Huddled Masses or Illegal Aliens?
Immigration Then Versus Now: A Comparison
America’s view of immigrants and American immigrants themselves have changed drastically throughout the history of the United States. To many, immigrants are the symbol of the American spirit: perseverance, resourcefulness, the embodiment of the classic rags-to-riches story. They provide the manpower and skills America requires to thrive, as well as new ideas and perspectives that help shape our industries. To some, immigrants are a threat to national security and the economy. They cause a financial burden on the U.S, and a lack of assimilation breeds tension and hostility. However you view immigrants, they are the clay from which America was sculpted. They themselves and their effect on the United States has changed over the years. It is important to explore the similarities and differences between past and present immigration trends in order to better understand the state of immigrants today and immigrants to come.
Similarities
Discrimination
Immigrants of every generation faced stigmas, stereotypes, and …show more content…
From 1900 to 1904, the rate of immigrants’ return to their home country was estimated at 37% by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. In the 1990’s, they estimated immigrants’ rate of return at about 15%.
Nationality
The nationalities of American immigrants is possibly the most drastic difference of them all. In 2007, the Center for Immigration Studies conducted a census on immigrants that arrived in the U.S between 2000 and 2007. The census showed that approximately 6,015,000 immigrants were of Latin origin, and only 914,000 immigrants were of European origin. According to the Population Reference Bureau, nearly 8,000,000 immigrants were of European origin between 1900-1909. Latin American and Asian immigrants were in the low thousands.
Immigration Then Versus Now: A Comparison
America’s view of immigrants and American immigrants themselves have changed drastically throughout the history of the United States. To many, immigrants are the symbol of the American spirit: perseverance, resourcefulness, the embodiment of the classic rags-to-riches story. They provide the manpower and skills America requires to thrive, as well as new ideas and perspectives that help shape our industries. To some, immigrants are a threat to national security and the economy. They cause a financial burden on the U.S, and a lack of assimilation breeds tension and hostility. However you view immigrants, they are the clay from which America was sculpted. They themselves and their effect on the United States has changed over the years. It is important to explore the similarities and differences between past and present immigration trends in order to better understand the state of immigrants today and immigrants to come.
Similarities
Discrimination
Immigrants of every generation faced stigmas, stereotypes, and …show more content…
From 1900 to 1904, the rate of immigrants’ return to their home country was estimated at 37% by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. In the 1990’s, they estimated immigrants’ rate of return at about 15%.
Nationality
The nationalities of American immigrants is possibly the most drastic difference of them all. In 2007, the Center for Immigration Studies conducted a census on immigrants that arrived in the U.S between 2000 and 2007. The census showed that approximately 6,015,000 immigrants were of Latin origin, and only 914,000 immigrants were of European origin. According to the Population Reference Bureau, nearly 8,000,000 immigrants were of European origin between 1900-1909. Latin American and Asian immigrants were in the low thousands.