Immigration and the Effect on America Today

Immigration and the Effect on America Today

Name

SOC320- Public Policy and Social Problems

Dr. Lawston

Date Submitted 17 August 2014

Immigrants past and present have journeyed to the land of the free in an attempt to obtain a lifestyle based upon the United States’ concept of, “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”  The United States has been a safe haven for immigrants seeking a better life for themselves and their families since the first English colony of Jamestown in 1607. As of 2012 there were an estimated 40.8 million documented immigrants living in the United States, which is over 13% of the total population. It is undeniable that the United States rose to be one the world’s most formidable superpowers by thriving off the melting pot of cultures and ideas that were in abundance as a direct result of continued immigration throughout the 80s, 90s and the new millennium. Immigration was once applauded as evident by the droves of ships that poured into the busiest immigration inspection station, Ellis Island from 1892 until 1954. Today immigration remains a widely debated topic among the public and politicians as all sides argue for their ideal immigration reform. The following will serve as an overview of immigration in the United States; the history of immigration will be discussed at length. While the economy remains a painful subject for many Americans it is now more vital than ever to also discuss potential policy directions and the impact they may have on immigration in the coming years.

It has and always will be a debate as to who first settled into the United States. Discoveries made by various anthropologists of human remains over the past few decades provide evidence that long before Ellis Island opened its doors to welcome those seeking political and religious freedom as well as the "adventurer, the wanderer, the persecuted, the fortune seekers, and others" America was a kaleidoscope of ethnic and cultural groups! (Rapid Immigration)...