Regents Prep: U.S. History: Immigration & Migration:
Modern Era Immigration
Introduction
Modern immigration to the US is coming from literally all over the globe. As international cooperation, trade and contact has grown in the last half of the 20th century, the movement of peoples has also increased. 

Who Are Modern Immigrants?
The Immigration and Naturalization service's statistics for the 1990's show that the majority of the immigrants to the US are coming from Latin America (Mexico), Southeastern Asia (Philippines, Vietnam, China and Korea) and the Asian Subcontinent (India).

Why Did They Come?
Economic opportunity still remains the number one reason for immigration to the US. Many of the immigrants living and working in the US are sending much of their wages home to help support family who cannot subsist in their home countries.
Others are allowed in for a wide-variety of reasons. Many come seeking educational opportunities or are recruited to fill jobs in the US for which specialized skills are required (engineering and medicine among other fields). Others seek political asylum or religious asylum from autocratic or theocratic governments at home.

What Issues Do They Face?

  • Many newly arrived immigrants still find discrimination and prejudice present in modern American society.
  • There is also a increased call for a further tightening of US immigration law to restrict the further influx of families and spouses, generally allowed into the US in order to join family members already immigrating. Further calls for restrictions come in reaction to the increase in illegal immigration (mostly via the US-Mexico border) and the increasing denial of access and services to illegal immigrants like those found in California.

What Impact Do They Have?
New arrivals continue to impact American society with new ideas and culture. The growing influence of immigrants as a political force is also of note. The increased representation on California in Congress is a direct result of increased population due to immigration. Also of note is the fact that 40% of the voters in southern California are Hispanic or of Hispanic decent. Recent history has also seen an increase  in activism by and on behalf of growing ethnic groups, fueled by increased immigration and focused on reducing discrimination and protecting rights and freedoms of minority groups.