American Immigration Myths
May 24th, 2011
America is a country of immigrants; yet these days, the subject of immigration is very controversial. The matter divides communities and politicians alike due to the many misconceptions that abound surrounding this matter. America at present houses a larger population of undocumented migrants than at any point in its history. In the 1990s, more than 9 million legal immigrants were admitted to the U.S. In 2005, 11 million foreign-born people had been living in the country in an undocumented status.
Based on the American Immigration Lawyers Association, these migrants are typically alienated from the rest of American society, economically vulnerable, and fearful of contact with social institutions that provide health care and education. “America’s immigration system is broken and needs to be reformed to ensure that immigration is legal, safe, orderly and reflective of the requirements of American families, businesses and national security,” said Deborah Notkin, president of AILA. Even though the large numbers of immigrants have led some to conclude that the country has lost control of its borders, officials at AILA say that the true causes and dynamics of immigration cannot be so quickly compartmentalized.
Five Widespread Myths Concerning Immigration In The United States
Doris Meissner, from the Migration Policy Institute, lately shared these five immigration myths in The Washington Post:
1.Immigrants takes jobs from American workers.
2. Immigration is at an all-time high, and the majority new immigrants came illegally.
3.Today’s immigrants aren’t integrating into American life like past waves did.
4. Cracking down on illegal border crossing’s will make us safer.
5. Immigration reform can’t happen in an election year.
Norkin claims we must start creating successful immigration policies. This demands overcoming the prevalent myths about immigration. One misperception, Notkin said, is that migration occurs as there is a lack of economic development in migrants’ home countries. In actuality, international migrants don’t originate in the world’s poorest nations,but in those that are developing and growing dynamically. Mexico, for instance, the largest single source of U.S. immigrants, isn’t a poor nation by global standards. It has an industrialized, $1 trillion economy along with a per capita income of almost $9,000.
Another myth is that migrants are attracted to America by generous public positive aspects. In reality, immigrants are not as likely than natives to use public services, and 5 percent or much less report employing food stamps or welfare.
There also is the misunderstanding that a lot of immigrants plan to settle permanently in the United States, Notkin said. Mexico-U.S migration has been historically circular, with 80 percent of Mexican immigrants reporting that they made no more than three trips to the USA and three-quarters staying less than a couple of years.