Comments (36)

1. I know a little about past immigration laws and bans, but it would be interesting to examine the history of immigration – who was allowed in, who wasn’t, etc. – and the parallels.

   posted by Jen E. on 8-22-2007 at 1:00 pm

2. I keep hearing about how “my grandparents came to the US legally.” But I have heard about so many anti-Irish, anti-Italian, anti-Jewish immigration policies and stigmas. Did they all really come legally? Or did we really let in just anyone.

   posted by E on 8-22-2007 at 1:03 pm

3. What is the effect of imigrant labor on US wages? By increasing the number of unskilled and under paid we are building a labor pool that US Corporations are using to keep costs down. What is the effect on US wages? Does it stem wage inflation or make it worse?

   posted by Scott on 8-22-2007 at 1:09 pm

4. What percent of immigrants are unskilled/underpaid and what percent are highly skilled professionals (i.e. Albert Einstein or my primary care physician)? Further with that thought, how many U.S. jobs are currently available that are deemed as unwanted by the U.S. labor force?

   posted by Anita on 8-22-2007 at 1:18 pm

5. I know a little about past immigration laws and bans, but it would be interesting to examine the history of immigration – who was allowed in, who wasn’t, etc. – and the parallels. Also, different immigration waves tended to bring different demographics, such as skilled vs. unskilled, based on immigration qualifications, so maybe a deeper look into these trends?

   posted by Jen E. on 8-22-2007 at 1:33 pm

6. I would be interested to know if there is a way to track the money sent ‘home’. I suppose a continuation would be if that is an amount that would affect the economy in any way but mostly i’m just curious. Also by where home is maybe?

   posted by Mev on 8-22-2007 at 1:35 pm

7. The US has a big illegal immigration problem on it’s Southern border, but the issue is much smaller at the Northern border. The obvious reason for this is the disparity between the standard of living when crossing the Rio Grande. (Canada’s has a nearly identical to that in the U.S.)

   Here is the question: Why doesn’t Mexico (and the rest of the Americas South of Texas) have the same high standard of living as we do? And… What can be done to elevate their quality of life?

   A related issue: Can this be done without devastating the ecology as badly as we Northern Americans have?

   Perhaps the questions are too big for a mental_floss article, but I have often wondered what the answer is.

   posted by n2y2 on 8-22-2007 at 1:40 pm

8. Do we have an official explanation of why Europeans’ initial unwelcomed immigration to the continent is celebrated, but so many people who want to immigrate now are forbidden?

   posted by Charles on 8-22-2007 at 1:41 pm

9. What are some well known immigrants currently in the US? Actors? Politicians? CEOs?

   posted by Johnie on 8-22-2007 at 1:49 pm

10. What are the hard numbers on crime committed by illegal immigrants?
    I have heard it often used as a reason to toughen immigration laws

    How much money do they generate for our economy?
    i.e. I know that agriculture in california is a multi billion dollar business that is said to depend on immigrant labor

    How much do illegal immigrants cost our country?
    i.e. government assistance programs, unpaid emergency medical care, schooling, etc

    posted by stephanie on 8-22-2007 at 1:53 pm

11. If a person is in the U.S. illegally and a child is born to that person while they are here that child is an American citizen. What rights (if any) does that give the parent(s). If the parents are deported does the child retain the right to remain in the U.S.?

    posted by JaneM on 8-22-2007 at 1:58 pm

12. I hear so many people say that we should “send them (illegal immigrants)back to where they came from.” How would that happen? Where’s the manpower to round them up, the money to ship them home, and who will do the jobs the immigrants did (such as picking crops, meatpacking, etc) once they’re gone?

    posted by Jenny B on 8-22-2007 at 2:11 pm

13. How exactly do they think that a giant fence that is incomplete will stop immigrants from coming across the border? Is the cost for the fence justified?

    posted by Kristina on 8-22-2007 at 2:23 pm

14. My children are both immigrants. My second daughter is legally an American citizen already, but the BCI (formerly INS) won’t update their records til I pay them hundreds of dollars. So who is the greater authority- the Justice Department or the BCI? Should I worry about her status?

