101,076 | −2,674 |
| Australia | Template:Increase | 98,969 | +8,382 |
| Liberia | Template:Increase | 98,116 | +12,824 |
| Albania | Template:Increase | 94,856 | +4,617 |
| Chile | Template:Decrease | 93,950 | −9,080 |
| Costa Rica | Template:Increase | 93,620 | +6,237 |
| SyriaTemplate:Efn | Template:Decrease | 92,514 | −19,252 |
| JordanTemplate:Efn | Template:Increase | 90,018 | +2,335 |
| Armenia | Template:Increase | 87,419 | +151 |
| NetherlandsTemplate:Efn | Template:Decrease | 82,603 | −5,632 |
| Bolivia | Template:Increase | 79,804 | +447 |
| MoroccoTemplate:Efn | Template:Decrease | 77,434 | −1,978 |
| Saudi Arabia | Template:Increase | 76,840 | +2,166 |
| Malaysia | Template:Decrease | 76,712 | −5,844 |
| Cameroon | Template:Decrease | 72,634 | −5,374 |
| former Czechoslovakia | Template:Increase | 68,312 | +3,960 |
| Bulgaria | Template:Decrease | 66,950 | −5,239 |
| Uzbekistan | Template:Decrease | 65,216 | −3,296 |
| Hungary | Template:Decrease | 64,852 | −2,413 |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 60,512 | +/− | |
| Yemen | Template:Decrease | 58,627 | −3,795 |
| Belarus | Template:Decrease | 57,315 | −13,654 |
| Barbados | Template:Decrease | 52,279 | −1,097 |
| Sri Lanka | Template:Decrease | 51,695 | −305 |
| Sudan | Template:Decrease | 51,351 | −1,300 |
| Eritrea | Template:Increase | 49,355 | +4,245 |
| Uruguay | Template:Increase | 48,900 | +2,638 |
| Fiji | Template:Increase | 48,710 | +5,195 |
| Moldova | Template:Decrease | 46,388 | −1,379 |
| Sierra Leone | Template:Decrease | 45,506 | −2,328 |
| Belize | Template:Decrease | 44,364 | −2,923 |
| Uganda | 44,150 | +/− | |
| Sweden | Template:Decrease | 43,506 | −6,236 |
| Switzerland | Template:Increase | 42,958 | +8,536 |
| Bahamas | Template:Increase | 40,067 | +10,851 |
| Austria | Template:Increase | 39,083 | +100 |
| Serbia | Template:Increase | 39,020 | +1,585 |
| Republic of the Congo | 38,932 | +/− | |
| Croatia | Template:Decrease | 37,044 | −1,941 |
| Cape Verde | Template:Decrease | 36,410 | −663 |
| Dominica | Template:Decrease | 36,372 | −721 |
| Singapore | Template:Decrease | 33,736 | −466 |
| Kazakhstan | Template:Increase | 33,438 | +5,148 |
| Lithuania | Template:Decrease | 32,655 | −445 |
| Belgium | Template:Decrease | 32,323 | −3,431 |
| Denmark | Template:Increase | 31,872 | +2,541 |
| Kuwait | Template:Decrease | 31,113 | −4,494 |
| Senegal | 30,828 | +/− | |
| North Macedonia | Template:Increase | 30,359 | +4,456 |
| Micronesia | 30,136 | +/− | |
| Grenada | Template:Decrease | 29,722 | −11,288 |
| Paraguay | 25,022 | +/- | |
| Latvia | Template:Decrease | 23,300 | −2,039 |
| Zimbabwe | 20,519 | +/− | |
| Norway | Template:Decrease | 20,143 | −4,928 |
Effects of immigration
[edit]
Immigration to the United States significantly increases the population. The Census Bureau estimates that the US population will increase from 317 million in 2014 to 417 million in 2060 with immigration, when nearly 20% will be foreign-born.<ref name="Census2015">Template:Cite report</ref> In particular, the population of Hispanic and Asian Americans is significantly increased by immigration, with both populations expected to see major growth.<ref name="Pew2015">Template:Cite report</ref><ref name="usatoday" /> Overall, the Pew Report predicts the population of the United States will rise from 296 million in 2005 to 441 million in 2065, but only to 338 million with no immigration.<ref name="Pew2015" /> The prevalence of immigrant segregation has brought into question the accuracy of describing the United States as a melting pot.<ref name="segregation" /><ref name="WhiteFlight" /> Immigration to the United States has also increased religious diversity, with Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism growing in the United States due to immigration.<ref>Charles H. Lippy, Faith in America: Organized religion today (2006) ch 6 pp. 107–27</ref> Changing demographics as a result of immigration have affected political affiliations. Immigrants are more likely than natives to support the Democratic Party.<ref name="globe obama" /><ref name="usatoday32" /><ref name="aaldef" /> Interest groups that lobby for and against immigration play a role in immigration policy, with religious, ethnic, and business groups most likely to lobby on issues of immigration.<ref name="prachimishra" /><ref name="FacchiniSteinhardt2011">Template:Cite journal</ref>
Immigrants have not been found to increase crime in the United States, and immigrants overall are associated with lower crime rates than natives.<ref name="NASEM-2015" /><ref name="doleac" /><ref name="crimearticles" /><ref name="USAtod18">Template:Cite news</ref> Some research even suggests that increases in immigration may partly explain the reduction in the U.S. crime rate.<ref name="Wadsworth-2010">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Multiref2</ref> According to one study, sanctuary cities—which adopt policies designed to not prosecute people solely for being an illegal immigrant—have no statistically meaningful effect on crime.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Research suggests that police practices, such as racial profiling, over-policing in areas populated by minorities and in-group bias may result in disproportionately high numbers of immigrants among crime suspects.<ref name="Warren 343–69">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="MoJ p. 82">Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System 2008/09 Template:Webarchive, p.p 8, 22</ref><ref name="West-2016">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="auto1">Template:Cite journal</ref> Research also suggests that there may be possible discrimination by the judicial system, which contributes to a higher number of convictions for immigrants.<ref name="auto2">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="auto3">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Anwar-2012">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="auto4">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Depew-2017">Template:Cite journal</ref> Crimmigration has emerged as a field in which critical immigration scholars conceptualize the current immigration law enforcement system.