Immigration

Immigration has been a key part of our history since the discovery of the Americas. Many of America's first immigrants were Englishmen that colonized Virginia and Massachusetts in 1620. Many Europeans began to flock to America to set up new business ventures,escape social and religious prejudice, or begin a new life within a newly formed community. By 1850 the population had risen to more than 23 million people- more than 40% immigrants or first generation Americans (Immigration, wikipedia). Many major events, such as the California Gold Rush, caused a boom in immigration with people arriving in the US from China, South Africa, Mexico, Australia, and Europe . In the early 1900s, congress became concerned with immigration and began passing laws pertaining to immigration, visas, and passport qualifications. The Alien Registration Act of 1940 permitted the US government to have a more dominant role in immigration by requiring that all foreigners planning to immigrate into the US register before entering the country. Those who followed in accordance received an Alien Registration Receipt Card (now known as a Green Card) (Rapid Immig.). Now, the Immigration Service Department has been united with the Department of Homeland Security and new citizenship laws and immigration policies have been drafted and enforced.

Cervantes, Esther. Immigrants and the Labor Market. Dollars and Sense. 18 Oct 2006

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Dye, Thomas, and Susan MacManus. Politics in States and Communities. 11th ed. . New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2003.