We, all of us, even the nomadic NATIVE AMERICAN tribes, can be said to be immigrants. From the crossing of the Bering Strait to today’s relatively non-contraversial border with Canada and the semantically charged border with Mexico, the ebb and flow of human territorial movements have been the source of war and peace, love and misfortune. This always relevant and perhaps nation defining topic will continue to ebb and flow in our national consciousness and in all our discussions on:
- Who is an American
- What is America
- What is American’s national vision?
- What is American’s role in the world?
- What is our national identity?
- and so on, and so on…
Links and resources for this discussion:
The Law:
Immigration and Nationality Laws of the United States Selected Statutes, Regulations, and Forms As Amended to May 20, 2010 By Martin, Motomura, Fullerton Aleinikoff
US Census Bureau:
http://2010.census.gov/news/pdf/groves_apport_presentation.pdf
Filed under: Uncategorized, Asian, Bering Strait, Buddhists, Canada, Ethnicity, Europeans, Foreigners, Hindu, Hispanics, Human Rights, Illegal immigration, Immigration, Immigration & National Identity, Indigenous, Irish, Jewish, Justice, Latinos, Mexico, migrant workers, Muslims, Nationalism, Polish, Protestants, Puerto Rican, Race, Racism, Russian, September 11, South Americans, United States, Xenophobia
Any policy position on migration to the U.S. must take into account the status of prior immigrants, present immigrants and future immigrants. Migration to the U.S. is such a hot topic worldwide that any change in U.S. immigration policy will have ramifications internally and external to the U.S. At a minimum, the following principles must be taken into account:
1. Persons (voters) currently in the U.S. who have a sense of having come here (as children of or as immigrants) as immigrants must feel that the new policy does not undermine their current status as Americans nor the “memory” or “value” of their immigrant story. That is to say it should be at least perceived by most Americans who consider themselves immigrants as fair and that it supports similar principles to those that defined their “opportunity” to come and stay in the U.S.
2. Persons (voters) who do not identify with “immigrant status” and have a stake in the “status quo” do not feel that the new policy is going to significantly change their “stake” in the America they know and feel they have earned a place in.
3. Persons who have the potential/opportunity to come to the U.S. and qualify for immigrant papers do so because they have the wherewithal to succeed in an advanced industrial economy, including an economic plan for competing in the U.S. labor market, educational and or special training to match U.S. economy needed labor force talent.
This is a start on needed principles for migration. Add yours…