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Increased immigration to the United States has historically caused discrimination and racial unrest.Template:Citation needed Areas with higher minority populations may be subject to increased policing<ref name="Warren 343–69" /><ref name="MoJ p. 82" /><ref name="West-2018">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="auto1" /> and harsher sentencing.<ref name="auto2" /><ref name="auto3" /><ref name="Anwar-2012" /><ref name="auto4" /><ref name="Depew-2017" /> Faculty in educational facilities have been found to be more responsive toward white students,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> though affirmative action policies may cause colleges to favor minority applicants.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Evidence also shows the existence of racial discrimination in the housing market<ref name="IZA-2016">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the labor market.<ref name="IZA-2016" /><ref name="Riach-2002">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Zschirnt-2016">Template:Cite journal</ref> Discrimination also exists between different immigrant groups.<ref name="latimes" /><ref name="latimes30" /> According to a 2018 study of longitudinal earnings, most immigrants economically assimilate into the United States within a span of 20 years, matching the economic situations of non-immigrants of similar race and ethnicity.<ref name="Villarreal-2018">Template:Cite journal</ref>
Immigration has been found to have little impact on the health of natives.<ref name="Gunadi-2020">Template:Cite journal</ref> Researchers have also found what is known as the "healthy immigrant effect", in which immigrants in general tend to be healthier than individuals born in the U.S.<ref name="princeton" /><ref name="nap43" /> However, some illnesses are believed to have been introduced to the United States or caused to increase by immigration.<ref name="nih" /> Immigrants are more likely than native-born Americans to have a medical visit labeled uncompensated care.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
A significant proportion of American scientists and engineers are immigrants. Graduate students are more likely to be immigrants than undergraduate students, as immigrants often complete undergraduate training in their native country before immigrating.<ref name="osep">'Foreign and Foreign-Born Engineers in the United States: Infusing Talent, Raising Issues', Office of Scientific and Engineering Personnel, 1988. online text Template:Webarchive</ref> 33% of all U.S. PhDs in science and engineering were awarded to foreign-born graduate students as of 2004.<ref name="wulf">William A. Wulf, President, National Academy of Engineering, Speaking before the 109th US Congress, September 15, 2005</ref>
Economic impact
[edit]
High-skilled immigration and low-skilled immigration have both been found to make economic conditions better for the average immigrant<ref name="Kerr-2011">Template:Cite journal</ref> and the average American.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The overall impact of immigration on the economy tends to be minimal.<ref>Template:Multiref2</ref><ref>Template:Multiref2</ref> Research suggests that diversity has a net positive effect on productivity<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> and economic prosperity.<ref name="auto">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Multiref2</ref><ref name="Qian-2020">Template:Cite journal</ref> Contributions by immigrants through taxation and the economy have been found to exceed the cost of services they use.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="CBO-2007">Template:Cite web</ref> Overall immigration has not had much effect on native wage inequality<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> but low-skill immigration has been linked to greater income inequality in the native population.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Labor unions have historically opposed immigration over economic concerns.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Immigrants have also been found to raise economic productivity, as they are more likely to take jobs that natives are unwilling to do.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Research indicates that immigrants are more likely to work in risky jobs than U.S.-born workers, partly due to differences in average characteristics, such as immigrants' lower English language ability and educational attainment.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Refugees have been found to integrate more slowly into the labor market than other immigrants, but they have also been found to increase government revenue overall.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Evans-2017">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Davis-2017">Template:Cite newsTemplate:Cbignore</ref> Immigration has also been correlated with increased innovation and entrepreneurship, and immigrants are more likely to start businesses than Native Americans.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Undocumented immigrants have also been found to have a positive effect on economic conditions in the United States.<ref name="CBO-2007" /><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> According to NPR in 2005, about 3% of illegal immigrants were working in agriculture,<ref>"Study Details Lives of Illegal Immigrants in U.S. Template:Webarchive". NPR. June 14, 2005.</ref> and the H-2A visa allows U.S. employers to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary agricultural jobs.<ref>"H-2A Temporary Agricultural Workers Template:Webarchive". U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.</ref> States that imposed harsher immigration laws were found to suffer significant economic losses.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Guardian newspaper: Kansas prepares for clash of wills over future of unauthorised immigrants Template:Webarchive – Coalition of top [Kansas] businesses launch new legislation that would help undocumented Hispanics gain federal work permission. February 2, 2012</ref>
