5 ms·

I don't think it's ever been easy to get into the US. A tour through Ellis Island will tell you as much. The difference is that, in the past, the US needed its

I don't think it's ever been easy to get into the US. A tour through Ellis Island will tell you as much. The difference is that, in the past, the US needed its immigrants. They built its cities and its railroads and much of the US's early industry. Later the US's immigrants were its main source of scientific advancements...but the US's relationship with its immigrants has, I think, always been strained. The difference is that, today, there seems to have been a shift in attitude. The US no longer thinks that it needs its immigrants. On top of that, the world is a different place today. No longer is "the American dream" unique to America. I know many people who've started businesses and found great success elsewhere in the world. It may be cliche to say, but only time will tell if the US's new attitude toward immigrants is justified or will prove its undoing. In the mean time, the world is a great big place with many wonderful things to see and people to meet. I don't think you'll miss much if you never go back...

mcv 13y ago
The country is made almost entirely out of immigrants. It's bizarre that they're so closed off and scared of immigrants; they themselves are the children of immigrants.
- twoodfin 13y ago
  The US has a higher per capita net migration rate than every major European country other than Italy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_net_migration_rate http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_net_migrat... More than three times that of France, for example.
  - carbocation 13y ago
    Add Luxembourg, Spain, and a few others to that list.
    - twoodfin 13y ago
      You're right of course. I should have included Spain. Luxembourg and Cyprus don't have two million people between them.
      - carbocation 13y ago
        True. It is a nitpick on my part, regardless.
- sp332 13y ago
  Yeah and look what happened last time a wave of immigrants showed up. No wonder we're scared!
- thaumasiotes 13y ago
  In this sense, every country in the world is made entirely (not "almost entirely") from immigrants. Plenty of American families have been there as long as anyone alive can remember; the fact that the history beyond living memory is shorter than usual isn't particularly relevant.
- diydsp 13y ago
  It's bizarre if expecting the Golden Rule to be followed... It appears to be a system made to disadvantage newcomers. This is visible in the Baby Boomer's treatment of the younger class, immigration and in frat houses. "You ask me to enter, but then you make me crawl." -Bono Vox
crusso 13y ago
US immigration is broken on so many levels. A lot of our immigration problems stem from a political desire to increase voter rolls for one particular party. The Democrat party benefits greatly from illegal immigration from Mexico, so they refuse to do anything whatsoever to control that flow. That's great for Democrats to win elections and all, but it creates a backlash against immigration in general. Ironically, the most controllable area of immigration, that of those actually following the visa process suffer the most from that backlash.
- CaptainZapp 13y ago
  The Democrat party benefits greatly from illegal immigration from Mexico Could you back up that assertion with proof, or at least with some sound reasoning. While I can accept that Latinos tend to vote democrat illegal immigrants can't vote to begin with. So it certainly doesn't follow that "The Democrat party benefits greatly from illegal immigration from Mexico" To me that sounds a bit like partisan mud slinging, I'm sorry to say.
  - xradionut 13y ago
    Both parties in the US benefit from illegal immigration from Mexico. Democrats have a huge Hispanic base which has interests in immigration reform. Republicans play both sides, one hand is bashing immigrants, while many of their supporters hire them for jobs to reduce costs.
    - crusso 13y ago
      I'd agree that the Republicans play both sides. As you mention, there's the job base group of Republicans, like those in line with the Chamber of Commerce. There's also the Republicans who think that somehow they're going to get in the good graces of illegal immigrants by maintaining a softer stance. That said, the only opposition to illegal immigration comes from corners of the Republican party. The Democrats are all-in and willing to use the Justice Department to sue states even trying to protect their own borders.
  - crusso 13y ago
moocowduckquack 13y ago
US's relationship with its immigrants has, I think, always been strained. I think the Navaho and others have been somewhat annoyed by all the pesky foreigners with their exotic christian outlook.
- V-2 13y ago
  Were they "the US"? ;)
  - moocowduckquack 13y ago
    Not yet, due to a cunning use of flags. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTduy7Qkvk8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTduy7Qkvk8
wildwood 13y ago
There's really nothing new about hostility to immigrants in the United States. The last generation's wave of newcomers is the next generation's "old guard", saying that the new wave is "lazy", "unskilled", and a leech on society. What's going on today seems like a fairly straightforward continuation of how we've always been. There've always been lots of people who would say that the next wave of immigrants is unneeded, and unwanted. No matter how successful they turned out to be.
rwhitman 13y ago
I think its possible the immigration quotas are skewed by how many people are in the country that didn't come through the system today. Prior to the current wave of southern border immigration, almost everyone had to go through the system via a port of entry and they could keep the quotas in check. My family all came via boat, plane etc at a time when the immigration office probably wasn't accounting for undocumented entries. So whats happened is that immigration now has to account for higher numbers they can't control. The people who actually come through the system are at a disadvantage because their numbers can actually be regulated whereas undocumented migrants can't.

