History Final Help

[Rin-chan]

For my Honors U.S. Government and Economics final exam, half of it will be spent in an immigration debate.  We have specific questions to respond to.  I can respond to everything except for two questions:

1.  How did historical incidents create the persistent situation on immigration to the United States?

2.  What could be the potential impact of the Supreme Court on the question of immigration?

and finally

3.  What are some European immigration policies and how do they compare to ours?



PLEASE help... the final is on Wednesday morning.  I need sources for this, so if you have a response, make sure you have a source or I can easily find one.

Thanks in advance!

Rin-chan

[adam]

I can help you with 3.

In the Netherlands, you are required to learn Dutch and adjust to their way of life. The now give you a personality test and a values test, and if they do not find you to be tolerant enoug (ie socially liberal enough) they will not let you in.

[J. J.]

For my Honors U.S. Government and Economics final exam, half of it will be spent in an immigration debate.  We have specific questions to respond to.  I can respond to everything except for two questions:

1.  How did historical incidents create the persistent situation on immigration to the United States?

The causes of immigration (including Black migration from the South in the early and mid 20th century), have generally been two:  A.  Freedom; B. Economic opportunity.

Going back to the 1700's, there was a large German migration to the US (Germantown in Philadelphia was one result).  This included people that wanted better economic opportunity and some, semi-suppressed groups, like the Mennonites.  Likewise the mid-1800's saw a rise in Irish immigrants because of the "Potato Famine" and because of suppression of the Irish in Ireland.

The early 20th Century saw Southern European (especially Italian) and east European Jewish migration.  Most of the Italian immigration was for economic reasons, but the Jewish migration was largely due repression in East European countries (especially, Czarist Russia).

In the late 20th Century, we had an influx of South East Asian immigrants, largely because of the suppression of Indochina by Communist regimes.  Likewise, we see increased South American immigration, largely due to economic factors (one notable exception being Cubans).

[ilikeverin]

School is still in session for you?!?!?!

[Rin-chan]

School is still in session for you?!?!?!

Unfortunately.  We're in until the 23rd...

Actually, Fezzy is probably taking a final right now.

Rin-chan

[Rin-chan]

Thank you so much, Vlad and JJ.  You're help is much appreciated.  If anyone can come up with anything for #2, that would be awesome.

Rin-chan

[Filuwaúrdjan]

3.  What are some European immigration policies and how do they compare to ours?

It varies a lot from country to country; for example the U.K's immigration laws are far more liberal than America's (especially as far as immigration from the new E.U member states in Eastern Europe goes; which happens to be the rough equivilient to Mexican immigration to the U.S) which has resulted in a massive influx of people from Eastern Europe in the past couple of years alone. According to a recent survey of immigrant agricultural workers in one rural county, a majority intend to stay in the U.K for a long time, while at least a third intend to make Britain their permanent home. Historically speaking, immigration laws (and other laws that effected immigration) have generally been liberal in comparison to other European countries from the mid-17th century onwards (not that this has been much of an achievement at times). Calls for restrictions became very strong in the early 20th century (and as a high proportion of immigrants then were Jews, it often took on an anti-semitic nature) and was tied to the idea of Protectionism and Imperial Preference. At some point the laws were tightend (in practice at least) quite a lot (not entirely sure when) but were relaxed in the post-war period, which saw large scale immigration from the West Indies, India, Pakistan and what is now Bangladesh. And as in the early 20th century, this provoked something of a racist backlash (although in this case it wasn't sucessful).

...and to contrast with the current U.K policies, have a look at new legislation from France

[Rin-chan]

3.  What are some European immigration policies and how do they compare to ours?

It varies a lot from country to country; for example the U.K's immigration laws are far more liberal than America's (especially as far as immigration from the new E.U member states in Eastern Europe goes; which happens to be the rough equivilient to Mexican immigration to the U.S) which has resulted in a massive influx of people from Eastern Europe in the past couple of years alone. According to a recent survey of immigrant agricultural workers in one rural county, a majority intend to stay in the U.K for a long time, while at least a third intend to make Britain their permanent home. Historically speaking, immigration laws (and other laws that effected immigration) have generally been liberal in comparison to other European countries from the mid-17th century onwards (not that this has been much of an achievement at times). Calls for restrictions became very strong in the early 20th century (and as a high proportion of immigrants then were Jews, it often took on an anti-semitic nature) and was tied to the idea of Protectionism and Imperial Preference. At some point the laws were tightend (in practice at least) quite a lot (not entirely sure when) but were relaxed in the post-war period, which saw large scale immigration from the West Indies, India, Pakistan and what is now Bangladesh. And as in the early 20th century, this provoked something of a racist backlash (although in this case it wasn't sucessful).

...and to contrast with the current U.K policies, have a look at new legislation from France

Thanks alot!  I'm definately going to use that information.

Rin-chan

[MODU]

Let's not forget the anti-Chinese legislation in the 1800s.  They were "flooding" the West Coast in the period leading up to the California gold rush.  They too were coming looking for a better life.  Many of them were not gold miners but rather farmers and business men and helped create the California of today.  However, the US decided to become "racist" (to use some current terms leveled in the Mexican/Souther American immigration debate) by passing the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.  The ban was in place until WWII when we needed their help to deal with Japan. 

[Rin-chan]

Let's not forget the anti-Chinese legislation in the 1800s.  They were "flooding" the West Coast in the period leading up to the California gold rush.  They too were coming looking for a better life.  Many of them were not gold miners but rather farmers and business men and helped create the California of today.  However, the US decided to become "racist" (to use some current terms leveled in the Mexican/Souther American immigration debate) by passing the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.  The ban was in place until WWII when we needed their help to deal with Japan. 

Thanks!

Rin-chan

[The Duke]

#2 would probably have to do with the courts determining the legal rights of immigrants.  In California, for example, the courts ruled that illegal immigrants had a constitutional right to access public services under our state constitution.  This overruled a ballot initiative that passed denying such benefits to illegals.  In this way, courts can inject themselves into the debate by either expanding or contracting the legal right of undocumented immigrants.