In May 2024, research conducted at Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City suggested that immigration to the United States surged during 2022–2023 and the inflow of migrants to the country acted as a powerful catalyst in cooling overheated labor markets and tempering wage growth across industries and states. The study showed that from Dec 2021 to Dec 2023 there existed a negative correlation between an industry's migrant employment growth and wage growth: an increase in migrant employment growth of 1 percentage point lead to a 0.7 percentage point reduction in wage growth. It was found that an increase in employment growth, stemming from migrant workers, of 1 percentage point lead to a 0.5 percentage point reduction in job vacancy rates.<ref>Rising Immigration Has Helped Cool an Overheated Labor Market Elior Cohen, Economic Bulletin, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, May 22, 2024</ref>
Public opinion
[edit]
The largely ambivalent feeling of Americans toward immigrants is shown by a positive attitude toward groups that have been visible for a century or more, and much more negative attitude toward recent arrivals. For example, a 1982 national poll by the Roper Center at the University of Connecticut showed respondents a card listing a number of groups and asked, "Thinking both of what they have contributed to this country and have gotten from this country, for each one tell me whether you think, on balance, they've been a good or a bad thing for this country", which produced the results shown in the table. "By high margins, Americans are telling pollsters it was a very good thing that Poles, Italians, and Jews immigrated to America. Once again, it's the newcomers who are viewed with suspicion. This time, it's the Mexicans, the Filipinos, and the people from the Caribbean who make Americans nervous."<ref name="immigration48"/><ref name="religion"/>
In a 2002 study, which took place soon after the September 11 attacks, 55% of Americans favored decreasing legal immigration, 27% favored keeping it at the same level, and 15% favored increasing it.<ref name="worldviews"/>
In 2006, the immigration-reduction advocacy think tank the Center for Immigration Studies released a poll that found that 68% of Americans think U.S. immigration levels are too high, and just 2% said they are too low. They also found that 70% said they are less likely to vote for candidates that favor increasing legal immigration.<ref name="immigration49"/> In 2004, 55% of Americans believed legal immigration should remain at the current level or increased and 41% said it should be decreased.<ref name="autogenerated3"/> The less contact a native-born American has with immigrants, the more likely they would have a negative view of immigrants.<ref name="autogenerated3" />
One of the most important factors regarding public opinion about immigration is the level of unemployment; anti-immigrant sentiment is where unemployment is highest, and vice versa.<ref name="interdisciplinary50"/>
Surveys indicate that the U.S. public consistently makes a sharp distinction between legal and illegal immigrants, and generally views those perceived as "playing by the rules" with more sympathy than immigrants who have entered the country illegally.<ref name="publicagenda51"/>
According to a Gallup poll in July 2015, immigration is the fourth-most important problem facing the United States and seven percent of Americans said it was the most important problem facing America today.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In March 2015, another Gallup poll provided insight into American public opinion on immigration; the poll revealed that 39% of people worried about immigration "a great deal".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A January poll showed that only 33% of Americans were satisfied with the current state of immigration in America.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Before 2012, a majority of Americans supported securing United States borders compared to dealing with illegal immigrants in the United States. In 2013, that trend has reversed and 55% of people polled by Gallup revealed that they would choose "developing a plan to deal with immigrants who are currently in the U.S. illegally". Changes regarding border control are consistent across party lines, with the percentage of Republicans saying that "securing U.S. borders to halt flow of illegal immigrants" is extremely important decreasing from 68% in 2011 to 56% in 2014. Meanwhile, Democrats who chose extremely important shifted from 42% in 2011 to 31% in 2014.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In July 2013, 87% of Americans said they would vote in support of a law that would "allow immigrants already in the country to become U.S. citizens if they meet certain requirements including paying taxes, having a criminal background check and learning English". However, in the same survey, 83% also said they would support the tightening of U.S. border security.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Donald Trump's campaign for presidency focused on a rhetoric of reducing illegal immigration and toughening border security. In July 2015, 48% of Americans thought that Donald Trump would do a poor job of handling immigration problems. In November 2016, 55% of Trump's voters thought that he would do the right thing regarding illegal immigration. In general, Trump supporters are not united upon how to handle immigration. In December 2016, Trump voters were polled and 60% said that "undocumented immigrants in the U.S. who meet certain requirements should be allowed to stay legally".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After Trump claimed during his 2024 presidential campaign that immigrants are "poisoning the blood of our country", a Public Religion Research Institute survey showed that 34% of Americans agreed, and 35% agreed that "immigrants are invading our country and replacing our cultural and ethnic background".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
