Immigration

Immigration is the act of moving to or settling in another country or region, temporarily or permanently. An immigrant is someone who intends to reside permanently, and not a casual visitor or traveler. Immigration means "in-migration" into a country, and is the reverse of , or "out-migration." The long term and/or permanent movement of human population in general, whether into, out of, or within countries (or before the existence of recognized countries) is regarded as migration. The great majority of immigration occurs for economic reasons of one sort or another. Wage rates and living expenses vary greatly between different countries; poor individuals of third world countries can have far higher standards of living in developed countries than in their originating countries, as not very well off but financially independent people from highly developed countries can live better in a less developed country where living standards are lower. A good example of the former is all the immigrants from Mexico and Central American countries who live in the United States, while a good example of the latter is the many retired British ex-pats who choose to make their life in Spain. For the poor in undeveloped countries the economic pressure to migrate are so high that when legal means are restricted, people immigrate illegally. In general, people are considered as an immigrant if they keep staying in the new country for more than one year. Most immigrants move to the cities. This is called rural immigration.1 Most immigrants firmly believe that immigrating to a city would give them more of an edge than in a rural place.1 In the United States there are four types of immigration: legal, refugee, forced and illegal. Most people who come to live in the United States are legal immigrants. Many reasons for moving and immigrating can be defined as "push" and "pull" reasons. The push are reasons that make someone want to leave their country for example racial discrimination, ethnic cleansing or political oppression. While the pull are reasons that attract the person to the other country, for example better wages, better living conditions and more freedom. Many immigrants go to a new country to first settle in a community made up of people from their native land or even their native village. They keep their old customs and use a limited knowledge of their new country's culture, language, and values. In time, most immigrants begin to assimilate. Immigrants who adapt most quickly usually have a background similar to their new cultural environment and much contact with their new society. They also plan to stay permanently in their new home. Most immigrants find a job and try to buy a home. They try to provide their children with education and opportunities that they would not be able to find in their homeland. They become citizens of the new country and take part in politics and government. The United States has long been the world's chief receiving nation for immigrants and refugees. The United States has had four major periods of immigration. The first wave began in what is now the United States with the colonists of the 1600's and reached a peak just before the Revolutionary War broke out in 1775. The second major storm of immigrants began in the 1820's and lasted until a depression and in the early 1870's. The greatest flood of immigrants took place from the 1800's to the early 1920's. A fourth and continuing wave began in 1965 because of changes of US immigration.

Industrialization in Europe caused the relocation of most of these immigrants. The transformation from small, agriculture-based societies to manufacturing economies was so rapid and sweeping that it became known as the industrial revolution. The Industrial Revolution began in England in the late 18th century and gradually spread across Europe. During the mid-19th century, the Industrial Revolution swept across France, Belgium, and the German states. In each of these areas the economic and social changes accompanying rapid industrialization led to a huge exodus of people. Although Ireland did not industrialize until the end of the 19th century, a severe famine in the 1830s and 1840s and the replacement of small farms by larger estates produced similar mass migrations of displaced people. By the late 1870s, industrialization had pushed into Scandinavia, sending waves of Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish immigrants to the United States. Similarly, industrialization in southern and Eastern Europe during the 1880s and 1890s encouraged the mass migrations of Italians, Slavs, and Jews. Although economic changes were the predominant factors prompting these movements, others left their homelands because of political upheavals, religious persecution, or in search of adventure. For example, about 4000 Germans left their homes as a result of the political upheavals that swept through central Europe in 1848.Today, professional people commonly immigrate because of their better opportunities somewhere else. Such immigration has sometimes been called brain drain. For example, many Philippine doctors and nurses and many Indian engineers and scientists have moved to the United States and Australia. Religious persecution has led many people to move to a new land for the freedom to practice their faith. Such immigrants include Jews who were kicked out from England in the 1200's, and Baha's fleeing Iran in the 1980's. Wars, revolutions, and political agitation has driven in many people to find new homes. In the 1980's, millions of refugees fled from warfare in Afghanistan, Iran, Uganda, Southeast Asia, and Central America. Some immigrants were brought to new lands against their will. From the 1500's to the 1800's, Europeans shipped black Africans to the Western Hemisphere as slaves. Great Britain transported convicts to Australia from the late 1700's to the 1860's to relieve overcrowding in British jails. Before that time, Britain sent convicts to the American Colonies.

Throughout these periods, however, the contributions of immigrants have been enormous, from building the railroads and working in our factories to creating jobs and revitalizing our communities.Americans believe is that immigrants take jobs away from Americans. To the contrary, the AILA found that in fact, immigrants create jobs. They are more likely to be self-employed and start new businesses. They found that immigrants start 18 percent of small businesses and small businesses