mcv 13y ago

The country is made almost entirely out of immigrants. It's bizarre that they're so closed off and scared of immigrants; they themselves are the children of immigrants.

twoodfin 13y ago
The US has a higher per capita net migration rate than every major European country other than Italy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_net_migration_rate http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_net_migrat... More than three times that of France, for example.
- carbocation 13y ago
  Add Luxembourg, Spain, and a few others to that list.
  - twoodfin 13y ago
    You're right of course. I should have included Spain. Luxembourg and Cyprus don't have two million people between them.
    - carbocation 13y ago
      True. It is a nitpick on my part, regardless.
sp332 13y ago
Yeah and look what happened last time a wave of immigrants showed up. No wonder we're scared!
thaumasiotes 13y ago
In this sense, every country in the world is made entirely (not "almost entirely") from immigrants. Plenty of American families have been there as long as anyone alive can remember; the fact that the history beyond living memory is shorter than usual isn't particularly relevant.
diydsp 13y ago
It's bizarre if expecting the Golden Rule to be followed... It appears to be a system made to disadvantage newcomers. This is visible in the Baby Boomer's treatment of the younger class, immigration and in frat houses. "You ask me to enter, but then you make me crawl." -Bono Vox

crusso 13y ago

US immigration is broken on so many levels. A lot of our immigration problems stem from a political desire to increase voter rolls for one particular party. The Democrat party benefits greatly from illegal immigration from Mexico, so they refuse to do anything whatsoever to control that flow. That's great for Democrats to win elections and all, but it creates a backlash against immigration in general. Ironically, the most controllable area of immigration, that of those actually following the visa process suffer the most from that backlash.

CaptainZapp 13y ago
The Democrat party benefits greatly from illegal immigration from Mexico Could you back up that assertion with proof, or at least with some sound reasoning. While I can accept that Latinos tend to vote democrat illegal immigrants can't vote to begin with. So it certainly doesn't follow that "The Democrat party benefits greatly from illegal immigration from Mexico" To me that sounds a bit like partisan mud slinging, I'm sorry to say.
- xradionut 13y ago
  Both parties in the US benefit from illegal immigration from Mexico. Democrats have a huge Hispanic base which has interests in immigration reform. Republicans play both sides, one hand is bashing immigrants, while many of their supporters hire them for jobs to reduce costs.
  - crusso 13y ago
    I'd agree that the Republicans play both sides. As you mention, there's the job base group of Republicans, like those in line with the Chamber of Commerce. There's also the Republicans who think that somehow they're going to get in the good graces of illegal immigrants by maintaining a softer stance. That said, the only opposition to illegal immigration comes from corners of the Republican party. The Democrats are all-in and willing to use the Justice Department to sue states even trying to protect their own borders.
- crusso 13y ago

moocowduckquack 13y ago

US's relationship with its immigrants has, I think, always been strained. I think the Navaho and others have been somewhat annoyed by all the pesky foreigners with their exotic christian outlook.

V-2 13y ago
Were they "the US"? ;)
- moocowduckquack 13y ago
  Not yet, due to a cunning use of flags. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTduy7Qkvk8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTduy7Qkvk8

wildwood 13y ago

There's really nothing new about hostility to immigrants in the United States. The last generation's wave of newcomers is the next generation's "old guard", saying that the new wave is "lazy", "unskilled", and a leech on society. What's going on today seems like a fairly straightforward continuation of how we've always been. There've always been lots of people who would say that the next wave of immigrants is unneeded, and unwanted. No matter how successful they turned out to be.

rwhitman 13y ago

I think its possible the immigration quotas are skewed by how many people are in the country that didn't come through the system today. Prior to the current wave of southern border immigration, almost everyone had to go through the system via a port of entry and they could keep the quotas in check. My family all came via boat, plane etc at a time when the immigration office probably wasn't accounting for undocumented entries. So whats happened is that immigration now has to account for higher numbers they can't control. The people who actually come through the system are at a disadvantage because their numbers can actually be regulated whereas undocumented migrants can't.