American opinion regarding how immigrants affect the country and how the government should respond to illegal immigration have changed over time. In 2006, out of all U.S. adults surveyed, 28% declared that they believed the growing number of immigrants helped American workers and 55% believed that it hurt American workers. In 2016, those views had changed, with 42% believing that they helped and 45% believing that they hurt.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The PRRI 2015 American Values Atlas showed that between 46% and 53% of Americans believed that "the growing number of newcomers from other countries ... strengthens American society". In the same year, between 57% and 66% of Americans chose that the U.S. should "allow [immigrants living in the U.S. illegally] a way to become citizens provided they meet certain requirements".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In February 2017, the American Enterprise Institute released a report on recent surveys about immigration issues. In July 2016, 63% of Americans favored the temporary bans of immigrants from areas with high levels of terrorism and 53% said the U.S. should allow fewer refugees to enter the country. In November 2016, 55% of Americans were opposed to building a border wall with Mexico. Since 1994, Pew Research center has tracked a change from 63% of Americans saying that immigrants are a burden on the country to 27%.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Trump administration's zero-tolerance policy was reacted to negatively by the public. One of the main concerns was how detained children of illegal immigrants were treated. Due to very poor conditions, a campaign was begun called "Close the Camps".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Detainment facilities were compared to concentration and internment camps.<ref name="Levitz 2019">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="The New York Times 2019">Template:Cite web</ref>
After the 2021 evacuation from Afghanistan in August 2021, an NPR/Ipsos poll (±4.6%) found 69% of Americans supported resettling in the United States Afghans who had worked with the U.S., with 65% support for Afghans who "fear repression or persecution from the Taliban".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There was lower support for other refugees: 59% for those "fleeing from civil strife and violence in Africa", 56% for those "fleeing from violence in Syria and Libya", and 56% for "Central Americans fleeing violence and poverty". 57% supported the Trump-era Remain in Mexico policy, and 55% supported legalizing the status of those illegally brought to the U.S. as children (as proposed in the DREAM Act).
Religious responses
[edit]Religious figures in the United States have stated their views on the topic of immigration as informed by their religious traditions.
- Catholicism – Due to persecution abroad, Catholics comprised the largest group of migrants to the U.S. during the mid-19th and early-20th centuries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As a result of the large immigrant population within the Church, as well as anti-Catholic sentiment within the U.S., the Catholic church organized resources to support recently arrived immigrants.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> While the rate of Catholic migration has slowed, the Church has largely remained supportive of humanitarian migration due to biblical principals.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1988, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops established the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC) to help meet the increased demand for legal assistance following major immigration reform. CLINIC is now the largest nonprofit immigration law organization in the U.S.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2018, Catholic leaders stated that asylum-limiting laws proposed by the Trump administration were immoral. Some bishops considered imposing sanctions (known as "canonical penalties") on church members who have participated in enforcing such policies.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Judaism – American Jewish rabbis from various denominations have stated that their understanding of Judaism is that immigrants and refugees should be welcomed, and even assisted. The exception would be if there is significant economic hardship or security issues faced by the host country or community, in which case immigration may be limited, discouraged or even prohibited altogether.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Some liberal denominations place more emphasis on the welcoming of immigrants, while Conservative, Orthodox and Independent rabbis also consider economic and security concerns.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Some provide moral arguments for both the right of country to enforce immigration standards as well as for providing some sort of amnesty for illegal migrants.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Legal issues
[edit]
