Unit 9: Topic 5 - Migration and Immigration in the 1990s and 2000s Flashcards
Describe the Sun Belt and explain why people moved there in the 1960s.
The Sun Belt is the region of the United States stretching from Southern California to Florida. Beginning in the 1960s, the Sunbelt saw a large population influx driven by temperate weather, cheaper land, and lower taxes. Furthermore, the aerospace industry continued to grow in Florida (NASA), California, and Washington (Boeing), and the development of air conditioning made living in these hotter climates more tolerable. Manufacturers also chose Sunbelt states based on tax breaks and the availability of non-union labor.
Many of the new Sun Belt residents came from states such as Michigan and Ohio, which became known as the Rust Belt.
Explain some effects of internal migration to sunbelt regions.
One effect was it changed the face of American politics as states like Texas, Florida, and California have continued to be hugely influential in the electoral college. The cultural impact of the South as a region increased through activities such as NASCAR and country music.
Explain why international immigration increased in the 1900s.
Three reasons international immigration has increased:
- Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965: Ended nativist quota systems from the 1920s. As a result, immigration diversified and increased, in part because family members were no longer counted in the immigration limits.
- Immigration Reform and Control Act: It was passed in 1986. The purpose of this was to amend, revise, and reform the status of unauthorized immigrant employees because of the Immigration and Nationality Act. This made it against the law to knowingly hire unauthorized immigrants and legalized all immigrants that could prove they were here before 1982.
- Illegal immigration: A significant rise in unauthorized immigrants beginning in the 1980’s as a result of available jobs within the U.S. and poor conditions within their home countries.
These three combined greatly increased the immigration population in America.
International immigration from which regions increased dramatically during the 1990s?
International immigration dramatically increased from :
-Latin America: Many Latin American immigrants came from Mexico as farm laborers, but many also came from the “North Triangle” countries of Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala due to civil wars and violence in the 1980s-present. This increase in Latinx immigrants led to Hispanics outnumbering African Americans as a percentage of the American population (around 16% vs.13% as of 2015) and to Hispanic clusters in California and the American Southwest.
-Asia: Many Asian immigrants came from Vietnam, the Philippines, China, India, and Korea. The 2010 census indicated that Asian Americans are now the fastest-growing group of immigrants.
American culture has become more diverse as immigrants have contributed elements of their own culture. In addition, the American economy has been supplied with an important labor force.
