The Problem with Immgration to the United States Essay -- Immigration

The Problem with Immgration to the United States The first move stopping immigration decided by Congress was a law in 1862 restricting American vessels to transport Chinese immigrants to the U.S. The Alien Contract Labor Laws of 1885, 1887, 1888, and 1891 restricted the immigration to the U.S. of people entering the country to work under contracts made before their arrival. Alien skilled laborers, under these laws, were allowed to enter the U.S. to work in new industries. By this time anti-immigrant felling rose with the flood of immigrants and in this period the anti-Catholic, anti-foreign political party the Know-Nothings, was already born. The problems and issues are still much the same today, as they were 150 years ago, but as the numbers and facts show the immigration problem is growing worse and worse. After World War I a marked increase in racism and the growth of isolationist sentiment in the U.S. led to demands for further tightened legislation. In 1921 a congressional act provided for a quota system for immigrants, which the number of aliens of any nationality admitted to the U.S. in a year could not exceed 3 percent of the number of foreign-born residents of that nationality living in the U.S. in 1910. (Potter, Gerald., Congressional Quarterly 1921) This law applied to nations of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Asian Russia, and certain islands in the Atlantic and Pacific. In the 1980s concern about the surge of illegal aliens into the U.S. has led Congress to pass legislation aimed at cutting illegal immigration. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 allows most illegal aliens who have resided in the U.S. regularly since January 1, 1982, to apply for legal status. Also, the law prohibits employers from hiring illegal aliens and mandates penalties for violations. Debate over immigration and immigration policy is not new to the nation's history. From time to time, Congress brought legislation to control the flow of immigration. As immigration rises and hatred grows more laws will be implemented trying to release some of the pressure. Illegal immigration has some pros and cons. Here are some of the so-called â€Å"pros† if they’re really that is debatable. It offers cheaper labor to businesses. By not paying minimum wages to the workers who are willing to work for a lower price, this gives the busi... ...ional handouts they could start to develop something they’ve yet to have the initiative to start. Industry & Hard work! Immigration has taken a great toll on the United States the immigrant population is growing faster then the native born population and it’s about time we do something about it and take back our country not theirs. Sure it’s true that we were all immigrants at one time but just as the constitution changes America has changed as well. We’re no longer the â€Å"Great Melting Pot† we’re our own separate culture and that culture has no more room for illegal immigrants and very minimal room for new immigrants. The idea of closing the borders up is not a â€Å"racial† issue or a â€Å"cultural† issue; it’s a simple matter of self-preservation. It’s the way to keeping our country great and keeping those undesirable for our country out. It’s way past time to find a cure for the Immigration Cancer. Works Cited Conover, Ted. A Journey Through the Secret World of America's Illegal Aliens. Vintage, 1987. Opinion, â€Å"The Immigration Crisis.†, SF Chronicle, July 4th 1998 Dan Carney, " Social Policy " Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report, 9/7/96, Vol. 54 Issue 36, p250 The Problem with Immgration to the United States Essay -- Immigration The Problem with Immgration to the United States The first move stopping immigration decided by Congress was a law in 1862 restricting American vessels to transport Chinese immigrants to the U.S. The Alien Contract Labor Laws of 1885, 1887, 1888, and 1891 restricted the immigration to the U.S. of people entering the country to work under contracts made before their arrival. Alien skilled laborers, under these laws, were allowed to enter the U.S. to work in new industries. By this time anti-immigrant felling rose with the flood of immigrants and in this period the anti-Catholic, anti-foreign political party the Know-Nothings, was already born. The problems and issues are still much the same today, as they were 150 years ago, but as the numbers and facts show the immigration problem is growing worse and worse. After World War I a marked increase in racism and the growth of isolationist sentiment in the U.S. led to demands for further tightened legislation. In 1921 a congressional act provided for a quota system for immigrants, which the number of aliens of any nationality admitted to the U.S. in a year could not exceed 3 percent of the number of foreign-born residents of that nationality living in the U.S. in 1910. (Potter, Gerald., Congressional Quarterly 1921) This law applied to nations of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Asian Russia, and certain islands in the Atlantic and Pacific. In the 1980s concern about the surge of illegal aliens into the U.S. has led Congress to pass legislation aimed at cutting illegal immigration. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 allows most illegal aliens who have resided in the U.S. regularly since January 1, 1982, to apply for legal status. Also, the law prohibits employers from hiring illegal aliens and mandates penalties for violations. Debate over immigration and immigration policy is not new to the nation's history. From time to time, Congress brought legislation to control the flow of immigration. As immigration rises and hatred grows more laws will be implemented trying to release some of the pressure. Illegal immigration has some pros and cons. Here are some of the so-called â€Å"pros† if they’re really that is debatable. It offers cheaper labor to businesses. By not paying minimum wages to the workers who are willing to work for a lower price, this gives the busi... ...ional handouts they could start to develop something they’ve yet to have the initiative to start. Industry & Hard work! Immigration has taken a great toll on the United States the immigrant population is growing faster then the native born population and it’s about time we do something about it and take back our country not theirs. Sure it’s true that we were all immigrants at one time but just as the constitution changes America has changed as well. We’re no longer the â€Å"Great Melting Pot† we’re our own separate culture and that culture has no more room for illegal immigrants and very minimal room for new immigrants. The idea of closing the borders up is not a â€Å"racial† issue or a â€Å"cultural† issue; it’s a simple matter of self-preservation. It’s the way to keeping our country great and keeping those undesirable for our country out. It’s way past time to find a cure for the Immigration Cancer. Works Cited Conover, Ted. A Journey Through the Secret World of America's Illegal Aliens. Vintage, 1987. Opinion, â€Å"The Immigration Crisis.†, SF Chronicle, July 4th 1998 Dan Carney, " Social Policy " Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report, 9/7/96, Vol. 54 Issue 36, p250