Laws concerning immigration and naturalization include the Immigration Act of 1990 (IMMACT), the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA), the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA), the Naturalization Act of 1790, the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, and the Johnson-Reed Act of 1924. AEDPA and IIRARA exemplify many categories of criminal activity for which immigrants, including green card holders, can be deported and have imposed mandatory detention for certain types of cases. The Johnson-Reed Act limited the number of immigrants and the Chinese Exclusion Act banned immigration from China altogether.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Refugees are able to gain legal status in the United States through asylum, and a specified number of legally defined refugees, who either apply for asylum overseas or after arriving in the U.S., are admitted annually.Template:QuantifyTemplate:Citation needed In 2014, the number of asylum seekers accepted into the U.S. was about 120,000. By comparison, about 31,000 were accepted in the UK and 13,500 in Canada.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Asylum offices in the United States receive more applications for asylum than they can process every month and every year, and these continuous applications cause a significant backlog.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Removal proceedings are considered administrative proceedings under the authority of the United States Attorney General, and thus part of the executive branch rather than the judicial branch of government.<ref name="cnnGrievance" /> in removal proceedings in front of an immigration judge, cancellation of removal is a form of relief that is available for some long-time residents of the United States.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Eligibility may depend on time spent in the United States, criminal record, or family in the country.<ref>Immigration and Nationality Act, Section 240A online Template:Webarchive</ref><ref>Ivan Vasic, The Immigration Handbook (2008) p. 140</ref> Members of Congress may submit private bills granting residency to specific named individuals.<ref name="Cordes 2011 i181">Template:Cite web</ref> The United States allows immigrant relatives of active duty military personnel to reside in the United States through a green card.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="YorkParoleInPlace">Template:Cite web</ref>
As of 2015, there are estimated to be 11 to 12 million unauthorized immigrants in the United States, making up about 5% of the civilian labor force.<ref name="Sherman">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="KrogstafFiveFacts2017">Jens Manuel Krogstaf, Jeffrey S. PAssel & D'Vera Cohn, 5 facts about illegal immigration in the U.S. Template:Webarchive, Pew Research Center (April 27, 2017).</ref> Under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, unauthorized immigrants that arrived as children were granted exemptions to immigration law.<ref name="Hipsman2016">Faye Hipsman, Bárbara Gómez-Aguiñaga, & Randy Capps, Policy Brief: DACA at Four: Participation in the Deferred Action Program and Impacts on Recipients Template:Webarchive, Migration Policy Institute (August 2016).</ref>
Most immigration proceedings are civil matters, though criminal charges are applicable when evading border enforcement, committing fraud to gain entry, or committing identity theft to gain employment. Due process protections under the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution have been found to apply to immigration proceedings, but those of the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution have not due to their nature as civil matters.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="cnnGrievance">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2021 a new system establishes by The U.S. Citizenship Act, for responsibly manage and secure U.S. border's, for safety of families and communities, and better manage migration across the Hemisphere, sent by President Biden to U.S. Congress.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Department of State v. Muñoz, U.S. Supreme court decided that U.S. citizens do not have a fundamental liberty to admit their foreign spouses<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Immigration in popular culture
[edit]
The history of immigration to the United States is the history of the country itself, and the journey from beyond the sea is an element found in American folklore, appearing in many works, such as The Godfather, Gangs of New York, "The Song of Myself", Neil Diamond's "America", and the animated feature An American Tail.<ref name="introduction"/>
From the 1880s to the 1910s, vaudeville dominated the popular image of immigrants, with very popular caricature portrayals of ethnic groups. The specific features of these caricatures became widely accepted as accurate portrayals.<ref name="amerikastudien54"/>
In The Melting Pot (1908), playwright Israel Zangwill (1864–1926) explored issues that dominated Progressive Era debates about immigration policies. Zangwill's theme of the positive benefits of the American melting pot resonated widely in popular culture and literary and academic circles in the 20th century; his cultural symbolismTemplate:Sndin which he situated immigration issuesTemplate:Sndlikewise informed American cultural imagining of immigrants for decades, as exemplified by Hollywood films.<ref name="interdisciplinary55"/><ref name="immigrants"/>
The popular culture's image of ethnic celebrities often includes stereotypes about immigrant groups. For example, Frank Sinatra's public image as a superstar contained important elements of the American Dream while simultaneously incorporating stereotypes about Italian Americans that were based in nativist and Progressive responses to immigration.<ref name="frontani" />
The process of assimilation has been a common theme of popular culture. For example, "lace-curtain Irish" refers to middle-class Irish Americans desiring assimilation into mainstream society in counterpoint to the older, more raffish "shanty Irish". The occasional malapropisms and social blunders of these upward mobiles were lampooned in vaudeville, popular song, and the comic strips of the day such as Bringing Up Father, starring Maggie and Jiggs, which ran in daily newspapers for 87 years (1913 to 2000).<ref name="williams" /><ref name="assimilation56" /> In The Departed (2006), Staff Sergeant Dignam regularly points out the dichotomy between the lace-curtain Irish lifestyle Billy Costigan enjoyed with his mother, and the shanty Irish lifestyle of Costigan's father. Since the late 20th century popular culture has paid special attention to Mexican immigration;<ref name="immigration57" /> the film Spanglish (2004) tells of a friendship of a Mexican housemaid (played by Paz Vega) and her boss (played by Adam Sandler).
