A Comprehensive Analysis of US Immigration: History and Policy

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of immigration in the United States, examining its historical context, legislative frameworks, and economic impacts. The essay explores the experiences of various immigrant groups, including the Irish, Polish, and Chinese, and analyzes the evolution of immigration policies, such as the National Origins Act and the Chinese Exclusion Act. It delves into the economics of rent and housing markets in relation to immigration and discusses the issue of illegal immigration. The research methodology is based on secondary sources, including publications and research papers. The findings highlight the challenges and opportunities faced by immigrants, the strictness of US immigration laws, and the varying impacts on different regions. The essay concludes by emphasizing the complex implications of immigration on the US economy and the political dynamics surrounding it.

assignment
IMMIGRATION

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Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................2
Literature review.........................................................................................................................................2
Legislating immigration........................................................................................................................2
Irish immigrants....................................................................................................................................3
Polish immigrants..................................................................................................................................3
Chinese immigrants...............................................................................................................................4
The economics of rent and immigration..............................................................................................4
Illegal immigration................................................................................................................................5
Research methodology................................................................................................................................5
Findings.......................................................................................................................................................6
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................................7

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Introduction
It is being observed that since 1960, the US has gone through a great surge in relation to the
immigration. Further, the share of the country’s population which is born foreign surpassed
around 10 percent in the year 2000 along with the immigrants who were accounting around half
of the country’s present population. Furthermore, the lack of the liberalization in the policy of
immigration doesn’t indicate the consensus policy and the immigration are defined as the issue
of contentious with the conflicts in politics. Also, some of the groups support the expansion of
immigration. In this assingment we will be examining about the immigration in the country i.e.
US from the past few decades.
Literature review
Legislating immigration
The restriction took place on the 19th and the 20th centuries, and after the end of WW1, the
government changed the immigration policy of the country. The act of National Origins in 1921
did not only impose a restriction on the numerous of immigrants who were trying to enter the US
but, the slots were also assigned in accordance to the quota depending on the origins of the
nationals. The complicated aspect of legislation provided the preference to the immigrants from
western, and the northern Europe and the numbers were restricted. Furthermore, the Asian
immigrants were not worthy in order to enter the US. Moreover, the western hemisphere was
excluded from the system of quota under the legislation1. The immigrants were supposed to
move freely from the Caribbean, Mexico and the various other parts of the south and the central
America.
1 Alba, Richard, and Victor Nee. Remaking the American mainstream

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Irish immigrants
After the year 1820, around five million Irish migrated to the US. Further, the presence of the
Irish provoke the great reaction among the native Americans who were called as the nativists,
and the Irish were denounced because of their social attitude and the behavior, the impact to the
economy along with the religion of Catholic. During the 20th century, the Irish assimilated
successfully. Despite the hostility of the nativist, the Irish did not face any racism in comparison
to which inflicted on the Asians and the African Americans as they were not given the
citizenship and were restricted in order to enter the US. The Irish immigrants faced various
challenges during the era of famine as they faced mental illness and were abused under the
influence of alcohol.
Polish immigrants
Many of the Polish immigrants wrote messages and the letters to their known ones after
migrating to the US. They also wished that others also get an opportunity in order to migrate to
the same country and they would be able to meet in future. Furthermore, the migrants shared
their own experience after migrating to the country in their letters. Around 17 letters were found
who were sent by the migrants to their families. For example, one letter was written to the farmer
by his son who migrated to the US in order to explore more opportunities and help his family and
provide them financial support2. These letters demonstrated that the Polish immigrants were
accepted by the country and they were living in a way they wanted to in order to further succeed
in life and help their families to survive.
2 ("A Family Corresponds: Polish Immigrants In The Early 20Th Century" 2017)