    posted by Miss Cellania on 8-22-2007 at 2:38 pm

15. With the immigration riots in France and tension in the Netherlands, the European model of immigration is at best a mixed success. The United States by comparison has been relatively more successful with its more open immigration policy, avoiding any large scale riots. Closing the border would seem to bring the same problems seen in Europe to America. How do the various solutions deal with this problem?

    posted by Nathan Giusti on 8-22-2007 at 2:51 pm

16. What are the real statistics on the number of jobs being taken by illegal immigrants? What is the true impact on the economy of the U.S. of illegal immigrants getting paid under the table?

    posted by Seth on 8-22-2007 at 2:58 pm

17. I’m interested in the children of illegal immigrants? How do they fare compared to their parents? I know they are entitled to free education and recieve health care at the schools. Are these children succeeding? Do they move up in our society or keep the same standard of living as their parents? Are they doing the so called “menial” jobs that Americans won’t do? What about colleges and universities? Some are offering in-state tuition to illegals. How does this affect American citizens’ educational costs? Are they entitlted to loans and grants as well?

    posted by Karen on 8-22-2007 at 3:36 pm

18. 1) How much US. money is returned to the country the immigrant/s came from? 2) Which country has the most immigrants coming to the US.? . 3) What immigration laws do some of the countries of which immigrants come from as far as immigrants coming to there country?

    posted by John Brown on 8-22-2007 at 4:29 pm

19. Why doesn’t the US send more aid to Mexico to help improve their lives at home so they wouldn’t have to come here? Does Mexico not want our help, or are we just stingy? Why do we send aid to so many other places and not to Mexico where many places are considered completely third world? Maybe I’m just being a hippie here, but can’t we all just get along???

    posted by Molly on 8-22-2007 at 6:51 pm

20. How do children who were born in another country but brought to the US fare? They didn’t have a choice in coming, how should the law affect them after being born and raised in US culture and society? Should the US be doing more to allow them to have rights, especially when most of them did not have a choice in immigrating to the United States? How many of them succeed in the US within the education system and how many drop out of school because they have to help their families succeed?

    posted by Lorena on 8-22-2007 at 7:39 pm

21. It’s a good thing the Daily Show is on soon, or I would be writing for hours.

    I taught in South Central Los Angeles and Compton, and the majority of my students were immigrants, many of them “illegal”. The vast majority were decent, law-abiding, hard-wroking people who wanted a better life for their children. Many were straight-A students, who sometimes (according to then-in-force laws) could go to college, and even receive scholarships. Then the law changed, and they couldn’t go at all, because they didn’t have social security numbers.

    Many of these kids were brought here as babies. They considered themselves Americans. Some were waiting for American-born brothers or sisters to turn 18 and adopt them.

    My son-in-law’s family came here from Mexico legally. Of nine children, my son-in-law has a doctorate from UCLA, one sister is a nationally certified award-winning teacher, another is a CPA, another met a man from the Netherlands at work, and now lives in a castle with 47 bedrooms in Holland. Two of his brothers are college graduates, and the other has a band. All are American citizens.

    For those who say their ancestors came legally–there were no immigration laws until the anti-Chinese laws were enacted. I suggest you quote the Emma Lazarus quote engraved on the Statue of Liberty in your article…

    Statistics prove that Mexican and other Latino immigrants have grandchildren who speak English only.

    Sorry. The ignorance and blind hatred of the “other” drives me mad. Check out how many illegal Irish and Canadian immigrants are here–no one mentions them, because they’re white and they speak English.

    ¡Viva la raza! (I am not Hispanic, by the way.)

    posted by Barbara on 8-22-2007 at 8:48 pm

22. I just took a seminar on this topic this summer, and the biggest driving force in immigration (as alluded to by Barbara) is which way the political prejudice is swaying. There has never been much controversy over “white” immigration. However, who is and is not white is a different story. For a long time, Italians were considered a different race than other Europeans.

    Mexicans have also been considered “white” depending on who you ask, and were welcomed into the country because of the labor they provided. Many businesses in the early 1900s would not have survived. Again, the US did not start worrying about border control until Chinese people were coming to Mexico and entering the US through the southern border.

