Question

How did the massive immigration from Europe after 1890 affect America? Is large scale immigration appropriate for America today? What about illegal/undocumented immigration, past and present?

Answer 1

After the depression of the 1890s, the country witnessed a massive immigration from Europe as it increased from 3.5 million in that decade to 9 million in the first decade of the new century. By 1910, Southern and Eastern Europeans made up nearly 70 percent of the immigrants entered in U.S. The immigration dropped after 1914 due to the war, and the restrictions on immigration imposed in the 1920s. Most of the immigrants were unskilled labourers, and only a small proportion was highly educated. The immigrants of the late 19th and early 20th century lead to a remarkably long-lasting and positive impact on the places where they settled. The statistics shows that counties that received higher number of immigrants from 1860 to 1920 faced less poverty, less unemployment, higher incomes, higher education and more urbanization attainment. The immigrants stimulated growth in America as they were complementary to the requirements of local economies at that time. The higher-skilled immigrants helped to spur innovations in manufacturing and agriculture, and low-skilled arrivals were supplied labor for industrialization.

Although the current political and economic circumstances are quite varied from the late 19th century, however there are many similarities to indicate that the advantages of immigration would continue to hold true in the 21st century and beyond. Even when a rise in immigration decreases the wages of local worker's in the short-term, the evidence indicates that descendants of such workers would end up better off for the economic growth. We require a commonsense immigration process, one which is inclusive a roadmap for people who aspire to be citizens, thus need a U.S. Need Immigration Reform. U.S. requires an immigration system that recognizes the contributions and hardships of people moving here, keeps families together here in this nation, and develop a rational process of citizenship for new Americans.