chapter 17

What has changed and what has stayed the same in American immigration since 1986?

-“The changes have been in attitudes toward immigration and the eventual reflection of those changes in immigration law and regulation.”

In the 2000 census, what percentage of the population was foreign born?

-200 foreign-born populations were 28.4 million, and 10.4 percent of the total population.

According to the 2000 census, the largest numbers of immigrants came from what regions of the world? Where did most settle? What were their education achievements and income?

- Central America and Asia, Most settled in the west.

- “The educational achievements of contemporary immigrants are impressive: some two-thirds of those twenty-five years of age and older are at least high school graduates as opposed to almost seven-eights of the native-born….”(page 412)

Why is the data so misleading when the census data on immigrants is lumped together?

-The data ignores the real differences between those from different regions and nations.

What does Daniels say the responsible historian must try to do?

-“The responsible historian must try to balance, somehow, these extremes and arrive at a reasonable estimate of immigrant status and expectations.”

Who are "nonimmigrant" immigrants?

-“These are persons who enter the United States on various kinds of visas that do not entitle them to apply for permanent resident status and which have expiration dates.”

Alabama Hispanics concerned over immigration law

25 October 2011 Last updated at 16:12 ET

By Valeria Perasso

BBC Mundo Hispanic affairs correspondent

There have been high absentee rates of Latino students in Alabama schools in recent weeks

A new immigration law has sparked concern among the Hispanic community in Alabama and drawn comment from the US federal government.

Attorney General Eric Holder became the latest administration figure to speak out against the law, which came into force in September.

Speaking at a service honouring the late civil rights leader Rev Fred Shuttlesworth, Mr Holder said too many people in Alabama were "willing to turn their backs on our immigrant past".

Under the law, police can demand proof of residency from any person of "reasonable doubt" and Alabama schools are required to collect information about the immigration status of their students.

This seems to be the same law that Arizona passed a while ago. Both laws are ridiculous in they are keeping kids out of school, which can’t lead to anything, positive. But my main concern is… What is reasonable doubt? Sure an illegal Mexican can be picked out of a crowd perhaps because of language, and maybe some other factors, but is it possible for an illegal Irish immigrant to be confronted with reasonable doubt? I don’t think this law was meant for illegal immigrants as a whole, unfortunately like Arizona, there seems to be a specific target group in mind.

"It is such a broad law that it allows [the] monitoring of any form of contact between immigrants and authorities, or between immigrants and other citizens," said University of Alabama law professor Paul Horowitz.

The HB56 law is stricter than others adopted in states such as Arizona and Georgia.

Experts says that since it was enacted on 30 September, the effects of the law have been felt in the Latino community in faster and more obvious ways than in Arizona, where another law targeting illegal immigrants came into force in 2010.

It would be interesting to see how this law affects other illegal immigrant groups besides the Latino community. Although our illegal population is mainly the Latino community, other groups of illegals don’t seem to really be affected by these laws in Alabama and Arizona.

'Climate of fear'

With the HB56 law, Alabama follows the path of other southern states, where a crackdown on illegal immigration has intensified in recent years.

“This law turns school officials into government agents, and diverts limited resources away from teaching Alabama's children”

The difference is that while other areas have statistically significant Hispanic communities (30% in Arizona, for example), Alabama Latinos represent only 3% of the total population.

Alabama did, however, have the nation's second fastest-growing Hispanic population between 2000 and 2010. According to analysts, that may have increased the perception of undocumented migrants as a "threat" amongst some conservative groups.

A threat to what?

Thus, many have welcomed the enforcement of this piece of legislation.

"I have no doubt that this is the best thing for the long-term economic health of our state and no doubt that this is what a majority of the people of Alabama wants," said state Senator Scott Beason, the main sponsor of the bill.

Tea Party representatives described the HB56 law as "the best bill that we have designed" and called for similar standards to be adopted in other states.

In Alabama workplaces, churches and schools there have been noticeable changes in the daily routines of Hispanics, many of whom now feel intimidated, since the law came into force.

It’s a shame the law is affecting the people that go to church, school, and have decent jobs. After all don’t we want to encourage a population that immigrants (legally or illegally) to assimilate to our culture? By intimidating them out of these community places, we are only slowing down the process. What are we actually doing by basically outlawing people from these places?

Elementary schools now report high absentee rates among Latino students.