    The American Historical Association provides many interesting and informative publications regarding the history of immigration and different ethnic groups.

    posted by Jill on 8-22-2007 at 9:04 pm

23. 1. What percentage of working illegal immigrants scam their identities via stolen or made up social security numbers?

    2. Conversely, what percentage are hired by employers who just pay them under the table?

    3. Of those who are fooling their employers, do they pay out typical withholding? Do they file taxes? Or do they just pay withholding and the government keeps it?

    4. Do they pay into social security? If so, the govt. just keeps that money, right?

    5. How does the social security checking process work? Do employers typically submit social security numbers for govt. checking in a timely manner? Does the government check social security numbers submitted by employers on a timely basis? Or are there backlogs and bureaucratic delays in this process? On average, how long can an illegal immigrant with a fake or stolen SSN fool his/her employer?

    6. Who’s getting all the DHS border security contracts? I.E., building the fences, detention centers, supplying special equipment to US Customs. How many no-bid contracts does DHS let in a year? How does that compare to DoD contracting procedures?

    7. Is our tax money being spent effectively on immigration? How much does each American taxpayer pay per year for the current immigration enforcement regime?

    8. Has the govt really commissioned Halliburton, as rumored, to build several massive detention centers along the southern border? What is govt planning to do with these anyway?

    9. How many immigrants gain citizenship via military service every year? How many family members does each one include?

    posted by mg on 8-23-2007 at 4:18 am

24. What quota’s still exist for whom we allow to enter legally? I know that in the great wave, only certain numbers of people from certain countries wer allowed in. (i.e.) for every 3 Irish, one Russian.) Do ethnic or national quota’s still exist and what are they? Are there other quota’s used now?

    posted by John on 8-23-2007 at 6:53 am

25. Is there any quantified link between a rise in immigration and a rise in crime on the National and or local level? Past or present?

    posted by Dude McGuy on 8-23-2007 at 7:47 am

26. I always found it interesting that the people whining about immigrants from Mexico (legal or illegal- I don’t think can tell the difference or really care)are the very same ones who were willing to go to the wall to keep Elian Gonzalez in the country. (Truthfully, I know the answer, but it illustrates a point)

    One of the biggest complaints about illegals is they don’t pay taxes. So what about taxes that are being witheld from their pay? I know they are not ALL getting it under the table in cash.

    Furthermore, how do the numbers of truly illegal immigrants from Mexico and Central America compare with those who are here legally, or even those who are native to areas that were originally part of Mexico (native Tejanos for example) It seems that we look at someone with brown skin who speaks Spanish and assume they are undocumented. I think its more racism than true concern regarding the impact of immigration.

    Adding credence to my theory: I have been involved with the movement to legalize the Irish for a while, and when I speak about it, or wear my “Legalize the Irish” T-shirt. No one gets upset. But when I express support of Mexican immigration,or mention that I frequently patronize bussiness owned by Latinos, people act like I’m guilty of treason. If it isn’t narrow minded predjudice, what is it?

    posted by Allison on 8-23-2007 at 8:36 am

27. I think it’d be beneficial to provide some background on immigration to the US. At what point did mass immigration become illegal? What was the quota system all about? Was that in place at Ellis Island? Wasn’t there some legal worker visa program for Mexican/Latin American migrants in the 1960s? What happened to that? Wasn’t there a big amnesty thing for immigrants in the 1980s? or was that only for certain countries (I want to think El Salvador, for some reason)? When did the current influx of immigrants really take off? How many are here now? How many depend on the US’s welfare/social service system to survive, and how many are self-supporting families and workers?

    posted by JcB on 8-23-2007 at 8:58 am

28. I took some high school students down to Vera Cruz this spring for some volunteer work. The head of the mission told us this story of 3 Mexican men who applied for visas:

    The mission needed to replace some pick-up trucks because of the bad roads in Vera Cruz, which break down trucks on a yearly basis. The head brother took the 3 top Mexican men at the mission, had the head of the Catholic organization (the Marianists here in the US) to which the mission belonged write letters asking that the men be allowed entry to the US in order to drive these trucks from St. Louis back to Mexico.

    In order for these men to even get appointments to have their applications seen, they had to pay over $100 each, then travel to Mexico City (9 hours by bus) and be there in time for a 7:30 am appointment. The mission paid for these appointments, the bus tickets, and lodging expenses.

