Illegal Immigration at a Glance
The issue of illegal immigration stems from a plethora of problems in the infrastructure of the US immigration policy, economic problems in Mexico, and the large amount of incorrect data that contributes to the American aversion of illegal immigrants. However, disposing of them is not the answer. We must revise our immigration policy, amend US companies’ part in worsening the Mexican economy and promote the spread of accurate information while not letting personal grievances bias our actions in doing what is just.
The United States is a country that has been created from immigration, so much so that the native people make up only a small fraction of the population. Immigration to the US has been divided up into two main eras, “old immigration” and “new immigration.” Old immigration was the first wave of settlers up through the first half of the 19th century. The immigrants were mainly from western and northern Europe and were mostly of protestant background therefore assimilating well with each other. New immigration extended from the end of the first era until the 1920’s and consisted of immigrants who came from southern and western Europe, as well as Asia. These people were darker skinned and often Jewish or Catholic which contributed to segregation between established Americans and new immigrants. Immigrants were often impoverished and could only live in poor parts of urban areas that were heavily prevalent with crime. Soon immigration became associated with poverty and crime, and we still hold these associations today.
The general thought towards towards immigrants today continues to be negative, especially because of the influx of illegal immigrants mainly from Mexico and other Latin American countries. One of the most extensive problems that many have proposed with illegal immigration is how it affects the American government financially. What studies have shown is that at a national level the amount that...