Essay on The Golden Door To America

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The Law of All Land
The Law of All Lands: A Study of Diplomatic Immunities and Privileges I. Introduction – A Brief History of Diplomacy II. Related Terms in Diplomacy III. United Nations Legislation A. Vienna Conventions 1961 and 1963 B. Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976 and Diplomatic Relations Act of 19

The Long March
INTRODUCTION On October 16, 1934, 100 000 Chinese Communist troops set out on a 6,000 mile trek from their base in Kiangsi.1 This trek, later to be known as the Long March, began after Chiang Kai-shek and his Nationalist armies (the Kuomintang) frustrated the Communist organization in Southeast Ch

Writen by Randy j 11/24/00

I wrote this paper for Political Life 1110

Should America Close the Golden Door? America has, is, and will always be a nation of immigrants: the great melting pot. In the years that have passed since Emma Lazarus’ poem was inscribed on the Statue of Liberty “the golden door” has seen times when it was open wide and times when it was closed shut to almost all immigrants. Many people tend to look at the present immigration problems as a purely modern dilemma. The truth is America has always struggled with the issue of immigration, both legal and illegal. Changing times however make it imperative that our government re-examine and adjust today’s immigration laws to today’s standards. Those standards however are not easily defined. All too often the issue of immigration is used as a political tool or is lost in heated moral debates. In any discussion about immigration you will have those who claim it is good for our nation and those who claim it is ruining the nation. More often than not the bottom line in any debate of this sort is money; will more or less immigration mean more or less money for those already in America. The moral debates come down to a question of who we are as a nation and how we want the rest of the world to perceive Americans. If this great country was forged and built by immigrants passing through “the golden door” , then how can this same country turn away new immigrants. The inscription on the Statue of Liberty invites all to enter, yet not all are allowed to enter. Immigration has become a selective process with many gray areas. Now Americans are faced with a new dilemma; the nation must decide not whether it is willing to accept new immigrants, but whether it can afford new immigrants. All new immigrant, both legal and illegal must be considered in this equation. Congress can attempt to ease the burden of legal immigration by passing restrictive laws and only allowing in those who they believe will become self-sufficient. Congress must also find a way to slow the flow of illegal immigration by enforcing the laws already in place. What this paper will attempt to do is bring the immigration issue into perspective. America most certainly has immigration problems but they will not be fixed by eliminating immigration all together. In fact, America will never totally eliminate immigration, because no matter how tightly the door is closed some illegal immigrants will get through. As long as America continues to be seen as a nation of prosperity, opportunity, and freedom there will be those who wish to come to America. Immigrants have always come to America looking for a better life and Americans are always forgetting that their forefathers were once looking for that same life. As a nation there must be a decision on whether immigration is an issue of conscience or economics. History of Immigration Laws Though most Americans see immigration as a modern problem it has been heavily debated since the 19th century. Throughout most of America’s history immigration was seen as a natural process that benefited the nation (Divine 2). Until the 1890’s there were no clearly defined policies on immigration. During this time the country started questioning the economic benefits of more immigrants, so things have note changed in that respect. In May 1921, the first bill in American history restricted European immigration and created the quota system (Divine 5). This turn toward restriction could be justified by the downward turn in the economy. Who could argue for more immigrants when the nation’s own citizens couldn’t find work. The slowing economy and the “spirit of intense nationalism” in the United States at this time made immigration a hot topic (Divine 23). After the depression hit everyone was in agreement that there was a “need to limit immigration,” of course the extent of those limits were not easily agreed upon (Divine 77). World War II brought with it a new set of immigrants, and eventually the passing of the Displaced Persons Act of 1947. This allowed immigrants, displaced by the war to enter the country above quota limits (Divine 128). Since then our legislators have been faced with numerous proposals concerning immigration, too many in fact to mention. Those mentioned above are significant in the fact that they show a definite shift in America’s attitude toward immigration. Since the 1920’s immigration has not been seen as a natural process, but a process that could overwhelm a nation if left unchecked. Current Immigration Laws and Issues As of this time there are no less than fifty proposed bills in Congress that can affect immigration, which proves that this is an ongoing battle with little chance of ending. In