Immigration in literature
[edit]
Novelists and writers have captured much of the color and challenge in their immigrant lives through their writings.<ref>Thomas J. Ferraro, Ethnic Passages: Literary Immigrants in Twentieth-Century America (1993)</ref>
Regarding Irish women in the 19th century, there were numerous novels and short stories by Harvey O'Higgins, Peter McCorry, Bernard O'Reilly and Sarah Orne Jewett that emphasize emancipation from Old World controls, new opportunities and expansiveness of the immigrant experience.<ref>Eva Roa White, "Emigration as Emancipation: Portrayals of the Immigrant Irish Girl in Nineteenth-Century Fiction," New Hibernia Review, Spring 2005, Vol. 9 Issue 1, pp. 95–108</ref>
Fears of population decline have at times fueled anti-emigration sentiment in foreign countries. Hladnik studies three popular novels of the late 19th century that warned Slovenes not to migrate to the dangerous new world of the United States.<ref>Miran Hladnik, "Slovene Popular Novels about Emigration in the Nineteenth Century", Slovene Studies, 1985, Vol. 7 Issue 1/2, pp. 57–62</ref> In India some politicians oppose emigration to the United States because of a supposed brain drain of highly qualified and educated Indian nationals.<ref name="Aiyar 2012">Template:Cite web</ref>
Jewish American writer Anzia Yezierska wrote her novel Bread Givers (1925) to explore such themes as Russian-Jewish immigration in the early 20th century, the tension between Old and New World Yiddish culture, and women's experience of immigration. A well established author Yezierska focused on the Jewish struggle to escape the ghetto and enter middle- and upper-class America. In the novel, the heroine, Sara Smolinsky, escapes from New York City's "down-town ghetto" by breaking tradition. She quits her job at the family store and soon becomes engaged to a rich real-estate magnate. She graduates college and takes a high-prestige job teaching public school. Finally Sara restores her broken links to family and religion.<ref>Thomas J. Ferraro, "'Working ourselves up' in America: Anzia Yezierska's Bread Givers", South Atlantic Quarterly, Summer 19 90, Vol. 89 Issue 3, pp. 547–91. reprinted in Ferraro, Ethnic Passages, pp. 53–86</ref>
The Swedish author Vilhelm Moberg, in the mid-20th century, wrote a series of four novels describing one Swedish family's migration from Småland to Minnesota in the late 19th century, a destiny shared by almost one million people. The author emphasizes the authenticity of the experiences as depicted (although he did change names).<ref>Helmer Lång, and Michael Brook, "Moberg, the Emigrant Saga and Reality," Swedish Pioneer Historical Quarterly, 1972, Vol. 23 Issue 1, pp. 3–24</ref> These novels have been translated into English (The Emigrants, 1951, Unto a Good Land, 1954, The Settlers, 1961, The Last Letter Home, 1961). The musical Kristina från Duvemåla by ex-ABBA members Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson is based on this story.<ref name="introduction58"/><ref name="historical"/>
The Immigrant is a musical by Steven Alper, Sarah Knapp, and Mark Harelik. The show is based on the story of Harelik's grandparents, Matleh and Haskell Harelik, who traveled to Galveston, Texas in 1909.<ref name="colonytheatre"/>
Documentary films
[edit]In their documentary How Democracy Works Now: Twelve Stories, filmmakers Shari Robertson and Michael Camerini examine the American political system through the lens of immigration reform from 2001 to 2007. Since the debut of the first five films, the series has become an important resource for advocates, policy-makers and educators.<ref name="typepad"/>
That film series premiered nearly a decade after the filmmakers' landmark documentary film Well-Founded Fear which provided a behind-the-scenes look at the process for seeking asylum in the United States. That film still marks the only time that a film crew was privy to the private proceedings at the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), where individual asylum officers ponder the often life-or-death fate of immigrants seeking asylum.
The documentary Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller argued that weapons smuggling from the United States contributed to insecurity in Latin America, itself triggering more migration to the United States.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Overall approach to regulation
[edit]
University of North Carolina School of Law professor Hiroshi Motomura has identified three approaches the United States has taken to the legal status of immigrants in his book Americans in Waiting: The Lost Story of Immigration and Citizenship in the United States. The first, dominant in the 19th century, treated immigrants as in transition; in other words, as prospective citizens. As soon as people declared their intention to become citizens, they received multiple low-cost benefits, including the eligibility for free homesteads in the Homestead Act of 1862,<ref name="National Archives 2016">Template:Cite web</ref> and in many states, the right to vote. The goal was to make the country more attractive, so large numbers of farmers and skilled craftsmen would settle new lands.
By the 1880s, a second approach took over, treating newcomers as "immigrants by contract". An implicit deal existed where immigrants who were literate and could earn their own living were permitted in restricted numbers. Once in the United States, they would have limited legal rights, but were not allowed to vote until they became citizens, and would not be eligible for the New Deal government benefits available in the 1930s.
