Andrew BedellAlex Jones

Chris Elder Mark Brainard

Earliest Settlers:◦ Lenape Indians◦ Swedish (Philadelphia Colors) ◦ British◦ Irish

Main Areas of Immigration◦ Western Europe◦ Eastern Europe◦ Russia

New Immigration Areas◦ Asian

Chinese Vietnamese Indian Korean

Started in Central PA Counties

By the 1990s Asian immigrants had become the dominant immigrant group

Immigration is centered around Philadelphia

Russians (Soviets) Sudanese Cubans Bosnians

Photo taken from The Pennsylvania Refugee Resettlement Program

95% Foreign-born◦ 91% of them are Mexican

Over 16,000 legal immigrants entering PA each year◦ Size of UD entering PA each year

Immigrant population increased:◦ 38% from 1990-1999◦ More than 20% from 2000-2006

Total immigrant population: 611,000+

FAIR Estimate: 140,000 (2007)◦ More than 1.1% of total PA population

Annual cost paid by PA taxpayers:◦ Estimated at between $285-$487 million per year

Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center (PIRC) provides legal assistance to both legal and illegal immigrants seeking asylum

Reaction to illegal immigrants

Movement to restrict rights of illegal immigrants

1/3 of the town’s 30,000 citizens were illegal immigrants

Lorzano v. Hazleton was not passed in Federal Court

.

Prior to Change◦ Up until the 1970’s, the majority of immigration that

occurred in Pennsylvania was from Europe and Russia. Asian Influx

◦ In the 1970’s demographics began to change as a new influx of Asian immigrants arrived in Pennsylvania.

Spread in the 80’s◦ A major shift occurred when Asian immigration spread

from Lancaster and Lebanon counties in the 1980’s. The New Status Quo

◦ Asian and Indian foreigners became the dominant immigration group in the 1990’s.

Greater Philadelphia◦ The majority of foreign immigration has occurred in the greater

Philadelphia area. Political refugees

◦ Since 1970, many thousands refugees have made their home in Pennsylvania due to domestic problems in their country of origin.

Seasonal Migrant Workers◦ Over fifty thousand seasonal migrant workers come to

Pennsylvania yearly, the overwhelming majority of them being Mexican.

Legal Immigration◦ Pennsylvania receives over ten thousand applications every year for

legal immigration.

Illegal Immigration◦ Currently, there is a total of over a hundred thousand illegal

immigrants in Pennsylvania, and that number is projected to triple in the next forty years.

Hazelton◦ Backlash against changing demographics has occurred in towns

such as Hazelton, where the town attempted to discriminate against illegal immigrants.

1. Explain the emergence of Asian immigrants from 1970 until present day.

2. Explain the circumstances for Asian immigration to spread from Lancaster and Lebanon counties.

3. Evaluate the causes for various refugees to come to Pennsylvania.

4. Distinguish between the effects of seasonal migrant workers compared to illegal immigrants on the labor force.

5. Argue and defend whether the actions of the city of Hazelton were justified.

1. How did the demographic shifts of the 1970’s and 1980’s differ from past decades?

2. What effects did immigrants in Lancaster and Lebanon counties have on the rest of Pennsylvania?

3. How did foreign conflicts affect immigration in Pennsylvania?

4. How does illegal immigration impact the job market in Pennsylvania?

5. What arguments did the town of Hazelton have for making English the official language of the town?

United States Immigration Support: Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania State Data Center: Race/Origin/Immigration

New York Times: Immigration ExplorerFederation for American Immigration

Reform: Pennsylvania Census Bureau DataHazelton on CBS NewsPennsylvania Refugee Resettlement

Program

Hazelton Debate RAFT:

- Role: Pro-ordinance, Anti-ordinance, Panel of judges

- Audience: Panel of judges- Format: Debate- Topic: Making English the official language

Regional & National◦ Trends in PA reflect national trends

Global◦ Immigration from different countries is caused by

US action in those countries Vietnam, Korea, and China Russia and Eastern Europe

Country founded on immigration, remains an important part of US identity

Immigration remains a hot topic today in legislation and national debate

Helps students understand the make up of the population during units studied

By understanding the people involved in history, students can better understand history