Immigration In America Research Paper
Immigration in America: A Hot Topic, But Why?
XXXXXX
Research Writing
Dr. Jessica Guire
July 1, 2008
The issue in America is a very hot topic and the majority of people seem to have an opinion on the matter. While people mainly focus on the issues of illegal immigration there are many immigrants that become legal permanent residents of this country every year. According to Jefferys, Monger (2008), in a publication written for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security titled U.S. Legal Permanent Residents 2007, 1,052,415 people became legal permanent residents of this country in 2007. Maybe the issue is not that immigrants come into this country, but rather how it is accomplished. Some people classify the issue as a humanitarian …show more content…
issue or rather a fiscal issue, some categorize it as a legal issue.
The first issue that needs to be examined is how people immigrate to this country. Is it an easy process, is there information? The United States government does have a division that is specific to this issue alone. This division is part of the Department of Homeland Security and is called U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The USCIS is responsible for providing information about the immigration process to immigrants that wish to become legal permanent residents.
The Services that the USCIS provide to immigrants ranges from flash cards to enable the practice of studying in immigrants before they take a citizenship examination to where legal advice can be obtained regarding the immigration service.
This information is openly available to all people who wish to obtain legal resident status in this country. Yes, immigrants are subjected to rigorous testing before citizenship status can be obtained. The testing asks many questions that some native born American’s cannot answer but is this asking too much from a person trying to gain access to this country? Apparently not because within the last few years over a million people have gained legal residence to this country by taking the necessary steps to obtain it. Below is a table of figures gathered from the Department of Homeland Security, which detail how many people over the last three years have legally become residents of the United …show more content…
States.
|Legal Residence Flow from 2005-2007 |
| |2005 |2006 |2007 |
|Change in Status |383,955 |446,881 |431,368 |
|New Arrivals |738,302 |819,248 |621,047 |
|Total |1,122,257 |1,266,129 |1,052,415 |
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, computer linked applicant information management system (CLAIMS), legal immigrant data, Fiscal Years 2005 to 2007.
Legal residence obtained 2005-2007
In addition to the table above I would like to examine where people come from that immigrate to this country. There is a large misconception of where immigrants come from, meaning where these people were born. Of the 1,052,415 people that became legal residents of this country 36.4% of them came from Asia and another 32.2% of them were born in North America, Jefferys, Monger (2008). That figure is more than two thirds the total immigrants that obtained legal citizenship status in this country. The chart below examines where the legalized residents come from. This is a substantial percentage of legalized immigrants. In addition to this fact it is also estimated that 14% of these people are born in Mexico. The misconception that surrounds immigrants is biased toward people of this nationality for the most part, but as the following graph details there are many more countries that contribute toward the immigration issue.
[pic]
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, computer linked applicant information management system (CLAIMS), legal immigrant data, Fiscal Years 2005 to 2007.
Legal residence obtained 2005-2007
The above information shows that people do obtain legal residential status in this country and the regions from which they come; this may be the issue fueling the other topics of this debate. Legal citizens pay taxes and therefore contribute to the greater good, but illegal immigrants do not. Whether the immigration is legal or illegal people still have an opinion on the subject. According to a news poll taken by the Wall Street Journal (1997) the more people earned, the more likely they were to support legal immigration. Of those earning more than $75,000 annually, 56% favored legal immigration. Only 36% of those earning less than $20,000 annually believed it had a positive effect. Among factory or "blue collar" workers, 60% believed immigration had a negative impact; among professionals, 54% said immigration 's impact was positive. Those numbers most likely reflect the perception among low-income earners that immigrants create too much competition for jobs.
Many Americans seemed to be concerned about the economic effect that immigration has, not on the government, but on the availability of jobs and competition for the jobs in America. The figures above show that people of lower income depend on low paying jobs many of which are occupied by immigrants whether they are legal or illegal immigrants. This seems to be a major concern and had a major effect on their livelihood. If the jobs these people depend on are taken by immigrants how will they survive? This question seems to be a valid point if placed in their situation while people making a significantly larger wage are less concerned because it can be assumed that the immigrants do not affect the jobs available to this working group or not on such a large scale.
The economic strain is felt at the heart of America, the Middle American. These are the make up the majority of the working class in this country, so their concern could be considered legitimate. In the same respect people of a higher income bracket cannot be faulted for their opinion because it has less effect on them; this is simply another case of differing opinion on this heated topic consuming many American’s opinions at this time.
Yet another opinion on the matter has to deal with the aspects of human rights and equality. The belief that all people are created equally and all are afforded the opportunities of this wonderful country we live in. According to the 14th amendment to the United States Constitution “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” This basically summarizes the fact of all legal residents having the rights to of opportunity in America. There is not a statute or amendment that allows of affords illegal residents these rights. These are rights afforded to the people who legally reside in this country.