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Chinese immigrants
It was being stated that the Chinese immigrants also entered the country i.e. the US in a small
group and the Native American negatively and intensely reacted to the arrival of the Chinese.
Further, the group was considered under the act of Chinese Exclusion 1882 by the legislation of
the US. The Chinese immigrants were welcomed positively to some extent only and even it took
a long time to get comfortable with the Americans and they were getting fewer jobs, but they
were glad that they were not treated like the African Americans and the Asians3.
The economics of rent and immigration
It was not known about the effect of the immigrants on the markets of housing within the country
i.e. US. It was being observed that the rental housing faced a high increase in the prices in LA in
comparison to the other areas of the country during 1967 to 1983. LA was known as the essential
gateway to the city during that period for the purpose of immigration. Moreover, it was also
stated that it is not possible that the correlation must be seen among the immigration and the
transformations in the housing prices and the rents4. It can be stated that the natives might avoid
or move out from the areas where the immigrants start setting down in order to avoid the
competition in the local market of the labors.
Illegal immigration
It is being observed that the illegal immigration started taking place when the government of the
country i.e. the US initiated to restrict the legal immigration in 1920. Furthermore, the illegal
3 ("A Chinese Immigrant Makes His Home In Turn-Of-The-Century America" 2017)
4 Saiz, Albert. "Immigration and housing rents in American cities

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immigrants entered the country from various nations, and the Mexico is the only greatest source.
During the year 1998 around 95 percent of the people who were apprehended by the Patrol of
border attempted to enter illegally to the country, and there were mainly Mexicans5. Further,
many policies of the government impacted the flow of the immigrants to the US like by
incorporating the quota system for the immigration which was done legally or by denying the
access to the assistance from the public also included the enforcement of the country’s border
along with the monitoring of practices of hiring.
Research methodology
For this particular comprehensive assignment, the research is completely based on the secondary
sources. Furthermore, the sources included various publications and the research papers which
were having the information about the immigration and the immigrants to the country i.e. US.
Moreover, the research was based on the exploratory research as it encouraged in describing the
immigrants and the immigration more precisely. Also, the secondary research supported in
writing this assignment and the reason behind the usage of the secondary sources was that it
helped in generating awareness how the country welcomes the immigrants.
Findings
It is being observed that the country welcomed the immigrants of the various countries positively
to some extent. Also, the Chinese and Irish immigrants got great opportunities in order to
succeed in life and survived by supporting their families were not migrated. Moreover, the
5 Hanson, Gordon H., Kenneth Scheve, Matthew J. Slaughter, and Antonio Spilimbergo.
"Immigration and the US economy: Labor-market impacts, illegal entry, and policy choices

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legislation of the country is very strict as when the country found that the illegal immigrants
were also entering the country then the system of the quota was implemented in order to restrict
their entries. Also, the prices of the rental housing are different in the country according to the
locations. Therefore, the nativist has the power to denounce the immigrants according to their
social attitude and the behavior.
Conclusion
Immigration might have various implications for the welfare of the economy of both the
countries which receives the immigrants and which sends the immigrants. The impacts are at the
initial stages only as the biggest impacts of the immigration are distributive. Further, the interest
of the citizens might conflict with that of the immigrants. The battle of distribution has been the
aspect of the economics and the politics of the immigration. Therefore, the rise of the welfare of
modernization the state has established various sources of the political and the economic
conflicts along with the cooperation which changes the perception of the people towards the
immigrants and the immigration.

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REFERENCES
"A Chinese Immigrant Makes His Home In Turn-Of-The-Century America." 2017.
Historymatters.Gmu.Edu. http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/41/.
"A Family Corresponds: Polish Immigrants In The Early 20Th Century". 2017.
Historymatters.Gmu.Edu. http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/36/.
Alba, Richard, and Victor Nee. Remaking the American mainstream: Assimilation and
contemporary immigration. Harvard University Press, 2009.
Hanson, Gordon H., Kenneth Scheve, Matthew J. Slaughter, and Antonio Spilimbergo.
"Immigration and the US economy: Labor-market impacts, illegal entry, and policy choices."
(2001).
Saiz, Albert. "Immigration and housing rents in American cities." Journal of urban
Economics 61, no. 2 (2007): 345-371.