Immigration into The United States
California and the Southwest. Except for the Mexican immigrants, most of the immigrants from the Caribbean and Latin American settled along the East Coast, primarily in Florida and New York. As in the past, the majority of these immigrants worked in low-paying service industry or agricultural jobs. A large wave of Cuban-American refugees seeking political asylum entered the country. Many settled in Miami and New York. During the 1960's the country saw a major tax cut and the unemployment rate drop. However, increased government spending brought about another recession in the 1970's which would not be brought under control until the mid-1980's. The early 1970's marked the weakest U.S. economy of the post-World War II era. Rising inflation, unemployment and increased government spending marked the period. During the Carter Administration, the nation was introduced to the term stagflation, a combination of stagnation and inflation. Petroleum prices multiplied. The rate of economic growth slowed down. Inflation increased rapidly. When Ronald Reagan took office in 1981, he introduced Reaganomics, or lower taxes and increased output. Reagan's economic policy was based on the idea that investment in industry and consumer spending would eventually increase tax revenues. The Gulf War and increased taxes in order to reduce the federal deficit marked the Bush Era. During this time, hundreds of thousands of immigrants entered the country as a result of lenient immigration laws. However, many of these more recent immigrants were well educated. Many immigrants have high levels of scholastic achievements and their children have prospered from the American public schools. Today, during the Clinton Administration, the nation is enjoying a booming economy. The unemployment rate is at a record low and immigrants are once again shaping the economy. Many immigrants are working in leading edge technological jobs in an information-age economy. Companies in Silicon Valley, California have reduced the price of computer MIPs and memory bits by a factor of some 10,000 in 2½ decades. Over one-third of the work force in Silicon Valley is made up of immigrants. Cultural changes and economic conditions give way to anti-immigration sentiment in this country periodically. The most recent arrivals may experience greater difficulty in finding jobs than those at the turn of the century, a time of booming industry and unmechanized farms. One cannot help but note, nevertheless, that our country continues to be a nation of immigrants.
Leading up to the year 1981, America had fallen into a period of “stagflation”, a portmanteau for ‘stagnant economies’ and ‘high inflation’. Characterized by high taxes, high unemployment, high interest rates, and low national income, America needed to look to something other than Keynesian economics to pull itself out of this low. During the 1980 election, Ronald Reagan’s campaign focused on a new stream of economic policy. His objective was to turn the economy into “a healthy, vigorous, growing economy [which would provide] equal opportunities for all Americans, with no barriers born of bigotry or discrimination.” Reagan’s policy, later known as ‘Reaganomics’, entailed a four-point plan which cut taxes, reduced government spending, created anti-inflationary policy, and deregulated certain products.
His family was low-income building their way up to middle class by the Clinton Administration, moving from state to state hoping to find better employment after leaving the military. The main aspects of the economy, social issues and global conflicts during President Reagan’s 1980-88 and President Bush’s first two years of his administration and the positive and negative effects they had. Reagan became president when the country was experiencing economic troubles; mainly inflation was at 13 percent and the unemployment rate climbing. Reagan developed a relief act and policies that became known as Reaganomics. Marc Cornman states “that there was no positive to the policies unless you were rich.”
When the stock market crash of 1929 struck, the worst economic downturn in American history was upon Hoover’s administration. (Biography.com pag.1) At the beginning of the 1930s, more than 15 million Americans--fully one-quarter of all wage-earning workers--were unemployed. President Herbert Hoover did not do much to alleviate the crisis.(History n.pag.) In 1932, Americans elected a new president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who pledged to use the power of the federal government to make Americans’ lives better.
Several things transpired politically in the 1990’s, but one of the most crucial events was the Immigration Act: “[The Immigration Act] allowed for an increase in the number of legal immigrants into the United States and... increased the numbers of work visas and visas awarded to immigrants hoping to become permanent residents of the United States” (Bell). Although some people were against this, it was actually quite beneficial. For example, it helped the immigrants because it gave them a job and a better life, and it helped the United States by increasing its workforce. Along with the Immigration Act, a few wars were also going on; the Persian Gulf War was one of them. As described in the article, “Persian Gulf War”, “Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion...of Kuwait. [When] Hussein defied United Nations Security Council demands to withdraw from Kuwait...the [war] began with a massive U.S.-led air offensive known as Operation Desert Storm. After 42 days of relentless attacks...President George H.W. Bush declared a cease-fire [but] by that time, most Iraqi forces in Kuwait had either surrendered or fled.” The fact that the United States won this war for Kuwait showed that they are still the dominant superpower of the world. It also gave Americans a sense of pride and made them feel strong and
From the day that Ronald Reagan was elected President of the United States, in November 1980, he had a huge task ahead of him, to develop an economic plan or policy to implement into the national economy. President Reagan felt that he needed to base his economic program on the basis of supply side economics (Encyclopedia Britannica, Britannica.com, 2000). This theory is a very complex idea that President Reagan developed himself, so many people gave it the name of Reaganomics (Encyclopedia American, gi.grolier.com , 2000). The theory of Reaganomics called for a significant reduction in all forms of taxes and an adequate cutback on governmental spending so there will be more money in the hands of the American citizens. The main goal of the supply s...
