1. Immigration Past and Present: A Nation of Immigrants 24 August 2015 by Sigrid B. Wangsness

2. The Beginnings Native Americans European explorers and missionaries (Spanish, French, English) In the 1500s: The first settlers from Europe (Spanish, French, Dutch)

3. The Foundation: The First Colonies 1607: Jamestown, Virginia (English) 1619: The first black slaves were imported from Africa 1620: The Pilgrim Fathers, Boston, Mass. The first Thanksgiving The English, Spanish, French and Dutch battled each other and Native Americans for territory

4. The First Wave of Immigration: 1680 – 1776 In 1680: 80% of the population English By 1776: The English only 52% of the population due to new immigrants from Ireland, Scotland, Germany and France

5. American Independence and Revolution 1776: Independence: The United States of America 1776-1783: American War of Independence from Britain (= The American Revolution) The 13 colonies → states Territories → states 1776-1820:Few new immigrants to the USA: The Anglo-American culture firmly established. English as the official language

6. The Second Wave: 1820 – 1880/1890 “Old” immigration (from northern / western Europe) Britons, Germans, Scandinavians, Irish, Jews Pioneering, farming

7. The Third Wave: 1890 – 1920/30 “New” immigration (from eastern / southern Europe): Italians, Russians, Hungarians, Austrians, Poles, Jews, Czechs, Greeks, Portuguese ( + Syrians, Mexicans, Japanese)

8. The Third Wave: 1890 – 1920/30 East coast, cities, factory workers 1921 and 1924: Restrictive immigration laws Quotas favouring north-western Europeans 1929: Oriental Exclusion Act

9. The Fourth Wave: 1930s – today 1930s: Little immigration due to the Depression 1940s: Second World War and Cold War refugees 1950s: Mexican contract (farm) workers

10. The Fourth Wave: 1930 – today Major change: 1965 and 1990: Expansive immigration laws Increase in non-European immigration The 1990 Act: 700,000 immigrants per year + people with special skills (European “brain drain”)

11. National and Cultural Identity Assimilation ("the melting pot ") = Americanization Institutions of assimilation: Preservation ("the salad bowl") = Integration (?)

12. Is the U.S.A. still a nation of immigrants? Immigration today: 1.Legal immigration Around 900,000 legal immigrants come to the USA every year, mostly Hispanics and Asians. Most of these go to California, Florida,Texas, Arizona, New Jersey, New York, and Illinois.

13. 2. Illegal immigration There are around 11 million illegal immigrants in the USA today (more than half from Mexico). Demonstrations - both in favour and against illegal immigrants (cf. the video about illegal immigrants in Georgia). What are the main arguments?

14. How to reduce illegal immigration? Suggested measures to reduce illegal immigration: - Increase funding for border security - Build more fences - Improve the policing of the border and use the National Guard as border patrol

15. Suggested measures to reduce illegal immigration: - Allow state police to check a person’s immigration status while enforcing other laws - Allow a state to arrest and drive out illegal immigrants (= make illegal immigration a serious crime) -Grant “guest worker” status and a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in America (amnesty)

16. Suggested measures to reduce illegal immigration: - Have clear conditions linked to guest- worker programme (e.g. learn English, pay taxes for years back) - Make tamper-proof identity cards - Hold employers to account Other possible measures?

17. Why did/do so many people want to go to the USA? (In the 19 th and 20 th centuries, but also today?) Push factors Pull factors Factors that discourage immigration Gains and costs of immigration (for the immigrants themselves)