2. The USA Immigration to the USA

3. Reasons for emigrating to the USA?  The reasons can be divided into two main categories:  Push Factors – these are things that make them want to leave their own country.  Pull Factors – these are things that attract them to America.

4. Push Factors Dictatorship – no freedom of speech Conflict / War Poverty

5. Pull Factors Rights & Freedoms The Land of Opportunity & the American Dream Economic Success

6. Pattern of Immigration Between the year 2000 to 2007, over 10 million immigrants arrived in the US. Every year roughly a million new people arrive (700,000 legally, 300,000 illegally); more than in any other country in absolute numbers. The total immigrant population in the USA is estimated to be 37.9 million. About a quarter of this total is estimated to be illegal immigrants.

8. The USA – a welcoming nation? The Inscription on the Statue of Liberty Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

9. Task 3 Arguments for Immigration Arguments against Immigration

10. The USA is a land of immigrants who came to America to work hard and enjoy the “American Dream”, like millions before them. The Immigration Debate Immigration places huge strain on welfare services in states like California, Texas and Florida where many immigrants settle.

11. The Immigration Debate “The biggest thing I don’t like about New York are the foreigners, Asians and Koreans and Vietnamese and Indians and Russians and Spanish people and everything up there. How the hell did they get in this country?”

12. Immigrants contribute to the economy because they take jobs that lots of Americans will not take. Their low wages keep prices low and they also pay taxes. May cause unemployment because immigrants are highly concentrated in certain jobs creating competition for these jobs. The Immigration Debate

13. Many immigrants (especially APIs) set up their own businesses, contributing to the economy by creating jobs & paying tax e.g. Silicon Valley in California. Many new immigrants are unskilled & cost the country money in welfare benefits e.g. Hispanics. The Immigration Debate

14. The immigration debate before September 11 th centred mainly on economics and social issues. After the 9/11 the focus had become about security. The Credit Crunch coupled with the continued threat of terrorist attacks means the debate is about all these issues now.

15. Question There are many things about the USA which attract immigrants. Describe, in details, two things about the USA which attract immigrants. (4 marks).