ABSTRACT
The United States is a nation of immigrants, but the amount and timing of immigration has varied over time. The first large-scale wave of immigration occurred between 1880 and 1930, bringing cheap labor from Europe for the industrial economy. When industrialization slowed and competition for jobs increased, Congress curtailed immigration, resulting in a period of retrenchment between 1930 and 1970. Since then, immigration has rebounded, reaching a level similar to the previous peak of 14 percent of the population. The largest proportions of immigrants come from Asia and Latin America, including Mexico.
The single term “immigrants” hides a great deal of complexity. In addition to economic immigrants, many newcomers are refugees from war, disaster, or political persecution who may seek asylum in the United States. Immigrants also come from many different countries, and a growing proportion choose dual citizenship, retaining close ties with relatives in their native countries. Due to changes in US immigration policy, recent immigrants include a large proportion of highly educated and skilled workers as well as some proportion of lower-skilled, menial workers. In addition, they are increasingly settling in suburban areas rather than the homogeneous ethnic neighborhoods of previous generations.