recent years the immigration policy has found itself in a state of flux; going back and forth between pro and anti immigration. The Immigration Act of 1990 is one of the more current policies to regulate immigration. This policy sets a flexible annual limit on immigration at a rate of 700,000 immigrants per year until 1994 when the number will drop to 675,000. This number of course does not include refugees and those seeking asylum (“Immigration...”). If these numbers seem staggering one must take into account the estimated “300,000 to 400,000 illegal immigrants” added to the nations population each year (Suro 8). In the mid-90’s there was a shift in America’s immigration policy to “close the doors and end the current era of immigration” (Suro 8). In fact in President Clinton’s 1995 State of the Union Message he said: “It is wrong and ultimately self-defeating for a nation of immigrants to permit the kind of abuse of our immigration laws we have seen in recent years, and we must do more to stop it.” (“Immigration...”) This attitude led to the Immigration Enforcement Improvements Act of 1995, which was meant to secure our borders, make deportation of illegal easier, and discourage the employment of illegal aliens (“Immigration...”). In essence this was a proposal to enforce the laws already in place. This was a strong attempt by the government to limit illegal immigration while facilitating legal immigration. As of now, due to the lack of credible data, it is unclear if this legislation worked. What is clear is the continuing struggle to find a balance in the immigration system. Many citizens are concerned with such issues as overpopulation, lack of jobs, and the cost to tax payers if this mass wave of legal and illegal immigrants continues (Castro 198). Concerns America has established such an inherent open heart/open door policy that it seems the melting pot may be about to boil over. Some estimates put the United States population over capacity by as much as one-hundred million (Amselle 60). America’s lax attitude toward overpopulation may have turned to one of “danger” that must be avoided (Amselle 60). In the past immigration was somewhat balanced; a good economy meant more immigrants and a slower economy saw a decrease in immigration (Amselle 60). There are those who feel the United States has absorbed all the people it can (Amselle 60). Then you have those like Joel Kotkin of the Progressive Policy Institute who feel that the large numbers of immigrants are “working age adults,” that America needs to “offset the growing number of pensioners” (Amselle 60). Even if the immigrant population can offset the number of pensioners, the number of resources in the country will still be divide amongst a much larger population. One must also take into account the number of illegal immigrants added to the population. They will also be replacing those retiring pensioners at a lower wage with no taxes or social security payments. America has a large population of baby boomers and will need working-age persons to fill the void left by their retirements, but there must be a limit to the number of immigrants we become dependant upon and a dramatic decrease in illegal immigrants. During the 1980’s when all other industrialized nations were making restrictions on immigration America’s doors were open and now the nation begins the daunting task of closing those doors (Briggs 5). There is some concern that closing the doors could “heighten the feeling that the nation is under siege” (Suro 15). Overpopulation is in itself a world wide issue but is not undisputed as a cause for concern in America. A lack of jobs is a major concern for most. Will there be enough jobs for everyone? Can our economy support it’s own citizens, immigrants, and illegal aliens. America is experiencing a period of economic health, but history shows that this upward economy will not last indefinitely. The working poor are concerned that illegal immigrants may be holding down wages and taking the few unskilled jobs that are available in some areas (Kirschten 16). These are legitimate fears that call into question the governments ability to regulate immigration. Tax paying citizens are also concerned that the tax dollars they pay each year are being used to help educate illegal immigrants and not those who are rightfully in this country (Amselle 60). When there is a large population of immigrants in an area citizens tend to view them in a hostile manner because of the perceived notion that illegal immigrants are using resource meant for legal residents (Bean 204). In reality illegal immigrants have never been eligible for welfare and other public services (Castro 180). Benefits of Immigration Immigrants help to relieve our nation’s labor shortage. The truth is that due to a decline in the fertility rate in the United States some leading demographers predict that without substantial immigration America will have a shrinking population (Briggs 127). A shrinking population would mean a higher cost of living and a slow decline in the economy. This alone does not diffuse the alarm of overpopulation but it does give a different view of the situation. Take into account the agricultural sector of American society which is heavily dependant upon immigrant workers, because non-immigrants are less willing to work on the farms (Mont 12). In terms of legal immigrants, America must find a way to make immigration work for the good of...