"We have seen children crying as they get off the bus, thinking their parents won't be home when they return because they will have been deported," said William Lawrence, a school principal in the city of Foley.

"Many were absent and the rumours generated a climate of fear."

Many Hispanic parents are now considering leaving the state, Mr Lawrence added. Twenty-four of the 223 Latino children enrolled at his school have already left and 36 more have announced they will leave soon.

Under the law, schools must ask new students for birth certificates and official documents that are then sent to the Alabama State Board of Education.

…Keeping kids out of school.

Although the data is not forwarded to the immigration authorities, many parents are concerned that inspections and arrests might start occurring at the school gates.

"We started a campaign to explain to parents what the implications of this law are. But the children will get the worst of it because this panic affects learning," Mr Lawrence said.

"We do not know who is documented and who isn't. We do not ask because that's none of our business."

The 2010 US census showed about 79,000 children of migrant families live in Alabama. Of those, 88% were born in the United States, according to Kids Count, a nationwide welfare foundation.

The state will now have access to their immigration details to assess how much of the education budget is spent on the schooling of undocumented immigrants, according to authorities.

"HB56 directly threatens the education, safety, and overall well-being of children in Alabama," said Wendy Cervantes of First Focus, an organisation that protects children's rights.

"This law turns school officials into government agents, and diverts limited resources away from teaching Alabama's children."

Teachers are concerned about the long-term effects of the law on classrooms, and if the exodus of Hispanic children continues, state authorities could cut the current education budget.

Missing Mass

The law has also raised concerns among religious leaders.

Pastors and priests fear being sanctioned for assisting undocumented immigrants in their communities, as well as seeing their congregations dwindle.

Leaders of various churches filed an appeal before the Court, saying the new law could interfere with the free practice of religion.

"In the 60s, it was the black churches that rejected discriminatory practices," said Scott Douglas of Greater Birmingham Ministries, a multi-racial organisation representing 20 different faith groups in the state.

"It is significant that today black churches, white churches and brown churches are coming together to overturn this unjust law that threatens our community,"

link to webpage: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15439733

chapter 16

-1981 report, Hesbourgh and his commission attempted to, "Walk a fine line between honoring America's tradition of being a land of opportunity for the world's downtrodden and dealing with todays harsh realities." I found this comment to be interesting because the U.S. is still trying to accomplish this feat. Daniel's then points out that the U.S. has "never" really controlled its borders yet Americans seem to like the idea of doing so.

-"...Almost ever conceivable immigrant group have been, at one time or another, accused of lowering the American standard of living." This trend continues to happen in our modern society. It is interesting that accusing the majority immigrant groups of lowering the standard of living or taking jobs from Americans continues to take place. It seems like this trend happens because of resentment from American people toward incoming immigrants.

-"But it is difficult to see how these provisions will be enforced." I found that this is what immigration law often comes down to, how much of it can literally be enforced, and if law is enforced, how will it be accomplished. I feel like this again brings us back to the fact that the U.S. has never really controlled its borders, and although there are laws in place our border policy can only go as far as we are capable of enforcing it.

Chapter 14

What brought about a change in attitude towards Asian immigrants?

-First positive change was brought by China becoming our ally in WW2.

-There was a presence of Asian-Americans in Washington since 1959 when Hawaii joined the U.S. and Asian-American Senators and Representatives would be elected.

-Asian-Americans juxtaposition to other minorities. When compared side by side with the perceived underachieving Blacks and Hispanic.

What characteristics have led to Asian Americans being called the model minority?

-Asian-Americans fit the standard for the ideal, normal, middle class.

“If one looks only at the aggregate data, Asian Americans are younger than the average American. They also have fewer children, are less likely to be unemployed or in jail, and are more likely to get higher education than the average American.”

What are ABCs and FOBs and who are the "silent" Chinese of San Francisco?

-The ABC is short for American-born Chinese and FOB refers to Fresh off the boat, when talking about the language barrier that exists between American taught and recent immigrants. The “silent” Chinese of San Francisco is a testimony form Dr. Ling-chi Wang, and it presents data to show the Chinese population is not actually quite the model minority. Dr. Ling-chi Wang concludes that inner city San Francisco and Chinatown unemployment was almost double the city-wide average, 2/3 of living was substandard, plus TB rates were six times the national average.

What are the three distinct increments of Filipino immigration?

