IEA: Immigration
Major immigration movements to the United States:
| WHO | WHEN | NUMBER | WHY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish | 1840's and 1850's | About 1 million | Famine resulting from potato crop failure |
| Germans | 1840's to 1880's | About 4 million | Severe economic depression and unemployment; political unrest and failure of liberal revolutionary movement |
| Danes, Norwegians, and Swedes | 1870's to 1900's | About 1 million | Poverty; shortage of farmland |
| Poles | 1880's to 1920's | About 1 million | Poverty; political repression; cholera epidemics |
| Jews from Eastern Europe | 1880's to 1920's | About 2 million | Religious persecution |
| Austrians, Czechs, Hungarians, and Slovaks | 1880's to 1920's | About 4 million | Poverty; overpopulation |
| Italians | 1880's to 1920's | About 4 million | Poverty; overpopulation |
| Mexicans | 1910 to 1920's | About 700,000 | Mexican Revolution of 1910; low wages and unemployment |
| 1950's to 1990's | About 5 million | Poverty; unemployment | |
| Cubans | 1960's to 1980's | About 700,000 | Communist take-over in 1959 |
| Dominicans, Haitians, and Jamaicans | 1970's to 1980's | About 900,000 | Poverty; unemployment |
| Vietnamese | 1970's to 1980's | About 500,000 | Vietnam War (1957-1975); Communist take-over |
Source: The World Book Encyclopedia. World Book, Inc., 2000.
Chief sources of current immigration to the United States by country of birth
Number of legal immigrants to the US in 1997
| COUNTRY | NUMBER |
|---|---|
| Mexico | 146,865 |
| Philippines | 49,117 |
| China | 41,147 |
| Vietnam | 38,519 |
| India | 38,071 |
| Cuba | 33,587 |
| Dominican Republic | 27,053 |
| El Salvador | 17,969 |
| Jamaica | 17,840 |
| Russia | 16,632 |
Source: US immigration and Naturalization Service
The World Book. World Book, Inc., 2000.
- What is the Immigration and Naturalization Service?
The INS is a United States government agency that was created in 1891 to enforce immigration laws. The department regulates the entrance of undocumented peoples into the United States and their presence there - What was the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986?
It was an offered amnesty (pardon) to illegal aliens who had lived in the US continuously since before Jan. 1, 1982, or who had worked at least 90 days at farm labor in the US between May 1, 1985 and May 1, 1986. The act also set penalties on employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. By the end of the amnesty period in 1988, more than 3 million illegal aliens had applied for amnesty. - Who do Immigration Laws favor?
They favor relatives of US citizens, refugees, and people with skills needed in the US.
Web Sites:
- US Immigration and Naturalization Service
- Immigration Issues from About.com
A comprehensive guides to issues, law and policies. - Refugees and migration issues
- Center for immigration studies
- American Immigration Law Foundation
Nonprofit organization works to increase public knowledge and understanding of immigration law. - Movies dealing with immigration