The question is still raised though, is it right to not afford these opportunities to people because of the laws of this country? Humanitarian belief and the law go hand-in-hand when this question is raised. The determination can be made that people should not be persecuted or limited to making a better life for their families. According to the laws of this country people can be detained then carted off to the land from which they came. Does this make the law un-humanitarian or does the law transcend the human aspect of life? This is just another aspect of the debate which clouds any resolution to the issue of immigration.
As this country was founded over 200 hundred years ago the people who immigrated here were not naturalized or born citizens of this land. The people came here and flourished. Laws were created to govern civil liberties and protections not to keep people out of this country. This country was founded on the belief of equality, which is a humanitarian belief, but laws limit this belief and the ability to achieve equal standing. There have been many injustices of the human aspect in America that have been righted or attempted to be so, such as slavery and segregation. There have been movements in this country to further the advancement of the equality that this country was founded upon such as the women’s rights movements and the civil outcry to end segregation.
All the civil injustices above were once strongly debated and opinionated issues and many still are even today, but progress has been made to change the situation for the hope of a better more equal country.
Immigration is another one of these tremendous debates. People from all races, creeds and social standing have an opinion on the matter making it a fueled issue. Whether it is a personal belief that immigration is good or bad the matter is that it does exist. Not only does immigration exist; it will continue to exist as long as this country promises the opportunity for a better life. This is a debate that will continue to be fueled by media attention, personal and economic opinion. The question is not whether it is wrong or right but is there a resolution? This country has taken many steps to further the equality and opportunity of people. This subject seems to be no exception in terms of debate or civil
importance.
In closing the effort to raise thought and question opinion has hopefully been accomplished. Whether an opinion is based off one or more aspects of the issue there is one thing that can be agreed upon; immigration is an issue in need of resolution. I predict that within the next 20 years people in this country will fuel the want for change and further the advancement of equality in this exceptional country, just like the citizens have done time and time again. The prediction is based not on personal feelings or thoughts, but the facts of history. Change had occurred before when no one though it possible and my belief is that it will occur once more.
References
The Economist. (2008). Not very nICE. Retrieved May 30, 2008, from http://www.economist.com. Facts on File. (1997). Public Opinion on Immigration. Retrieved May 30, 2008, from http://www.2facts.com. Greenblatt, A. (2008) Immigration Debate. Retrieved May 28, 2008, from http://library.cqpress.com. Jefferys, Monger (2008). U.S. Legal Permanent Residents: 2007. Retrieved June 21, 2008, from http://www.dhs.gov. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. (2008). Citizenship. Retrieved May 30, 2008, from http://www.ucis.gov. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. (2008). Humanitarian Benefits. Retrieved May 30, 2008, from http://www.ucis.gov.
XXXXXX
Research Writing
Dr. Jessica Guire
July 1, 2008
The issue in America is a very hot topic and the majority of people seem to have an opinion on the matter. While people mainly focus on the issues of illegal immigration there are many immigrants that become legal permanent residents of this country every year. According to Jefferys, Monger (2008), in a publication written for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security titled U.S. Legal Permanent Residents 2007, 1,052,415 people became legal permanent residents of this country in 2007. Maybe the issue is not that immigrants come into this country, but rather how it is accomplished. Some people classify the issue as a humanitarian …show more content…
issue or rather a fiscal issue, some categorize it as a legal issue.
The first issue that needs to be examined is how people immigrate to this country. Is it an easy process, is there information? The United States government does have a division that is specific to this issue alone. This division is part of the Department of Homeland Security and is called U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The USCIS is responsible for providing information about the immigration process to immigrants that wish to become legal permanent residents.
The Services that the USCIS provide to immigrants ranges from flash cards to enable the practice of studying in immigrants before they take a citizenship examination to where legal advice can be obtained regarding the immigration service.
This information is openly available to all people who wish to obtain legal resident status in this country. Yes, immigrants are subjected to rigorous testing before citizenship status can be obtained. The testing asks many questions that some native born American’s cannot answer but is this asking too much from a person trying to gain access to this country? Apparently not because within the last few years over a million people have gained legal residence to this country by taking the necessary steps to obtain it. Below is a table of figures gathered from the Department of Homeland Security, which detail how many people over the last three years have legally become residents of the United …show more content…
States.
|Legal Residence Flow from 2005-2007 |
| |2005 |2006 |2007 |
|Change in Status |383,955 |446,881 |431,368 |
|New Arrivals |738,302 |819,248 |621,047 |
|Total |1,122,257 |1,266,129 |1,052,415 |
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, computer linked applicant information management system (CLAIMS), legal immigrant data, Fiscal Years 2005 to 2007.
Legal residence obtained 2005-2007
In addition to the table above I would like to examine where people come from that immigrate to this country. There is a large misconception of where immigrants come from, meaning where these people were born. Of the 1,052,415 people that became legal residents of this country 36.4% of them came from Asia and another 32.2% of them were born in North America, Jefferys, Monger (2008). That figure is more than two thirds the total immigrants that obtained legal citizenship status in this country. The chart below examines where the legalized residents come from. This is a substantial percentage of legalized immigrants. In addition to this fact it is also estimated that 14% of these people are born in Mexico. The misconception that surrounds immigrants is biased toward people of this nationality for the most part, but as the following graph details there are many more countries that contribute toward the immigration issue.
