Work System Theory

• links not only commercial goods but families and workers across political borders.

Most important social factor that causes people to emigrate

economic:

• financial failure in old country expectations of higher incomes and standards of living.

other factors:

• doslike of new political regimes.
• experience of beign victim of racial or religeous bigotry
• desire to reunite family
  

Immigration: Global Phenomenon

• Immigration contributes to globalization from countries with lower standards of living to those that offer better wages
• war and famine contribute also

Immigration: A Global Phenomenon

Push and Pull factors

Push factors

• economic difficulties
• religeous or ethnic persecution
• political unrest

Pull factors

• perception of a better life
• desire to join community of fellow nationals already established abroad

Immigration: A global Phenomenon

Chain Migration

Immigrant who sponsors several other immigrants who upon their arrival may still sponsor more.

• laws favor people who desire to enter already have relatives there or someone who can vouch for them financially may facilitate sponsorship
• *immigrants anticipate knowing someone who can help them adjust, find a job, place to live, even familiar food.
  

Patterns of Immigration in the U.S.

3 Patterns

1. number of immigrants has fluctuated dramatically over largely because of government policy changes.
2. Settlement has not been uniform across the country, but centered in certain regions and cities.
3. The source of immigrants has changed over time.

-reception of immigrants has not always been friendly

-U.S. received largest number of immigrants during 1st decade of 1900's

Today's Foreign-Born Population

• 12% of the nation is foreign-born
• most industrial countries it's about 5%: Canada 19%, Aulstralia 25%
• immigrant settlement not uniform across coountry
  
• about 5% live in central city of a metropolitan area.
• source of immigration has changed
  
• majority of today's 37.9 million foreign-born people are from Latin America- mostly Mexico
• Europeans dominated immigration early in U.S. settlement, now fewer than 1 in 7 are immigrants.
  

Today's Foreign-Born Population

70% of the nation's foreign-born are in these states

• California
• New York
• Florida
• Texas
• New Jersey
• Illinois
  

Today's Foreign-Born Population

1/3 of residens foreign-born live in these cities

• Miami
• Los Angeles
• San Fransisco
• San Jose
• New York City
  

Early Immigrantion

• 1st immigrants were Europeans
• Spanish- St. Augustine in 1565; English- Jamestown 1607
• Protestants dominated from England numerically, politically, and socially
• 60% of 3 million white Americans were English in 1790
• Scitch-Irish & German soon outnumbered English
• immigration was unregulated through most of 1800's- naturalization was easy.
• 1900's about 35% immigrants emigrated to home country (1 in 3)
  

Early Immigrantion

Xenophobia

fear or hatred of strangers or foreigners.

Roman Catholics and Irish were 1st Europeans ill-treated

Early Immigrantion

Nativism

Beliefs and policies favoring native-born citizens over immigrants

most dramatic nativism was aimed at Chinese.

Early Immigrantion

Samuel Huntington

View: fundamental world conflicts of new century are cultural in nature rather than idealogical or economic

• continuing immgration as "clash of civilizations" could be remedied only by significantly reducing legal immigrations and close the borders to illegals.

Early Immigrantion

The Anti-Chinese Movement

• before 1851 46 Chinese immigrants
• Contributing factors for Chinese immigrating to U.S.: lured by discovery of gold, job opportunities; overcrowding, draught and war in China; improved oceanic transportation
• 1869's railroad work- greatest demand for Chinese
• Union Pacific- relied on Irish laborers, but Central Pasific - 90% Chinese laborers
  

Early Immigrantion

The Anti-Chinese Movement

Sinophobes

People with fear of anything associated with China.

• saw non-Europeans as sub-human
• fear of "yellow peril" (generalized prejudic toward Asian people and their customs)
• Employers were glad to pay Chinese low wages but laborers directed resentment toward Chinese rather than employers.
• *race was critical issue- labor fears were unfounded
  

Early Immigrantion

The Anti-Chinese Movement

Conflict Theory Perspective on

Anti-Chinese Movement

• Chinese immigrants were welcomed only when their labor was nessesary to fuel growth.

• Restrictions were not applied evenly. Americans focused on a specific nationality (the Chinese) to reduce overall number of foreign workers
• decision making to do so rested on descendants of European immigrants.- They went against the least powerful- Chinese
  

Early Immigrantion

The Anti-Chinese Movement

Chinese Exclusion Act 1882

• out lawed Chinese immigration for 10 years
• Chinese in U.S. couldn't become citizens
• no allowances made for spouse and children to reunite
• 1892- congress extended act 10 more years and added - Chinese laborers had to obtaincertificates of residence whithin 1 year or face deportation
• was extended again in 1902
  

Restrictionist Sentiment Increases

U.S. had a "gentleman's agreement" with Japan.

Japan would halt immigration to U.S. and the U.S. agreed to end discriminatin against the Japanese.