The third policy is "immigration by affiliation", originating in the later half of the 20th century, which Motomura argues is the treatment which depends on how deeply rooted people have become in the country. An immigrant who applies for citizenship as soon as permitted, has a long history of working in the United States, and has significant family ties, is more deeply affiliated and can expect better treatment.<ref name="immigration59"/>
The American Dream is the belief that through hard work and determination, any American can achieve a better life, usually in terms of financial prosperity and enhanced personal freedom of choice.<ref name="economics"/> According to historians, the rapid economic and industrial expansion of the U.S. is not simply a function of being a resource rich, hard working, and inventive country, but the belief that anybody could get a share of the country's wealth if he or she was willing to work hard.<ref name="pennsylvania"/> This dream has been a major factor in attracting immigrants to the United States.<ref name="american"/>
See also
[edit]- Demographics of the United States
- Emigration from the United States
- European colonization of the Americas
- History of laws concerning immigration and naturalization in the United States
- How Democracy Works Now: Twelve Stories
- Illegal immigration to the United States
- Immigration policies of American labor unions
- Inequality within immigrant families (United States)
- Nativism (politics), opposition to immigration
- Opposition to immigration
- United States immigration statistics
- Immigrant benefits urban legend, a hoax regarding benefits comparison
- Template:Section link
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]Further reading
[edit]Template:Library resources box
Surveys
[edit]- Anbinder, Tyler. City of Dreams: The 400-Year Epic History of Immigrant New York (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016). 766 pp. Template:ISBN
- Archdeacon, Thomas J. Becoming American: An Ethnic History (1984)
- Bankston, Carl L. III and Danielle Antoinette Hidalgo, eds. Immigration in U.S. History Salem Press, (2006) Template:ISBN
- Template:Cite book short scholarly biographies With bibliographies; 448 pp.
- Bodnar, John. The Transplanted: A History of Immigrants in Urban America Indiana University Press, (1985) Template:ISBN
- Daniels, Roger. Asian America: Chinese and Japanese in the United States since 1850 University of Washington Press, (1988) Template:ISBN
- Daniels, Roger. Coming to America 2nd ed. (2005) Template:ISBN
- Daniels, Roger. Guarding the Golden Door : American Immigration Policy and Immigrants since 1882 (2005) Template:ISBN
- Diner, Hasia. The Jews of the United States, 1654 to 2000 (2004) Template:ISBN
- Dinnerstein, Leonard, and David M. Reimers. Ethnic Americans: a history of immigration (1999) online
- Gerber, David A. American Immigration: A Very Short Introduction (2011). Template:ISBN
- Gjerde, Jon, ed. Major Problems in American Immigration and Ethnic History (1998).
- Glazier, Michael, ed. The Encyclopedia of the Irish in America (1999). Template:ISBN
- Jones, Maldwyn A. American immigration (1960) online
- Joselit, Jenna Weissman. Immigration and American religion (2001) online
- Parker, Kunal M. Making Foreigners: Immigration and Citizenship Law in America, 1600–2000. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2015. Template:ISBN
- Template:Cite book
- Sowell, Thomas. Ethnic America: A History (1981). Template:ISBN
- Thernstrom, Stephan, ed. Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups (1980). Template:ISBN
Before 1920
[edit]- Alexander, June Granatir. Daily Life in Immigrant America, 1870–1920: How the Second Great Wave of Immigrants Made Their Way in America (Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 2007. xvi, 332 pp.)
- Berthoff, Rowland Tappan. British Immigrants in Industrial America, 1790–1950 (1953). Template:ISBN
- Briggs, John. An Italian Passage: Immigrants to Three American Cities, 1890–1930 Yale University Press, (1978). Template:ISBN
- Diner, Hasia. Hungering for America: Italian, Irish, and Jewish Foodways in the Age of Migration (2003). Template:ISBN
- Dudley, William, ed. Illegal immigration: opposing viewpoints (2002) online
- Eltis, David; Coerced and Free Migration: Global Perspectives (2002) emphasis on migration to Americas before 1800. Template:ISBN
- Greene, Victor R. A Singing Ambivalence: American Immigrants Between Old World and New, 1830–1930 (2004), covering musical traditions. Template:ISBN
- Isaac Aaronovich Hourwich. Immigration and Labor: The Economic Aspects of European Immigration to the United States (1912) (full text online)
- Joseph, Samuel; Jewish Immigration to the United States from 1881 to 1910 Template:Webarchive Columbia University Press, (1914).
- Kulikoff, Allan; From British Peasants to Colonial American Farmers (2000), details on colonial immigration. Template:ISBN
- Template:Cite book
- Meagher, Timothy J. The Columbia Guide to Irish American History. (2005). Template:ISBN
- Miller, Kerby M. Emigrants and Exiles (1985), influential scholarly interpretation of Irish immigration
- Motomura, Hiroshi. Americans in Waiting: The Lost Story of Immigration and Citizenship in the United States (2006), legal history. Template:ISBN.
- Pochmann, Henry A. and Arthur R. Schultz; German culture in America; philosophical and literary influences, 1600–1900 (1957)
- Waters, Tony. Crime and Immigrant Youth Sage Publications (1999), a sociological analysis. Template:ISBN
- U.S. Immigration Commission, Abstracts of Reports, 2 vols. (1911); the full 42-volume report is summarized (with additional information) in Jeremiah W. Jenks and W. Jett Lauck, The Immigrant Problem (1912; 6th ed. 1926)
- Wittke, Carl. We Who Built America: The Saga of the Immigrant (1939), covers all major groups
- Yans-McLaughlin, Virginia ed. Immigration Reconsidered: History, Sociology, and Politics Oxford University Press. (1990) Template:ISBN.
