Immigration: then and now

 

Resources:  

1. Edgenuity 
2. U.S. Immigration Timeline - HISTORY 
3. Key findings about U.S. immigrants | Pew Research Center 
4. Push or Pull Factors: What Drives Central American Migrants to the U.S.? - National Immigration Forum 
5. Immigration Data and Statistics | Homeland Security (dhs.gov) 

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Immigration then & now
Mid-1800's through 1924	Present Day
Around 1815 most immigrants were Irish and German  Push factors: famine in Ireland, political unrest in Germany  Pull factors: job opportunities and political/religious freedom  1849 - the Know-Nothing Party was formed as a retaliation towards immigrants entering the nation   In 1875 the Supreme Court declared that it’s the responsibility of the federal government to make and enforce immigration laws.  In 1882 the Chinese Exclusion Act passed banning Chinese immigrants from coming to the U.S.  Many migrants were unskilled workers  Immigration Act of 1917 required immigrants to be able to read and write  1921 - Emergency Quota Act placed limits on immigration from each country.  1942 the Johnson-Reed Immigration Act created quotas. It made it harder for Southern/Eastern Europeans to come to the US but made it easier for Northern Europeans to come to the US.	Today, immigrants account for 13.7% of the U.S. population  Push factors - Political unrest, high crime rates, gang violence, high poverty  Pull factors - family ties, economic opportunities and physical safety  In 2020, 41% of all legalized immigrants came from India, Mexico, China, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, and Brazil  From 2016 to 2018, it is estimated that most unauthorized immigrants are from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, India and Honduras  In 2020 78% of all refugees arrived from Burma, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, and El Salvador   Many migrants and refugees are children and families  Today there is a big push for immigration reform to make the system more equitable, less confusing and more doable for those seeking citizenship and asylum.