Immigration Issue in U.S

Immigration Issue

Introduction

The movement of individuals who are citizens of one country to residency within some other country is known as Immigration. Immigration on the whole has performed a significant part in molding the culture and population of the United States ever since its foundation. The United States has gone through four substantial immigration waves starting from the first influx of Europeans. . Generally, immigration is from countries with lower standards of living to those that offer better wages. This paper studies the immigration history and the political context of immigration issue. Further, it will address effect of immigration issue to U.S economy and later provide an insight to the management strategies to promote inclusion in the workplace.

Discussion

Historical Framework of Immigration Issue

The migration process is one of the most important factors in the formation of the American state in the early stages of development. The subsequent socio-economic and political development of the United States is inextricably linked with the increasing flow of immigrants, whose labor and energy helped to strengthen the country's economy and improve the welfare of its citizens. In connection with this widespread view that defines the American nation as a nation of immigrants. Indeed, despite the fact that in the modern United States is not only home to immigrants and their descendants, but also the country's original inhabitants - the Indians, Aleuts, and Hawaiians, immigrants, it created a new state. The system of political institutions and values, symbols and ideals of modern Americans have formed on the basis of the ideas introduced by the settlers.

The immigration policy of United States has gone through numerous phases. Immigration during the first hundred years was fairly unhindered, and both the private groups and the government vigorously employed new immigrants. There was no admission test or fee required for the immigrants at that point of time. Some partial restrictions to the entrance were endorsed after the Civil War which firstly blocked prostitutes and convicts and afterwards “mental defectives” and paupers (Borjas, 1999).

In 1917, the United States government set up an admissions test asking immigrants above the age bracket of 16 in order to verify literacy in a minimum of one language. Moreover, The Immigration Act constituted in 1924 took it to another level by further limiting entrance by setting up a quota system based on national origins. This system put restrictions on immigration from any particular country on the basis of the percentage of U.S. residents tracing their heritage to the same country. This revision in the law supported immigration from the Western and Northern European countries that had previously sent people in largest numbers. It was also necessary for the immigrants to have a sponsor residing in the United States (Daniels, 1990).

This system was at last revamped by the amendments made in 1965 to the INA which balanced out treatment of all immigrants through the establishment of a 20,000 per country limit from the Eastern Hemisphere. The modified laws gave out majority of visas to the relatives ...