Recent: post 1965
[edit]- Beasley, Vanessa B. ed. Who Belongs in America?: Presidents, Rhetoric, And Immigration (2006) Template:ISBN
- Bogen, Elizabeth. Immigration in New York (1987) Template:ISBN
- Bommes, Michael and Andrew Geddes. Immigration and Welfare: Challenging the Borders of the Welfare State (2000) Template:ISBN.
- Borjas, George J. Heaven's Door: Immigration Policy and the American Economy. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1999. xvii, 263 pp. Template:ISBN.
- Borjas, George J., ed. Issues in the Economics of Immigration (National Bureau of Economic Research Conference Report) (2000). Template:ISBN.
- Borjas, George. Friends or Strangers (1990) Template:ISBN.
- Template:Cite journal
- Briggs, Vernon M. Jr. Immigration Policy and the America Labor Force. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1984. Template:ISBN.
- Briggs, Vernon M. Jr. Mass Immigration and the National Interest (1992) Template:ISBN.
- Cafaro, Philip. How Many Is Too Many? The Progressive Argument for Reducing Immigration into the United States. University of Chicago Press, 2015. Template:ISBN.
- Template:Cite book
- Cooper, Mark A. Moving to the United States of America and Immigration. 2008. Template:ISBN
- Egendorf, Laura K., ed. Illegal immigration: An OpposingViewpoints guide (2007) online
- Fawcett, James T., and Benjamin V. Carino. Pacific Bridges: The New Immigration from Asia and the Pacific Islands. New York: Center for Migration Studies, 1987. Template:ISBN
- Foner, Nancy. In A New Land: A Comparative View Of Immigration (2005) Template:ISBN
- Garland, Libby. After They Closed the Gate: Jewish Illegal Immigration to the United States, 1921–1965. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2014. Template:ISBN
- Template:Cite book
- Lamm, Richard D., and Gary Imhoff. The Immigration Time Bomb: the Fragmenting of America, in series, Truman Talley Books. 1st ed. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1985. xiii, 271 pp. Template:ISBN.
- Levinson, David and Melvin Ember, eds. American Immigrant Cultures. 2 vols. (1997). Template:ISBN.
- Lowe, Lisa. Immigrant Acts: On Asian American Cultural Politics (1996) Template:ISBN
- Meier, Matt S. and Gutierrez, Margo, eds. (2003). The Mexican American Experience : An Encyclopedia. Template:ISBN.
- Mohl, Raymond A. "Latinization in the Heart of Dixie: Hispanics in Late-twentieth-century Alabama" Alabama Review 2002 55(4): 243–74. Template:ISSN.
- Portes, Alejandro, and Robert L. Bach. Latin Journey: Cuban and Mexican Immigrants in the United States. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1985. Template:ISBN.
- Template:Cite journal
- Portes, Alejandro, and Rubén Rumbaut. Immigrant America. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1990. Template:ISBN.
- Reimers, David. Still the Golden Door: The Third World Comes to America. New York: Columbia University Press, (1985). Template:ISBN.
- Smith, James P., and Barry Edmonston, eds. The Immigration Debate: Studies on the Economic, Demographic, and Fiscal Effects of Immigration (1998), online version; Template:Webarchive.
- Waters, Tony. Crime and Immigrant Youth. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage 1999. Template:ISBN.
- Zhou, Min and Carl L. Bankston III (1998). Growing Up American: How Vietnamese Children Adapt to Life in the United States. Russell Sage Foundation.
External links
[edit]Template:Scholia Template:Wikiquote Template:Wikisource category Template:Commons category
History
[edit]- Immigrant Servants Database
- Asian-Nation: Early Asian Immigration to the U.S. Template:Webarchive
- Irish Catholic Immigration to America Template:Webarchive
- Scotch-Irish Immigration to Colonial America Template:Webarchive
- GG Archives Immigration Historical Documents, Articles, and Immigrants Template:Webarchive
- Maurer, Elizabeth. "New Beginnings: Immigrant Women and the American Experience". National Women's History Museum. 2014.
Immigration policy
[edit]- Immigration policy Template:Webarchive reports from the Brookings Institution
- Immigration policy Template:Webarchive reports from the Urban Institute
- Permanent Legal Immigration to the United States: Policy Overview Template:Webarchive Congressional Research Service (May 2018)
- A Primer on U.S. Immigration Policy Template:Webarchive Congressional Research Service (November 2017)
Current immigration
[edit]- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Template:Webarchive
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Template:Webarchive
- Cornell University's Legal Information Institute: Immigration Template:Webarchive
- Yearbook of Immigration Statistics Template:Webarchive – United States Department of Homeland Security, Office of Immigration Statistics 2004, 2005 editions available.
- "Estimates of the Unauthorized Immigrant Population Residing in the United States: January 2005" Template:Webarchive M. Hoefer, N. Rytina, C. Campbell (2006) "Population Estimates (August). U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Immigration Statistics.
Economic impact
[edit]Template:Immigration to the United States Template:Demographics of the United States Template:United States topics Template:United States policy Template:North America topic Template:Americas topic Template:Authority control