History of Immigration in the US
General structure of immigration
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Waves (then troughs) of immigration
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Reasons for immigration
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Reactions to immigration
Legislation reacting to immigration
First Immigrants
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Native Americans arrived around 20,000 years ago
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Vikings arrived around 1000
Immigration in the Colonial Era
(first wave—until 1790)
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Many early European immigrants to the colonies
came from England
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Spanish colonized Florida
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Dutch in New York/New Jersey
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Swedish in Delaware
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Slaves brought as early as 1619
Immigration in the Colonial Era
(first wave—until 1790)
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Religious Freedom (Puritans)
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Economic (Indentured Servants)
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Convicts
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Slavery
Trough-hostilities btw
US and France
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1790: First Naturalization Act
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“... any alien, being a free white person, may be
admitted to become a citizen of the United
States...”
Immigration died down because of hostilities
between the US and Napoleon during the early
1800s, as well as the war of 1812.
After the end of the war, immigration picked up
again
Immigration after Independence
(second wave—1790-1820)
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Reasons were similar to before, origins similar to
before
Congress enacted the Steerage Act of 1810 which
required ship captains to keep detailed passenger
records and to provide better conditions for travelers
Records were not kept until 1820
Industrial Revolution
(third wave—1820s to 1880s)
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Immigrants no longer English
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Irish settled on the East Coast
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Germans migrated to Midwest
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Chinese (railway; gold rush in California)
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Japanese
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Mexicans
Industrial Revolution
(third wave—1820s to 1880s)
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Slave trade legally ended in 1808
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With Westward expansion, needed labor
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Many new immigrants were very different from
previous immigrants
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Different religions—Irish Catholics were the
biggest group
Many immigrants escaping famine
Immigration after the Civil War
(fourth wave—1880 to1914)
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Even Greater diversity among immigrants
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Middle East, the Mediterranean, Southern and
Eastern Europe
Between 1880 and 1930, over 27 million people
entered the United States
Immigration after the Civil War
(fourth wave—1880 to1914)
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Ellis Island built in 1892 to process immigrants from
Europe
More restrictions were enacted
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1882 Chinese Exclusion Act
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1907 "Gentlemen's Agreement" with Japan
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1906: Knowledge of English a requirement for
immigration
1850 “Know Nothing” political party
Immigration after WW I
(trough 1920-1960)
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World-wide depression, not many people
immigrating
Discrimination based on nationality
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e.g., Germans and Italians
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e.g., Japanese internment camps
Immigration after WW I
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Immigration Act of 1924—Quota act
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1924 Act set the annual quota of any nationality at
2% of the number of foreign-born persons of such
nationality resident in the United States in 1890
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restricted Southern and Eastern Europeans and
Africans. Banned immigration of Arabs and Asians
Bracero Program-1943
Immigration after WW II
(fifth wave 1960-2000)
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“Normal” immigration resumed after WW II
Three doors: “a front door for immigrants, a side
door for temporary visitors, and a back door for the
unauthorized”
Escaping Cold War conflict (brain drain)
HOWEVER, most immigrants are from Latin
America
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Displaced Persons Act of 1948—accepting refugees
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More women entering than men
Immigration after WW II
(fifth wave 1960-2000)
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“Normal” immigration resumed after WW II
Three doors: “a front door for immigrants, a side
door for temporary visitors, and a back door for the
unauthorized”
Escaping Cold War conflict (brain drain)
HOWEVER, most immigrants are from Latin
America

Displaced Persons Act of 1948—accepting refugees
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More women entering than men
Immigration Issues today
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1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA)-A comprehensive Reform effort
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1) legalized aliens who had resided in the United
States in an unlawful status since January 1, 1982
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2) established sanctions prohibiting employers from
hiring, recruiting, or referring for a fee aliens known
to be unauthorized to work in the United States
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3) created a new classification of temporary
agricultural worker and provided for the legalization
of certain such workers
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4) established a visa waiver pilot program allowing
the admission of certain nonimmigrants without
visas
Immigration today
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41 million foreign-born individuals in US.
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12.9 %of overall population. This percentage is
still well below the 1890 high point for
immigration, when 14.8 percent of the population
was foreign born
US Commission on Immigration reform (1990-1997
Most immigrants are better educated than ever
before
Illegal immigration
Illegal Immigration
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There were 11.3 million unauthorized immigrants in
the U.S. in 2014.
Mexicans make up about half of all unauthorized
immigrants (49%), though their numbers have been
declining in recent years.
Six states alone account for 60% of unauthorized
immigrants — California, Texas, Florida, New York,
New Jersey and Illinois.
About 7% of K-12 students had at least one
unauthorized immigrant parent in 2012
President Obama and Immigration
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Cracking Down on Illegal Immigration at the Border: Illegal immigrants caught and sent
back. Centralize border security command-and-control
Deporting Felons, Not Families: Deportation of people who threaten national security and
public safety. Anyone suspected of terrorism, violent criminals, gang members, and recent
border crossers at the top of the deportation priority list.
Accountability – Criminal Background Checks and Taxes: The President is also acting to hold
accountable those undocumented immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for more than five
years and are parents of U.S. citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents. By registering and
passing criminal and national security background checks, millions of undocumented
immigrants will start paying their fair share of taxes and temporarily stay in the U.S. without
fear of deportation for three years at a time