immigration- reform and controversy Flashcards
What did the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act do?
Imposed harsh penalties on employers who hired undocumented workers.
What did the 1965 Hart-Celler Immigration and Nationality Act amendmendments do?
making discriminating against obtaining visas illegal
What prompted California to enact anti-immigration legislation in mid-19th century?
Influx of Mexican miners during the gold rush
Who were the biggest immigrant group after 1965? What were there conditions like?
Mexicans. Many of them were illegal immigrants. Additionally, they were uneducated and poor, mostly settling in California, Texas and New Mexico.
What was immigration like at the end of the 20th century? How is this linked to the 1980 Refugee Act and the Reagan administration?
Increasing immigration from Central and South America. Under the 1980 Refugee Act, many claimed to be political refugees. BUT the Regan administration considered them economic refugees, apart from Nicaraguans who were fleeing communism.
What was the general reaction to Central American political refugees?
There was considerable sympathy for them.
How did Church leaders help Central American political refugees?
They used litigation to delay their deportation.
They gave them sanctuary from the INS and the State Department.
How did the courts react to immigration cases?
Pretty varied. Sometimes the court sided with Reagan’s anti-immigration policies, other times they sided with the immigrants.
What was the ruling of Hernandez v. Smith 1989?
The judge ordered the INS to ceases threats and coercion against Salvadoran refugees seeking asylum. They allowed many of them to stay in the US. However in other states Salvadorans had to live in football stadiums.
In 1996, Congress and Clinton discussed limiting even legal immigration. Who persuaded them to drop the issue?
Manufacturers and religious leaders.
What were the effects of anti-immigration legislation passed in 1996?
Deportation was streamlined and borders were strengthened.
What was proposition 187?
Legislation that denied education, non-emergency healthcare and other social benefits to undocumented immigrants. Passed with majority.
What were the economic arguments Americans had AGAINST immigration?
Took jobs from Americans
Needed expensive bilingual education which diverted money from native born children
Burden on tax payers
Accepted low wages, which drove down wages overall
Employed by private households (maids/gardeners) and therefore paid no tax
What were the economic arguments Americans had FOR immigration?
Immigrants were hardworking and productive
Contributed more to the economy than they took in social benefits
Ambitious immigrants energised the economy and were eager to become ‘good Americans.’
What led to the generation of social issues in Mexican-American populations?
Increased urbanisation
What is an example of social issues in Mexican-American populations?
Westlake, LA. Already poor conditions increased due to waves of central and Mexican immigration in the 1980s. It became famous for high crime rates and gang activity.
Which factors prompted Latinos to seek citizenship in the 1990s?
Increased helpfulness of Spanish media over the complex process
INS made the renewal of green cards just as difficult as naturalization
Congressional legislation made it easier to deport permanent residents who committed crimes.
What did many critics (including high profile Latinos) claim led to slow assimilation of immigrants?
They congregated in the same areas and often returned to their home countries.
What did increased requests for naturalisation among Latinos do?
Created a backlash. Essentially Latinos were criticised for not assimilating, but also for seeking naturalisation.
What did the 1974 United States Civil Rights Commision find, in terms of Latino education?
That Mexican-American children desperately needed bilingual classes.
How did states react to bilingual electoral ballots?
Some states opposed them, despite the fact they were required by federal law.
Why did many whites feel threatend by the increase in Hispanics?
There were reports that the US would be less than half-white by 2050.
