Start of Introduction:
Immigration is a widely studied, ever changing topic that sets standards and remains a top reason our world is rapidly globalizing. Each country must use its government to set their own policies for immigration. Sometimes international events effect these policies as refugees attempt to flee elsewhere. The United States has had to shift its own gears on immigration countless times throughout history. Depending upon their economic stability, the public opinion, and other knowledge within the government they must maintain a predetermined quota for how many immigrants to allow in. Such an occurrence as the Holocaust in Europe can greatly affect the influx of immigrants to the United States. Looking further, it is known that the United States did need to change their immigration policies to allow for Jewish immigrants attempting to flee the Nazi power abroad. Meetings were clandestinely with other great world powers such as Great Britain, to discuss other possible locations to send Jewish refugees during the war. Many countries did fear such an influx of refugees would offset their own stability within.
Questions begin to arise however as data and records show such a drastic immigration drop during World War II. Beginning right around 1938 – 1939 until 1946 there is a sharp decline in European immigration to the United States. In 1946 however, the incline is steep and noticeable. The immigration statistics can be broken down into age, gender, race and occupation. What is of most interest however is when broken down by country. Britain, Germany, and Italy had the greatest sudden increase in immigrants just after the war. My question arises from these data tables to better understand what factors best explain the major decline in European immigration during World War II, and the stark incline by British, German, and Italian immigrants immediately after the war’s end?