-The groups of students that came with the 1898 American annexation of the Philippines.

In the 1920s and 1930s came farm workers that filled Japanese and Chinese agriculture.

-After 1965 a migration groups of educated, mobile professionals, would be entrepreneurs.

-Immigrants were mainly males… Not until 1960s did the female population begin to rise above 35 percent and it was in 1980 that the genders evened out.

What profession niche do recent Filipino immigrants dominate and why?

“Most, perhaps two-thirds, of recent Filipino immigrants have been professionals, most notably nurses and other medical personnel. During the 1970s, for example, the fifty nursing schools in the Philippines graduated about 200 nurses annually. At least 20 percent of each year’s crop of graduates soon migrated to the United States, where shortages of trained nurses, especially those willing to work long and uncomfortable hours demanded by public hospital, provided instant employment.”

Who were the Koreans who came before the 1965 immigration act?

-Korean Americans were mainly post-Korean War immigrants; the population was extremely small before the 1930s and like other immigrant groups expanded rapidly after 1965.

-Traditionally Buddhist, converted Christian

How and why do Vietnamese immigrants differ from other recent Asian immigrants?

“Rather than self-selecting immigrants reasonably well-qualified for success in America, Vietnamese, or many of them, have been poorly equipped for life in an urban society.”

-The book goes on to refer again to push, pull and means, and it confirms that Vietnamese have more “push” then “pull” and most would not have qualified if U.S. had not felt a responsibility.

What was the total number of Vietnamese War refugees and their children, and what nationalities are include

-Total number of war refugees and their children will exceed 1.25 million by 1990.

-Nationalities included Vietnamese, Laotians and Kampucheans (Cambodians); smaller groups like the Hmong as well.

Chapter 13

Recap: What is the Immigration Act of 1924 and the national origins system?

The Immigration act of 1924 was a federal law that was enacted in order to limit the number of immigrants who could be admitted to the country. The national origins act established quotas to monitor basic immigration. This remained the basic law of the land till 1965. The 19 24 Act was said to be, “ a racist and discriminatory system that was so much the product of the tribal twenties.”

How did the Cold War effect immigration and immigration policy?

“The act ended the total exclusion of racial and ethnic groups from naturalization and immigration… Essentially made laws colorblind”

“Just as the granting of the right of naturalization to Chinese in 1943 should be seen as a war measure, the further liberalization in 1952 should be seen as the fruit of the cold war.”

The cold war forced America to make provisions concerning the Walter McCarren Act. What I found to be so significant is that America is having its first struggle in becoming a leader of the “free world” amongst the majors acting countries and therefore the status of the law needed change in order to practice a more friendly immigration process. Although much of the original act, as well as the national origins system, were preserved, it is made clear that the U.S. must now begin to carry out “free world” governance.

What was surprising about who was admitted under the Displaced Persons Act of 1948?

It was the first piece of American legislation that set refugee policy rather then an immigration policy. The act was originally made for Nazi regime victims, but most who came benefited from Third Reich.

What did President Truman say was the greatest vice of the quota system and what was he specifically referring to?

“It discriminates, deliberately and intentionally, against many of the peoples of the world. The purpose behind it was to cut down and virtually eliminate immigration to this country from Southern and Eastern Europe.”

President Truman approved of the innovations of the bill, yet vetoed it… however it was still reenacted.

While immigration policy was still focused on Europe, who was really immigrating to the U.S. in larger numbers and why?

1950s- half of immigration was coming from Europe

1960s- 1/3 was coming from Europe

1980s- just over a 1/10 was coming from Europe

Latin American and Asians were where the large number of immigrants to the U.S. came from. The Chart 13.1 on page 335 shows legal immigration to the United States and shows clearly that, although policy was still focused in Europe, the largest number of immigrants did not come from Europe but from Latin America and Asia, especially after 1960.

What was revolutionary about the Immigration Act of 1965 and how did it fit with the national mood?

The original refugee act was limited. The act did not sufficiently make provisions for all groups. In 1965 Latin America was brought into the definition. Egalitarianism was the national consensus.

What were the unanticipated results of the 1965 law?

More then 2.25 million persons were admitted to the U.S. as refugees.

How does a refugee differ from an asylee?