BUT

The anti-Japanese feelings continued

Restrictionist Sentiment Increases

The National Origin System

1921-1965

• setup to block immigration from southern Europe (Italy, Greece)
• block all Asian immigrants with zero quota
• caused by anti-immigtration sentiment, followed by isolationism that followed WWI
• used nationality to determine if person could enter as legal alien, and number of previous immigrants and their descendants was used as immigration cap
• WWII reflected flight of Europeans from Nazi Germany
  

Restrictionist Sentiment Increases

The National Origin System

Quotas

• weighted in favor of immigrants from northern Europe
• immigration from western hemisphere were unrestrictive (Canada, Mexico, Carribean, South America)
• quota's set @3% of number of people descended from each nationality (1920 census)
• 70% of quota went to 3 countries: Great Britain, Ireland, and Germany
  

Restrictionist Sentiment Increases

1965 Immigration and Nationality Act

Primary Goal: to reunite families and protect labor market

 
-signed into law by President Lyndon B Johnson @ the foot of the statue of liberty
-initiated restrictions on immigration from Latin America
-immigration increased by 1/3
-act's influence was about composition not size of immigration
-2/3 immigrants came to join their families
-1/7 -skills needed in U.S. and 1/7-refugee status

Contemporary Social Concerns

Contemporary Social Concerns

Immigration Benefits

• provide needed skills
• contribute to taxes
• may come with capital to start business
• maintain growth of consumer market
• diversify population (intangible gain)
• maintain ties with countries throughout the world
  

Contemporary Social Concerns

Immigration Concerns

• drain needed resources from home country
• send remittences home
• less-skilled immigrants compete with those already disadvantaged
• population growth
• language differences
• may complicate foreign policy by lobbying the government
• illegal immigration
  

Contemporary Social Concerns

5 Criticisms relating to immigration policy

1. Brain Drain
2. Population Growth
3. Mixed Status
4. English Language Aquisition
5. Illegal Immigration
   

Contemporary Social Concerns

5 Criticisms relating to immigration policy

Brain Drain

Immigration to U.S. of skilled workers, professionals, and technicians who are desperately needed by their home country.

• They are eligible for H1B visas that qualify them for permanent work permits.
• 1 in 4 physicians ar foreign-born
• drawn by economic opportunity
• majority of foreign-born students receiving doctorate in science and engineering remain here 4 years later. Means we overlook our own minority scholars 2 to 5.
  

Contemporary Social Concerns

5 Criticisms relating to immigration policy

Brain Drain

Brain Drain

Conflict Theory

• yet another symptom of unequal distribution of world resources.
• ironic- U.S. gives foreign aid to improve technical resources while having immigration policy that encourages professionals to migrate here.
  

Contemporary Social Concerns

5 Criticisms relating to immigration policy

Population Growth

• immigration has increased
• birthrate has decreased
• country increased dependance on economically younger population fueled by immigrants
• 45-60% growth of immigrants
• pattern of uneven settlement- continue impacting population in certain areas
  

Contemporary Social Concerns

5 Criticisms relating to immigration policy

Mixed Status Families

Families in which one or more members are citizens and one or more are noncitizens.

problematic when noncitizens are illegal immigrants. 7 million families- head of household is illegal. 1/3 of these have children who are citizens.

2 levels

 Macro: policy debates are made about issues that seem clear to many people. e.g.- whether illegal immigrants should be allowed to attend state colleges or whether they should be deported.
Micro: daily toll on members of mixed status households is difficult. If one is illegal they live in fear.

Contemporary Social Concerns

5 Criticisms relating to immigration policy

Language Barriers

19% population speak language other than English

myth of Anglo superiority

• language differences
• 1st- criteria for economic and social achievement usually include proficiency in English
• 2nd- many Anglos believe that Spanish is not an asset occupationally.
  

Contemporary Social Concerns

5 Criticisms relating to immigration policy

Language Barriers

DeJure School Segregation

• southwest- mexican americans were assigned to Mexican schools to keep Anglo schools all-white.
• Mexican schools were underfunded
• 1970 US Supreme Court ruled uncontitutional
• 1975 dejure plan was forcibly overturned in Corpus Christi Texas
  

Contemporary Social Concerns

5 Criticisms relating to immigration policy

Language Barriers

Bilingualism

The use of two or more languages in places of work or educational facilities, according each language equal legitamacy.

Contemporary Social Concerns

5 Criticisms relating to immigration policy

Language Barriers

Bilingual Education

A program designed to allow students to learn academic concepts in their native language while they learn a second language.

• gradually introducing them to the language of dominate society.
• also a bicultural program
• studies find this produces highter levels of student acheivement in reading
  

Illegal Immigration

• most bitterly debated US immigration policy
• more than 11 million illegal or unauthorized immigrants in US
• have become tied by public to almost every social problem
• scapegoats for unemployment
• labeled as drug runners and terrorists
• only real wasy to stop: discourage employment opportunities
• civil rights advocates conerned procedures used to apprehend and deport are discriminatory and deprive aliens of legal rights.
• large number perish in attempt to cross into US illegally
  

Illegal Immigration

Immigration Reform and Control Act

1986 (IRCA)

• Amnesty was granted to 1.7 million illegal immigrants who could document they had established long-term US residancy
• hiring illegals became illegal.
  