curb inflation. President Reagan was able to sign into law a tax cut in late
Every year, hundreds of thousands of immigrants, legal and illegal, from around the world, come to the United States. These immigrants come because they want a chance at a better life; others are refugees, escaping persecution and civil wars in their home country. Many people believe the United States is the best place to go. There is more freedom, protection, and benefits, which seems like a good deal to immigrants. But the large number of immigration is affecting the current citizens of the United States. Taxpayers are forced to pay for the welfare and schooling for many of these immigrants, some who are illegal aliens. Some citizens believe that immigration can be hazardous to the environment. Others blame crime, poverty, and overpopulation on immigration. About sixty-eight million immigrants have been added to the United States since 1970, and it is estimated that 130 million people will be added over the next fifty years. The government has tried somewhat to restrict immigration but the laws are still too lenient. Nearly every other advanced country in the world is moving quickly towards stabilized population or has already achieved it. The United States is moving towards it very slowly. This country would have to reduce immigration down to 255,000 a year to do this (Beck 1). If nothing is done to stabilize the immigration to this country, what will become of population in the next decade? The population will continue to grow even faster - not due to births, but to massive immigration to this country. Immigration can become a serious problem to this country if the government does not produce stricter laws.
It has been a long debated topic whether or not America should continue to let immigrants enter the country. Often, the immediate response would be to withhold more immigrants to come in since there are many existing immigrants already living everywhere around the United States. But the truth is that the immigrants who come in are undoubtedly helping America much more than they harm it. Examples of how the immigrants help would be the economy becoming more powerful, diverse culture, more variety, and even creating job opportunities. By maintaining an open gate for immigrants, the benefits that they bring will definitely outweigh the problems which will create a greater America.
There was general prosperity in America following the Second World War, however in the 1970s inflation rose, productivity decreased, and corporate debt increased. Individual incomes slipped as oil prices raised. Popular dissent surrounding the economic crisis helped Reagan win the 1980 election under promises to lower taxes, deregulate, and bring America out of stagnation. Many New Right supporters put their faith in him to change the system. To start his tenure, Reagan passed significant tax cuts for the rich to encourage investment. Next he passed the Economy Recovery Tax Act that cut tax rates by 25% with special provisions that favored business. Reagan’s economic measures were based on his belief in supply-side economics, which argued that tax cuts for the wealthy and for business stimulates investment, with the benefits eventually tricking down to the popular masses. His supply-side economic policies were generally consistent with the establishment’s support of free market, ...
Immigrants leave their countries in search for a better life and improvement of their situation. There is no singular reason for immigration; motivations range from better economic prospects to political safety. As of late, the number of immigrants living in the United States is an estimated 11 million. Those who immigrate are expected to contribute to the United States culturally, politically, and economically. Yet, full assimilation becomes difficult to achieve when the immigrant is made into “the other” by the country of reception.
The United States has often been referred to as a global “melting pot” due to its assimilation of diverse cultures, nationalities, and ethnicities. In today’s society, this metaphor may be an understatement. Between 1990 and 2010, the number of foreign born United States residents nearly doubled from 20 million to 40 million, increasing the U.S. population from almost 250 million to 350 million people. With U.S. born children and grandchildren of immigrants, immigration contributed to half of this population growth. These immigrants, consisting of mostly Asian and Hispanic backgrounds, have drastically changed the composition of the U.S. population. In 2010, Asians and Hispanics made up 20 percent of the U.S. population, in contrast to a 6 percent share of Asians and Hispanics in 1970. It is predicted that by 2050, the share of immigrants in the United States will increase to one half of the entire population. With this rapid increase in diversity, many citizens have opposing views on its impact on the United States. In my opinion, an increase in immigration does contain both positive and negatives effects, but in general it provides an overriding positive influence on America’s society (“Population”).
Led by Senator Barry Goldwater and exemplified in President Ronald Reagan, the growth of right-to-work laws (where unions could not require an entire workplace to pay dues if they represented the workplace) and the disbandment of large unions (Air Traffic Controller Workers by President Reagan) were policies that favored a more market-controlled economy than one dictated by the demands of organized labor. This mindset can even be seen with the more liberal-minded administration of President Johnson, who was concerned about “inflationary labor settlements” and expressed desire step in among the ILA and New York Shipping Association favoring the needs of the employers rather than the wage increases and other demands of ILA members. While the new conservatives brought important critiques to a highly bureaucratic and inflationary economy, increased globalization saw the closures of many domestic manufacturing plants and, consequently, the loss of US manufacturing jobs. While workers grew more concerned about domestic jobs and the public less enchanted with the welfare state, business leaders formed roundtables and alliances to influence political
“They are willing to sell themselves in order to find a better life for themselves or
In the 1980s, American factories were closing at a rapid pace. President Reagan's famous "trickle-down" economics helped large corporations increase profits while at the same time he reduced the power of the union with the firing of over 11,000 Air Traffic Controllers who had gone on strike (Le Blanc 122).
The United States of America is the best place for immigration. The history proved that the United States was the dream land, the place of chances. That started when Europeans escaped form their countries because there were no jobs and no safe places to live. America became the best choice for people who were looking for political asylum, jobs, or freedom, but after a few generations something changed the Americans look to immigrants as strangers and they forgot where they are from because America is multicultural place and immigration movement should be understandable, but this is not the case. Governments should develop good laws for immigrants by giving rights to immigrants to stay in America, to protect them, and to allow people who deserve to come to America.