[pic]
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, computer linked applicant information management system (CLAIMS), legal immigrant data, Fiscal Years 2005 to 2007.
Legal residence obtained 2005-2007
The above information shows that people do obtain legal residential status in this country and the regions from which they come; this may be the issue fueling the other topics of this debate. Legal citizens pay taxes and therefore contribute to the greater good, but illegal immigrants do not. Whether the immigration is legal or illegal people still have an opinion on the subject. According to a news poll taken by the Wall Street Journal (1997) the more people earned, the more likely they were to support legal immigration. Of those earning more than $75,000 annually, 56% favored legal immigration. Only 36% of those earning less than $20,000 annually believed it had a positive effect. Among factory or "blue collar" workers, 60% believed immigration had a negative impact; among professionals, 54% said immigration 's impact was positive. Those numbers most likely reflect the perception among low-income earners that immigrants create too much competition for jobs.
Many Americans seemed to be concerned about the economic effect that immigration has, not on the government, but on the availability of jobs and competition for the jobs in America. The figures above show that people of lower income depend on low paying jobs many of which are occupied by immigrants whether they are legal or illegal immigrants. This seems to be a major concern and had a major effect on their livelihood. If the jobs these people depend on are taken by immigrants how will they survive? This question seems to be a valid point if placed in their situation while people making a significantly larger wage are less concerned because it can be assumed that the immigrants do not affect the jobs available to this working group or not on such a large scale.
The economic strain is felt at the heart of America, the Middle American. These are the make up the majority of the working class in this country, so their concern could be considered legitimate. In the same respect people of a higher income bracket cannot be faulted for their opinion because it has less effect on them; this is simply another case of differing opinion on this heated topic consuming many American’s opinions at this time.
Yet another opinion on the matter has to deal with the aspects of human rights and equality. The belief that all people are created equally and all are afforded the opportunities of this wonderful country we live in. According to the 14th amendment to the United States Constitution “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” This basically summarizes the fact of all legal residents having the rights to of opportunity in America. There is not a statute or amendment that allows of affords illegal residents these rights. These are rights afforded to the people who legally reside in this country.
The question is still raised though, is it right to not afford these opportunities to people because of the laws of this country? Humanitarian belief and the law go hand-in-hand when this question is raised. The determination can be made that people should not be persecuted or limited to making a better life for their families. According to the laws of this country people can be detained then carted off to the land from which they came. Does this make the law un-humanitarian or does the law transcend the human aspect of life? This is just another aspect of the debate which clouds any resolution to the issue of immigration.
As this country was founded over 200 hundred years ago the people who immigrated here were not naturalized or born citizens of this land. The people came here and flourished. Laws were created to govern civil liberties and protections not to keep people out of this country. This country was founded on the belief of equality, which is a humanitarian belief, but laws limit this belief and the ability to achieve equal standing. There have been many injustices of the human aspect in America that have been righted or attempted to be so, such as slavery and segregation. There have been movements in this country to further the advancement of the equality that this country was founded upon such as the women’s rights movements and the civil outcry to end segregation.
All the civil injustices above were once strongly debated and opinionated issues and many still are even today, but progress has been made to change the situation for the hope of a better more equal country.
Immigration is another one of these tremendous debates. People from all races, creeds and social standing have an opinion on the matter making it a fueled issue. Whether it is a personal belief that immigration is good or bad the matter is that it does exist. Not only does immigration exist; it will continue to exist as long as this country promises the opportunity for a better life. This is a debate that will continue to be fueled by media attention, personal and economic opinion. The question is not whether it is wrong or right but is there a resolution? This country has taken many steps to further the equality and opportunity of people. This subject seems to be no exception in terms of debate or civil
importance.
In closing the effort to raise thought and question opinion has hopefully been accomplished. Whether an opinion is based off one or more aspects of the issue there is one thing that can be agreed upon; immigration is an issue in need of resolution. I predict that within the next 20 years people in this country will fuel the want for change and further the advancement of equality in this exceptional country, just like the citizens have done time and time again. The prediction is based not on personal feelings or thoughts, but the facts of history. Change had occurred before when no one though it possible and my belief is that it will occur once more.
References
The Economist. (2008). Not very nICE. Retrieved May 30, 2008, from http://www.economist.com. Facts on File. (1997). Public Opinion on Immigration. Retrieved May 30, 2008, from http://www.2facts.com. Greenblatt, A. (2008) Immigration Debate. Retrieved May 28, 2008, from http://library.cqpress.com. Jefferys, Monger (2008). U.S. Legal Permanent Residents: 2007. Retrieved June 21, 2008, from http://www.dhs.gov. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. (2008). Citizenship. Retrieved May 30, 2008, from http://www.ucis.gov. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. (2008). Humanitarian Benefits. Retrieved May 30, 2008, from http://www.ucis.gov.