An asylee must meet the same criteria that refugees follow, however, an asylee is a person who applies for entry into the U.S. while already here. The book specifies immigrants with student and work visas as asylees. . After reading this I felt that asylees are extremely common and don’t always fit in the category of a student or worker, instead they are usually illegal.

How did American attitudes toward refugees change between WWII and 1980?

“At the end of WW2, making provisions for any refugees had been highly controversial. 35 years later, the notion that the U.S. was OBLIGATED to take in refugees and have a generous policy toward them, or some of them, was totally uncontroversial. Having a refugee policy was part of the national consensus.”

What was the Mariel Crisis and how did it compare with Haiti's boat people?

Mariel Crisis was a three-way dispute between Cuba, Peru, and the U.S. over the right of some 3,500 dissident Cuban. The situation escalated to 125,000 Cubans in a matter of weeks. Haiti’s boat people were said to be leaving from poor economic conditions rather then

This quote sums up a common theme of this chapter, “On one hand Cold War imperatives made it wish to accept those seeking freedom from communism and to embarrass its enemy, Fidel Castro; on the other hand, it wanted the bureaucratic order suggested by the 1980 Refugee Act.” The head of state administration must choose its position. It can take the risk of accepting the refugees and hope that it is an orderly process or it could have rejected the refugees and faced questioning of a hypocritical stance.

Italian emigration 1850-1920

The first thing that stood out to me about chapter 7 was the conditions that were experienced by the immigrating population from the port of Naples. This population consisted of mainly Italians, Greeks, and Syrians. Naples was also one of the largest ports at the beginning of the 20th century. So to find that the conditions were so disgusting and below standards that any human should have to experience was surprising. I felt POW or slaves could have possibly been treated better at times. I was also surprised by the fact that the majority of emigrants did not go directly to the U.S until after the turn of the century. Also, the Italians that did come before the 20th century seemed to be at a disadvantage. Like when the Irish were the new immigrant group, the first arriving Italians, especially the lower class, had the same struggle that would place them at the "bottom of the food-chain". "As early as the 1890s commentators were noting that the Irish no longer built the railroads and paved the streets; Italians did." pg 195

Immigration 1820-1920

The Author goes into extra detail while discussing groups between 1820-1920 because "we will see that there are similarities and differences over time both between groups and within groups." This is significant because prior to the 19th century, the differences and similarities that occurred amongst groups were much less evident. For example, groups of immigrants could be made up of mainly males, as immigration evolved and became more common, more women starting immigrating as well. This also was true with Europe demographic emigration. Western Europe had already established a steady flow of emigration before Eastern Europe would begin to emigrate. Now in this new age of immigration (starting at 1880s), not only do groups have similarities and differences with other groups, but also groups are beginning to have similarities and differences amongst themselves because of their vastness.

Chapter 5- John Jays Providence

In the section ethnic relations, John Jay plays down the ethnic differences that existed during the American Revolution.

"Providence... one connected country to one united people, a people descended from the same ancestors, speaking of the same language, professing the same religion, attached to the same principles of government..." pg 108

Jay knew his words weren't exactly valid. In reality, the ethnic relations that existed were never consistent, the attitudes held by English Americans towards foreign immigrants varied. Jay was attempting to unite the people with his words. Although he knew everyone had separate ancestors, separate religions, and had not established a form of government that everyone followed, Jay was looking toward the future. Because there was such a variety of people and classes I feel that Jay was trying to limit tension amongst the separate groups. Jay had hopes of creating the beginning of a revolution or at least helping create a more united people.

Late post-Olaudah Equiano

Chapter 2 of Olaudah Equiano's story is a very sad chapter about the capture of him and his sister. My initial question was, how old were they? He mentions that they are children at the time, however, he did not seem like he put up much of a struggle during his capture, therefore he must have been quite young. His journey must have been quite a daze because he is still thinking about escaping. Although he knows he is a far way away from home, he finds he can use the sun as a guide back. However when he is forced to hide from his he master, he just compounds his mistakes. Although he does not say it, I feel that this is the first instance when he loses hope in ever returning. When he is reunited with his sister, it seems there might be a glimmer of hope, but they are torn apart once again. I found his comments about his pain very elegant. The most surprising part of this chapter was the amount African on African slavery. Although i did notice that much of there treatment was better then the treatment that was waiting across the Atlantic.

