IMMIGRATION

• Immigration is the arrival of settlers into a new country where they are not native

WHAT IS IT?

HOW HAS IT IMPACTED THE UNITED STATES?

• Immigration in America from 1850-1930 – 5 million Germans

moved to the U.S.– 3.5 British

immigrants came to America

– 4.5 Irish – Average age was

between 15-30 in these new immigrants

– On average, nearly 25 million Europeans came to America during this time period

• Immigrants from Europe would come through Ellis Island, in New York City

• Here they would be examined medically and asked questions about their purpose in America

ELLIS ISLAND

• 1910-1940 the island served as an immigration station for people coming into the United States from Asia

• Some immigrants spent years on the island, waiting for allowance into the United States

• The island processed approximately 1 million immigrants from Asia

ANGEL ISLAND

• The mixture of multiple nationalities into one nation and coexisting together. • This room could

be an example of a melting pot.

THE MELTING POT

HOW HAS IMMIGRATION CHANGED?

• Our focus has shifted from European and Asian immigrants to immigration along the Mexican border

• Department of Homeland Security has used many resources to ensure illegal immigrants are not entering into the United States

• Federal officers (Border Patrol Agents) monitor the borders – They are part of the

Homeland Security Department

– Over 21,000 agents patrol the borders of the United States, both south and north

According to the Center for American Progress:

• 11.5 million undocumented immigrants were living in the United States in January 2011

• 86% of undocumented immigrants have been living in the United States for seven years or longer

• 45% of unauthorized immigrant households are composed of couples with families

• $11.2 billion is the amount of money households headed by unauthorized immigrants paid in state and local taxes in 2010

• $23, 482 – The amount it costs to apprehend, detain, process, and transport one individual

STATISTICS