Choose at least two examples of the immigrant experience in the United States, and discuss related discrimination, segregation laws, and immigration policy over time

Question

Use examples from history to explain the advantages and disadvantages of granting a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

An ideal response will:
1, Include examples like Japanese Americans on the West Coast in the 1940s; Mexican Americans being deported in the 1930s; Asians targeted by segregation laws especially in the western U.S.; the ban on Chinese immigrant laborers in the late nineteenth century; and national quotas giving way to the Immigration Act of 1965 and the Immigration Act of 1990 .
2, Explain how historically segregation laws have been particularly prominent in the Southwest and provide a few examples.
3, Discuss the current rates of immigration to the U.S. such as Asian immigrant which was at 43% in 2011 and immigration from Spanish-speaking regions at 28% (with 30% of all current immigrants living in the U.S. from Mexico.)
4, Discuss the increased flexibility and also the limitations of the Immigration Act of 1990.
5, Consider the contributions of immigrants—legal and illegal—to the U.S. and their role in the current economy. Show that students can think critically about the current controversies surrounding illegal immigration and likely future policies to deal with it under the Obama administration.