Late Post, Americans called Indians

"scholars do not make such assumptions about other people in the absence of supporting evidence; yet they make them about Indians without ever looking for evidence."

pg 47 - The Americans and the Problem of History

I chose to include this quote in my blog because of its significance involving Native American history, or in this case lack there of. The author speaks of the struggle scholars have had attempting to understand the native culture. In the Americas much of our pre-history has been lost. Before the arrival of Europeans there was a thriving civilization, "Americans called Indians". Much of our knowledge on the natives today is still unclear and much of our discovery has come from archaeological discovery rather then first hand oral. By disregarding the people that settled the land before them, colonizers destroyed history or a possible recovery of historical information about the native culture present in the Americas at the time. Unfortunately, the mistake of taking advantage has left us with a blank spot n our history of the first Americans.

Census and Struggles of First Settlers

The beginning of the colonial period brought nearly one million people from Europe and Africa to the first colonies. There were about 600,000 Europeans and nearly 300,000 Africans. What is so significant about the two numbers is the ratio of slaves to freemen. This is because all of the Africans were slaves, and nearly half of the Europeans were as well. This unreasonable ratio left freemen as the minority. At the end of the colonial period(1790) the first census was taken by the people of the United States. The total population amounted to nearly four million persons. Among that population was 3.1 million whites and 750,000 blacks. It must be made known that the native population was excluded.

Initially the populations of the first colonies had a difficult time establishing the colonies and improving the conditions. The first settlers had this issue because of three major reasons. First, the first settlers were very unprepared and had come to the colonies without the proper necessities. The settlers were not only exhausted from the trip but their supplies were dwindling. Second, The positioning and timing of the first colonies did not work in their favor. Not only did the settlers of jamestown land in a swamp that had salt contaminated fresh water but the area was also experiencing a drought. Lastly, Death rates from disease and malnutrition were staggering. Disease from several different causes made life for the first settlers difficult. It was argued by Edmund S. Morgan that not until 1700 did the birth rate in Virginia exceed the death toll.

immigration vs. migration

In the first chapter, people coming from Europe to the "New World" are defined as migrants rather then immigrants. Their voyage is classified as migration instead of immigration because; although people are coming from Europe to America, America's national frontier is yet to be established. Therefore, workers are not crossing borders, just migrating to new land. This is significant because an immigrants attitude is different from that of a migrant. It seems migrant workers have an advantage. An immigrant may have citizenship issues or problems adapting to the new system. The author chose to define people coming from Europe to the new world as migrants to better define the struggles experienced by the group.

The Beginning of the Pacific

It has always been a debate when it comes to the exact date of human arrival around the world. When it comes to the coastlines and islands of the pacific, data and information from the past has often been misinterpreted and the unknown history of the pacific is still being explored today. If continued progress is made regarding the history of Pacific it could possibly reveal unknown history about mankind.

Just how early seafaring actually began is still a question. However, what is interesting is the ability of humans to adapt to the environment and expand throughout the world at such a early stage of life. "This human ability to innovate during periods of heightened environmental stress is one of the hallmark characteristics of our specie..."

Our most current data supports a spread of cultures that adapted to the pacific shortly after the pleistocene period. Currently we use radiocarbon dating techniques to identify historical sites. Although radiocarbon dating is a technique developed over half a century ago it still seems to be are best resource for identifying just how old archaeological sites really are.

What is "America"?

The discovery of the Americas was hard for civilization to understand. Knowledge about the "new world" was mainly speculation or opinion. One could almost draw a parallel to modern day exploration into the universe. Many modern day explorers have spent time observing space and its vast uncertainty and still have no real legitimate understanding of it.

The reading sparked multiple ideas and thoughts about the classification of cultures that create the melting pot known as the americas. First, creating a definition of the "Americas" is difficult. I found that there is two ways of attempting to define "America". By culture or by geography. However, neither one gives a clear, or efficient, definition of America. Geography can be misleading; although Mexico neighbors the U.S. it can be classified culturally asfrom the U.S. and more similar to S. American countries. I prefer defining America by culture; a variety of culture mixed and scrambled into one that is separate yet together. Th separate at the "new world", or n. and s. america, has such diversity that its diversity is its only common ground.

The U.S. and Canada may make up the largest part of the Americas but they are also different and can almost be classified as separate from the rest. While other American Counties struggle with political and economic stability the U.S. and Canada have a different agenda. Understanding the Americas as a whole is difficult but feasible.