Immigration in the United States Mark A Small, J.D., Ph.D. Clemson University

United States 300 Million 50 States 230 years old Nation of Immigrants

National Identity What characteristics define an American?

Ancestry Where ancestors are from Where person or parents originated How a person perceives themselves ethnically

U.S. Ancestry German42 million Irish30 African American25 English24 American20 Mexican18 Italian16 Polish 9

Immigration Eligibility Family Relations Jobs Refugees Asylum Seekers Capital Investment Lottery

Unauthorized Residents 11 million illegal immigrants 6 million from Mexico 400,000 per year increase

Ten Largest Cities African-American was the most frequently reported ancestry in New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia and Detroit. Mexican was the leading ancestry in Los Angeles, Houston, Phoenix, Dallas and San Diego, and San Antonio.

Foreign Language What is the percentage of people in the United States older than 5 years old who speak a language other than English at home?

Foreign Language In the United States19.4% California42% West Virginia 2%

Foreign Born in the U.S. The foreign born population increased by 57% between 1990 and 2000, from 19.8 million to 31.1 million. Over half the foreign born population is from Latin America.

Immigration Policies Benefits Harm

New Policies Eligibility Detention & Removal Integration Citizenship

Czech Republic Past (Who were the ancestors?) Present (What does it mean to be “Czech”?) Future (Will Czechs dissappear?)