DREAM Act

The proposed piece of legislation called the DREAM Act, supported by President Obama is a bill that would allow students who have lived in the United States their entire lives to go to college, join the military, and eventually become a citizen. The bill was proposed in 2001 and was re-evaluated in 2011. Obama's administration gives several economic reasons for the DREAM Act such as:

-It will contribute to our armies by allowing immigrants to join the army.

-It will make our country competitive economically by allowing immigrants to go to school and become productive members of society.

-It will cut our nation's deficit by adding taxable future income.

-It will make the country safer by establishing who poses a threat to the country and who simply wants to live here.


In my opinion, this bill should be passed into a law. By investing in people who came from different countries but grew up as Americans, the country would be giving immigrants a chance to thrive and therefore boost the United States economy. Not only this, but is it the morally right thing to do; the logic of turning away immigrants when the majority of the country is made up of descendants of immigrants is extremely flawed.

Info found here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/12/01/get-facts-dream-act
Picture found here:http://davidswanson.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/dream_act.jpg?w=453&h=453

Baby Boom Population

A population pyramid graph reflecting the influence of the baby boom population on the country.

After WWII, the sharp spike in birth in the United States that remained steady from the late 1940's to the early 1960's is known as the baby boom. As that generation has grown up, they have controlled the markets and dominated the work force. However, now that baby boomers are reaching retirement age, there are questions being raised about how this will affect the United States.

Numerous Americans believe that the retirement of the baby boomers will lead to a sharp decline in labor because the country is on average much older. This decline in labor could severely hurt the economy, but immigration could be a potential solution to the issue. As baby boomers retire and leave the workforce, immigrants can come in and replace those prior workers and the United States will not be forced to downsize.

Currently, about 880,000 immigrants enter the United States each year. If more foreigners come to the United States, this will mean a higher percentage of Hispanics especially in the country and a different cultural balance. This diversity in America is a good thing and something to be celebrated.

Info here:http://www.census.gov/population/www/pop-profile/natproj.html
Picture: http://flatrock.org.nz/static/frontpage/assets/money_politics_law/boom1.jpg

Historical Immigration Legislation

The Statue of Liberty was a symbol of welcome for many immigrants coming to America.

Despite the United State's icon status of potential freedom to immigrants in the past, restrictions have always existed to maintain whatever the policy was of the country at the time. Here are some examples of important immigration legislation:

-1795 Naturalization Act (citizens are free whites who have lived here for five years and owe allegiance to no other country)

-1798 Naturalization Act (immigrants must live here for 14 years to become citizens-the requirement was reduced in 1805)

-1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (makes about 80,000 Mexicans living in the Southwest American citizens)

-1870 Naturalization Act (prohibits Asian Americans from becoming U.S. citizens)

-1882 Chinese Exclusion Act (restricts Chinese immigration)

-1921 Quota Act (limits European immigration to 3% the number of their nationality group in the United States in 1910)

-1944 Korematsu v. United States (Supreme Court rules that putting Japanese Americans in internment camps as constitutional)

What does this say about our country? Are we really willing and open to immigrants like some history books paint? The answer based on these laws is no; the United States has a long history of mistreating immigrants. Does that make it right? Of course not.

Information received here:http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/historyonline/immigration_chron.cfm
Picture link here:http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/ellis-island/statue-liberty.jpg

History of Immigration

Immigrants coming off the boat at Ellis Island, NYC

Immigration is not a new issue; it is a well known fact that the United States was both settled and populated by immigrants from around the world (although at the time, mostly from Europe).

The first immigrants were settlers from the British Isles (English, Scottish, Welsh) Germany, France and the Netherlands seeking the freedoms of the New World and the chance to start a new life. These original settlers were mainly farmers living off the fat of the land and many were indentured servants that had to work to pay for their passage.

The early 1800's brought on flocks of immigrants (15 million from 1820-1880) that came and settled in segregated groups in the Eastern cities like New York and Boston. During this time period, Catholics from Ireland and Chinese workers on the Pacific coast inspired a dislike of immigrants (nativitsm) which would grow worse in the 1900's. After the Civil War, immigration became even heavier and Eastern Europeans like Italians, Greeks, Hungarians, and Polish joined the ranks of foreigners in the country.

All of these immigrants made up important parts of the labor force as the country was industrializing and required more unskilled laborers. Immigrants filled this need for labor but also created the melting pot that is the culture of the United States today.

Background information found here:
http://www.america.gov/st/peopleplace-english/2008/February/20080307112004ebyessedo0.1716272.html
Photo credit here:
http://uploads.static.vosizneias.com/2010/09/Emigrants-Arriving-Ellis-Island.jpg

Introduction to Immigration

Immigration is a pressing issue in the United States today. With thousands of immigrants coming across the border from Mexico and from other countries around the world, the United States needs to control the influx of foreigners in some way. Many Americans disagree on how best this could be done.

Conservatives typically favor erecting a fence along the border, simply increasing border control and deportation of those who come to the United States illegally. They claim that immigrants who illegally come to the United States take jobs away from Americans who are currently unemployed as it is.

Liberals favor legislation that allows immigrants to work and live in the country without being deported. They say that immigrants increase cultural vitality and represent a country of diversity and immigration, a country with welcoming arms. They also claim that immigrants who come here are good for the economy: they increase jobs by consuming more and they take the jobs that Americans would not necessarily have otherwise.

So which opinion is right? While there is no true correct opinion, I tend to agree with the more liberal and welcoming approach. However, this blog will discuss both sides of the debate and the latest news and legislation surrounding it.