    The men arrived on time, stood in a looong line, then each of them arrived at the front. The first man took his application to the desk, the woman barely glanced at it, said his format on the application was wrong, and denied him a visa. The 2nd man took his to the desk, the woman didn’t even open up the folder, stamping DENIED on the top of it. The 3rd man–a good, hard-working man but one who had lived illegally in the country for almost a year some years ago–had his application accepted within minutes of him giving it to the lady.

    I tell this story to show the unfairness of getting a Visa. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to getting one. Good, honest people who are going to the US for good reasons can’t gain entry, but those who have lied on their applications (by saying they have never worked in the US illegally) can gain entry.

    I also have to say, having lived in Texas my entire life (and in south Texas for 4 years now) I have had no problem with living around illegal immigrants or the children of illegal immigrants. They are generally polite, hard-working people who just want to be given their due. They take jobs most Americans shun, teach their children to work hard, and bring a wonderful culture to the US.

    posted by Meagan on 8-23-2007 at 9:09 am

29. What are the sociological implications of building a giant wall/fence between the US and Mexico?

    How does the actual number of illegal immigrants in the US compare to other countries? How does the US’ handling of/reaction to illegal immigrants compare to that of other countries?

    What are the pros and cons of easing the legalization process for immigrants who would like to stay in the US?

    How does illegal immigrants working in the US really effect the job prospects of US citizens?

    Have immigration raids increased recently or has news coverage of them just increased? How will an increase in these raids affect the US economy?

    posted by Christine on 8-23-2007 at 9:10 am

30. Barbara spends a great deal of time and energy chastizing us for our “blind hatred”, then ends her note with:

    ¡Viva la raza! (Long live the Race)

    How long would anyone get away with ending a comment to this discussion with “White Power”?

    I think a good question for this posting would be what are the current immigration laws in Mexico vis-a-vis their southern border. Are they as open with Guatemalan, Hounduoran, and El Salvadoran immigrants as they demand that we be with Mexican immigrants?

    posted by Lance on 8-23-2007 at 11:35 am

31. I would like to know why the U.S. admits so few refugees, comparatively speaking, and whether the policy is ever going to change. To illustrate why I am asking the question, consider this: In the first six months of 2007,Sweden granted residence permits to 4,881 refugees from Iraq. Last year, the U.S. admitted 202. This year, the word is that 7,000 Iraqi refugees will be admitted to the U.S. That may seem like a lot until you think in terms of relative population size (US: 302 million, Sweden: 9 million).

    posted by Rosemary on 8-23-2007 at 3:52 pm

32. What would it take to change one’s status from “citizen” to “alien”? I’ve always wanted to belong somewhere other than Earth.

    posted by Annie on 8-23-2007 at 7:13 pm

33. I know you said one topic is the history of immigration in the U.S. However, it might be interesting to compare U.S. immigration to immigration in other countries. I think a lot of people forget that the idea of immigration laws or regulation is very old and not unique to the U.S. Rather, it’s a basic characteristic of a sovereignty to control who comes within its borders. If I remember correctly, France recently announced it would not allow illegal immigrants within its borders to obtain citizenship but no one really talked about that because everyone focuses so much on immigration in the U.S. So, I think some comparison with immigration around the world might be interesting.

    posted by Kate on 8-23-2007 at 11:47 pm

34. How do our imigration laws compare to those of other nations? Say Mexico or Canada our two next door neighbors. I hear Mexico has some of the most strict immigration laws on the books.

    posted by Aaron Weatherford on 8-24-2007 at 12:49 pm

35. Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts. It is always great pleasure to read your posts.

    posted by John on 8-27-2007 at 5:42 am

36. Since it’s equally illegal for US employers to hire undocumented workers, it seems that making it prohibitively expensive for those employers to hire such workers would do much to stop new immigration: no more jobs, no more new undocumented immigrants.
    Of course, this would need to be combined with a way to “legalize” the existing undocumented workforce or the US would face an unprecedented economic catastrophe if a significant number of our undocumented workers left.

    posted by Bert on 9-10-2007 at 11:43 pm

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