Illegal Immigration

Conflict Perspective of

Illegal Immigration

 Immigrants, mostly poor and Hispanic or Asian, are lodged at the bottom of the nation's social and economic heiraches.

Illegal Immigration

Functionalist Perspective of

Illegal Immigrants

employers by paying low wages are able to produce goods and services that are profitable for industry and more affordable to consumers.

Illegal Immigration

Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant

Reponsibility Act of 1996

• more effort to keep immigrants from entering the country illegally
• prevented illegals from having access to social security and welfare
• greater border surveilance
  

Illegal Immigration

Immigration and Nationalization Service

(INS)

• was in Department of Justice since 1940
• Now- in Department of Homeland Security
• functions were split into 3 agencies
• Bureau of Citizenshop and Immigration Services
• two other services concerned with customs and border protection
  

Path of Citizenship: Naturalization

naturalization:

• conferring of citizenship on a person after birth
• given same benefits as native-born US citizen
• can't become president
  

Path of Citizenship: Naturalization

Criteria to become naturalized US Citizen

• must be at least 18
• continually reside in the US at least 5 years (3 years if spouse is a citizen)
• good moral character ( no convictions)
• read, write, speak, and understand words of ordinary usage- English
• pass test on US government and history
  

The Economic Impact of Immigration

• most significant impact: wether a study examines the national impact or only it's affects locally.
• immigrants adapt well and are an asset to local economy
• heavy immigration may drain resources but also can revitalize economy
• competition for low paying jobs in US is high. Those who gain the most is employers and consumers who want to keep prices down.
•  perceived as advancing the the expense of African Americans
• are net economic gain for population in times of a boom as well as periods of recession. 70% pay taxes
  

The Economic Impact of Immigration

Adaptation of Immigrants

Less Encouraging

• have lower divorce rate; less likely to have single parent homes BUT rates equal or exceed natives by 2nd generation.
• children tend to be healthier than US born children BUT advantage declines
• attend schools that are disproportionally poor with limited English proficiency (economically and linguistically isolated)
  

The Economic Impact of Immigration

Adaptation of Immigrants

Positive Signs

• more likely to be on public assistance BUT time on it is less and they receive fewer benefits
• 2nd generation immigrants overall doing well or better than white non-Hispanic natives in educational attainment, labor force participation, wages,and household income.
• immigrants overwhelmingly continue to see learning English as ethical obligation of all immigrants.
  

The Economic Impact of Immigration

Remittances

The monies that immigrants return to their country of origin

• measures in the hundreds of millions of dollars flowing from the US to countries where they provide substantial support for families and  venture capital for new businesses
• surpasses all other foreign aid
  

Women and Immigration

• most immigration appears to be families
• 2nd class status women experience in society is reflected in immigration
• caring for health of household falls on women
• males- more likely consumed with work
• immigrant women are reluctant to seek ouside help
• more likely the liason for comminity
  

The Global Economy and Immigration

immigration is defined by political boundries that bring the movement of peoples crossing borders to the attention of government authorities and their policies.

The Global Economy and Immigration

Globalization

• worldwide integration of government policies, cultures, social movements, and financial markets through trade, movement of people, and the exchange of ideas.
• highlighted dramatic economic inequalities between nations
• people in North America, Europe, and Japan consume 32 times more resources than billions in developing nations.
  

The Global Economy and Immigration

Transnationals

• immigrants who sustain multiple social relationships that link their societies of origin and settlement.
• no new but ability to communicate and transfer resources makes immigration experience different from nineteenth century.
• contrast industial "have" nations and developing "have-not" nations encourages movement across borders.
• maintain multithreaded relationship between friends and relatives in the US, their country of origin, and other countries where family and friends have resettled.
  

Refugees

• people living outside their country of citizenship for fear of political or religious persecution
• granted right to enter a country while still residing abroad
• enough refugees exist to populate and entire nation
  

Refugees

United Nations Treaty on Refugees

Countries are obligated to refrain from forcibly returning people to territories where their lives or liberty might be endangered

Refugees

Asylees

• foreigners who have already entered US and now seek protection because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution.
• eligible to adjust to lawful permanent resident status after 1 year of continuous presence in the US.
  

Refugees

Haitian exiles

• viewed as economic migrants rather than political refugees by Republican & democratic administrations.
• government has right to intercept them at sea and return them to their homeland.
  

Refugees

Cuban refugees

• government applies the "wet foot/dry foot" policy with them.
• if they are intercepted at sea they are returned to Cuba
• if they make it to the mainland they can apply for assylum