Abolish Laws on Immigrants Coming to America
Final draft
As Korean immigrants, my parents sought out better opportunities, which was their top priority. Today, many immigrants come to America to keep their hope alive. That reminds me of my parents who came to America in 1983 for that kind of hope. Better opportunities helped my parents succeed. Before the September 11th terrorist attacks, millions of immigrants came to America. However, the since the September 11th attacks, President George W. Bush and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice have set restrictions on the numbers of immigrants coming to America. The security of the immigration system was maximized, which limited immigrants? hopes of coming to America. As a college student, I believe that America should bend its restrictions to allow immigrants, regardless of race and religion, to go on an odyssey to fulfill their dreams.
The reason why people immigrate is to seek better opportunity, freedom, safety and economic stability. That makes America look good. Increasing numbers of immigrants, both illegal and legal, have been coming to America since 1940. The number of immigrants coming to America between 1940 and 1970 did show a slight change. The statistics of immigrants the 0.9 million coming to America in the 1940s, 2.5 million in the 1950s, 3.2 million in the 1960s, 4.3 million in the 1970s, 6.3 million and 10 million in the following decades. In 1970, it began to surge. The percentage increased from 4.8 to 8.7 of the population from 1970 to 1994. Profiles have changed since 1950. ?In the 1950s, two thirds of a much smaller number came from Europe and Canada? (Samuelson 2). Thirty years later, half of the immigrants came from Mexico and almost 40 percent came from Asia. Today, the problem is that the immigrants lack of English knowledge when they come to America. So far, the statistics show that the top three states where most immigrants settled are California, 40%, Texas, 14%, and New York, 11%. A research group from Rand Corporation claims that each area tends to be dominated by one race. Cubans immigrate to Miami, ?people from the Caribbean and Central America flock to New York City? (Clark 2) and Asians boost Seattle into one of the largest cities in the United States.
Seeking better opportunities is the most important reason why immigrants came to America. An example is a Mexican immigrant named Ana (not a real name) who came to America illegally. She began to work as a laundrywoman and received a small amount of money. Over the years, she moved through the ranks from laundrywoman to maid to a successful broker. In 2000, she made $50,000 off the books and it was tax exempt. Ana showed a lot of effort to make money to take care of her children in Mexico. Today, Ana is able to afford something many wealthy Americans can afford, such as sixty pairs of shoes being stored in her closet and videos filling the shelves in her apartment. ?Mexico is a strange country to me now,? she recalls, ?New York is my gold mine? (Zarembo 3). Vietnamese-dominated Falls Church, Virginia, is another example. Norman Ebonstein takes the credit for opening opportunities to Vietnamese immigrants a decade ago and today, Falls Church, Virginia has ?the largest Vietnamese shopping center in the United States? (Clark 2). Immigrants find a prime destination where they feel comfortable to settle in.
Freedom is what most immigrants are looking for. In the wake of the September 11th attacks, immigrants of the Middle East were afraid they might lose their hopes of coming to America. The 1996 immigration law in America became tighter by forcing foreign visitors, students and workers to have ?their fingerprints digitally scanned when applying for their visas, scanned again when entering the country, and again upon departure? (Krikorian 2). That would make the foreign visitors guests in America. Many foreign students as well as university spokesmen argued about the 1996 immigration law, saying they didn?t feel like they were warm by welcomed. They have claimed this as ?unfair? or ?discriminatory? (Krikorian 3). Legal immigrants were required to notify the Immigration and Naturalization Service annually of their whereabouts. However, it was discontinued in 1981, which allowed illegal immigrants to immigrate to America. Freedom is wide open to immigrants: ?almost 900,000 people began the year as foreigners and ended it as Americans? (Krikorian 4). More than 31 million foreign-born people have been admitted to America and at least 60% of them are non-citizens. Immigrants also are looking for safety. Muslims, for example, arrived in America to escape from religious or political persecution. Many people from countries such as Iran, Pakistan, India, Lebanon, Kuwait, Somalia, Afghanistan and Sudan have fled to America to become free from revolutions.
Immigrants help to improve the economy in America. According to a new case study by Rand Corporation, a research group found that one reason why immigrants have come to America has been to seek for wealth in America. A study revealed that the ?wages for European immigrants who arrived in the late 1970s were 10 percent above those of American-born workers? (Samuelson 2) and 15 percent higher for Asian immigrants. Immigrants tend to start off with small businesses and the immigrants from small businesses become entrepreneurs. Indian-born Niranjan ?Nick? Patel arrived in Houston to start a small business. Mr. Patel, a leading Royal Oak Bank borrower, ?buys and develops the properties for these newcomers? (Kotkin 2) who immigrated to Houston, Texas over the past 10 years. He now occupies ?roughly 60% of the businesses in his over 30 suburban properties? (Kotkin 2). Patel handles the businesses and improves economy by convincing customers to spend their money on Patel?s businesses. Usually, immigrants want to become Americans by settling down in suburbia. Immigrants bring the avant-garde ideas and pioneering spirit to America. This boosts in immigrants giving ?America an economic edge in the world economy? (Griswold 1). Restricting immigrants will not help America to improve their economy.
Opponents argue that American-born employees have lost their jobs to immigrants. Opponents also complain that admitting immigrants could surprise America when the immigrants turn out to be terrorists that put America in danger. These problems are the issues in America today. However, I oppose these perspectives. I believe that America should admit as many immigrants as they can but with the understanding that America needs to review immigrants? background information to prevent danger to America. America doesn?t need to worry about terrorists because America has their own terrorists as well as criminals. The employees who lost jobs to immigrants were mostly employees who demanded high salaried wage jobs instead of minimum wage jobs. That might be the answer; American-born employees lost their jobs to immigrants because the immigrants want to work and don?t demand high salaries. Foreigners are willing to get jobs done that most Americans don?t.
These are the pros and cons between denying admitting foreigners to America or admitting foreigners to America. This argument has been going on since the September 11th attacks. Even though America has been providing foreigners with benefits as such better opportunities, freedom, safety and economic stability, Americans shouldn?t complain about the economy. I don?t think America regrets admitting so many immigrants. In the past 20 years, America has done a stunning job by admitting at least 15 million immigrants. If I worked for the Immigration and Naturalization Service, I would admit as many foreigners to America as I could, but I would be aware of their background information. Americans should stop complain about foreigners coming to America because all American-born people came from immigrants who immigrated to America earlier. As a son of Korean immigrants, I admire my parents for striving to have better opportunities that I?ve been raised with. My parents sought to escape from poverty to build their financial future. They are now having a good life together since they immigrated to America.
Works Cited
Clark, Charles S. ?The New Immigrants.? CQ Researcher.
Griswold, Daniel T. ?Restricting Immigration Will Not Make America Safer.? Opposing Viewpoints.
Kotkin, Joel. ?Immigration Benefits the Economy.? Wall Street Journal 17, January 2002: p. A14.
Krikorian, Mark. ?Antiterrorist Policies Do Not Jeopardize Immigrants? Civil Rights.? Opposing Viewpoints.
Masci, David. ?Debate Over Immigraion.? CQ Researcher.
Samuelson, Robert J. ?Immigration and poverty.? Newsweek 15 July 1996: Vol. 128 Issue 3.
Smith, Jane. ?The Arrival of Muslim Immigrants in America.? Islam in America 1999.
Zarembo, Alan. ?An American Dream.? Newsweek 10 Sept. 2001: Vol. 138 Issue 11.
Facebook
Twitter