Illegal Immigration
Every year, thousands of people make the journey across the U.S. border in search of a better life.
Keywords
- citizen (n.)
- resident (n.)
- deport (v.)
- apply (v.)
- low-wage (adj.)
- manual labour (n.)
The Melting Pot
The USA is a nation of immigrants from all over the world. The original inhabitants, the Native Americans, only represent a small percentage of the current population. The first settlers in North America were European, primarily Dutch and British. Later, Africans were brought to America as slaves. Many Irish settlers also came to America in the 19th century, due to a massive famine in Ireland. Today, most immigrants come from Asia and South America.
Legal or Illegal?
Most immigrants come to America legally, meaning they enter the United States with permission. However, they become illegal if they stay longer than permitted. There are also a large number of illegal, or so-called undocumented immigrants, who travel across the border without papers. Although difficult to obtain, illegal immigrants can apply for permanent residency.
Immigration Laws
Each year, the USA issues a large number of visas, which allow immigrants to stay in the country. The visas are issued to family members of U.S. citizens and permanent residents, as well as people with certain skills who may be valuable to the US economy, and people from nationalities that are generally not represented in the immigration statistics.
Young Immigrants
Children of illegal immigrants who are brought to the USA at an early age maintain their illegal status. This means they cannot apply for regular jobs, they cannot vote or get a driver's license, and they live in constant fear of being deported. They typically try to keep a low profile and do not engage in as many after-school activities as their peers. However, anyone born in the USA automatically becomes a U.S. citizen.
Did you know
that undocumented immigrants make up approximately 5 per cent of the labour force in the USA?
Low-Wage Jobs
Many illegal immigrants are forced to work low-wage jobs, typically manual labour jobs such as farming or construction. They usually work in bad conditions, and do not receive health care. They cannot organise labor unions either, which makes it difficult for them to negotiate pay and benefits. Although many Americans look down on immigrants and try to keep the number of immigrants down, they are a major part of the American society and economy.