Essay Example on Immigration in the US: From Reconstruction to Modern Times

Introduction

Over the United States history from Reconstruction to the modern era, the issue of immigration appears to be the most prominent wedge. Immigrants, who perceived the United States as a land of opportunity where they would achieve prosperity and upward mobility, flowed in from different continents. Today, it is estimated that United States hosts over 12 million unauthorized immigrants plus another over 1 million legal immigrants drawn from countries like Mexico, China, Cuba, and India among others (CNN, 2018). Although the United States is seen as a land of opportunity by the immigrants who employ both legal and illegal entry techniques, their presence in the land in the past and today has not been pleasing to the natives. In fact, the residents have raised concerns about immigrants' inability to assimilate into the United States society as well as the tendency to lower wages and taking away jobs meant for the American citizens (Abramitzky & Boustan, 2017). As a result, the debate about immigration issue has persisted in the social, economic and political fronts leading to the drafting of immigration policies and an array of government responses. For instance, recently, Trump's administration proposed to build a wall to prevent Mexican immigrants. Although immigrants of today are mainly from Latin America unlike those of 1880-1925 who were mainly from Europe and Asia, both have been met with a harsh response from the citizens and the government that has initiated legislation and policy measures to regulate immigration owing to socio-economic, security, and drug-related concerns.

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Geographical Trends

The late nineteenth century marked a period when the immigrants to the United States significantly increased. The radical influx included immigrants from Asia (particularly China and Japan) and Southern and Eastern parts of Europe (Grizzanti, 2008). Immigrants from Southern and Eastern parts of Europe originated from Russia, Italy, and Austria-Hungary. The immigrants from Asian countries were motivated by the recruitment by large companies and began to flow in large numbers as they seek employment opportunities (Grizzanti, 2008; Hirschman & Mogford, 2009).

Unlike in the period between 1880 and 1920, 2000 to present has been marked by a declining number of immigrants (Abramitzky & Boustan, 2017). Also, although immigration between 2000 and today still constitute immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe as well as Asia, the new wave of immigrants are mainly from Latin America, North America, and Africa (Abramitzky & Boustan, 2017). As shown in figure 1, immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe began declining from the 1930s while that of Latin Americans, Asians and Africans significantly increased towards the twenty-first century.Figure 1: genographical trends of immigrants from 1850 to 2010

Tensions Surrounding the Issue of Immigration

As the immigration escalated between 1880 and 1925 with new immigrants from Asia, there were harsh tensions in the receiving land than any other immigration phase. Although the United States had been for long considered a land of immigrants, the influx of new immigrants from 1880 towards the twentieth century sparked a harsh response from the natives. First, the natives treated the new immigrants, especially from Asia as a "distinctive group" considered different people. They were considered different people because they did not speak English, and that factor alone created tension between immigrants and the natives (Grizzanti, 2008). Also, the new immigrants were of a different religion (Buddhism, Shintoism and Roman Catholicism) which could not fit with that of the natives (mold and Anglo-Saxon Protestant). The contrasting religions further raised tensions between the immigrants and the natives. Moreover, the immigrants were of a different look with a darker complexion. Their unique complexion raised tension with natives and they were forced to live in isolated areas known as the "ghettos". The above characteristics of the immigrants led to an overall hostile response from the natives which was known as nativism, and which led to the nativist movement, a course of action that sought to ensure native-born Americans received better treatment as compared to that of immigrants regarding social and economic considerations such as social policies and employment terms (Grizzanti, 2008).

The tensions surrounding the immigration phase of 2000 to the present were much different from that of 1880-1925. Although there are still concerns over social policy and economic implications of immigrants such as taking away jobs meant for Americans, major tensions against immigrants now include security and drug trafficking. Many Americans still believe that immigrants from Latin America are a threat to their jobs and social security benefits, and this still raises a tension between natives and the immigrants as was the case in period 1880-1925. However, the most significant concern that has raised tensions with immigration, and which is closely being considered by Trump administration is the issue of security and drug trafficking (Council on Foreign Relations, 2019). Most immigrants now entering the United States use the Mexico route (the majority being Mexicans coming to work in the United States). Hard drugs such as heroin and bhang have entered the United States through Mexico. Also, there is a belief that Islam terrorists are finding their way to the United States as immigrants. It is for these reasons that Americans, especially after the 2001 September terrorist attack have harshly responded to the immigrants as drug dealers and terrorists. Also, the immigrants are accused of criminal offenses in the United States, and they are now making a significant percentage of the prison population (Ewing, Martinez & Rumbaut, 2015).

United States Government Response to Tensions against Immigrants

In both 1880-1925 and 2000 to present periods, the United States government has responded to immigration tensions with legislation and policy enactments. Following the pressure from nativist movement that began in the early 1880s, the government passed several restrictive laws on immigrants including the Gentlemen's Agreement, Chinese Exclusion Act, and the Immigration Restriction Law of 1921 and 1924 among much other legislation that restricted immigration or limited rights of the immigrants (Grizzanti, 2008). Between 2000 and 2010, the government eased tensions against immigrants by passing laws that allowed reunion of immigrants with their families that have already settled in the United States. Such laws included the Legal Immigration Family Equity Act and the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act of 2010. However, the present administration has been tough on immigration and has already proposed a zero-tolerance immigration policy that seeks to enhance immigration enforcement, cutting back on humanitarian programs, and increasing vetting and obstacles for legal immigration. Trump administration is also pushing for the building of a Mexican wall to prevent immigrants altogether from entering the United States through that route (Pierce, Bolter & Selee, 2018)

Conclusion

From 1880 to present, immigrants to the United States have been suspiciously treated by the natives and the governments which have led to the enactment of laws to regulate their inflow. Between 1880 and 1925, the majority of the immigrants were from Europe and Asia, and their arrival with new skin complexion, language and religion caused tension with the natives who rejected them and called for the government to make laws that ensured they regulated their inflow as well as making sure that they did not receive equal treatment as natives. The government eventually passed laws regulated inflow of immigrants leading to a slowdown in a number of immigrants at the early decades of the twentieth century. Between 2000 and present, immigrants are mainly from Latin America. They have raised security concerns as well as drug trafficking which has led to the enactment of laws that seek to reduce immigrants entering the United States, especially through Mexico.

References

Abramitzky, R., & Boustan, L. (2017). Immigration in American economic history. Journal of Economic Literature, 55(4), 1311-45.

CNN. (2018). Immigration Statistics Fast Facts. Retrieved from https://edition.cnn.com/2013/11/06/us/immigration-statistics-fast-facts/index.html

Council on Foreign Relations. (2019). The U.S. Immigration Debate. Retrieved from https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/us-immigration-debate-0

Ewing, W. A., Martinez, D., & Rumbaut, R. G. (2015). The criminalization of immigration in the United States. Washington, DC: American Immigration Council Special Report.

Grizzanti, E. B. (2008). The Immigration Movement From 1880 to Present Day".Education and Human Development Master's Theses. 342. http://digitalcommons.brockport.edu/ehd_theses/342

Hirschman, C., & Mogford, E. (2009). Immigration and the American Industrial Revolution from 1880 to 1920. Social science research, 38(4), 897-920.

Pierce, S., Bolter, J., & Selee, A. (2018). US immigration policy under Trump: Deep changes and lasting impacts. Retrieved from the Migration Policy Institute website: www. migrationpolicy. org/research/us-immigration-policy-trump-deep-changes-impacts.