According to Martin and Midgley (2006), immigration has continued to increase in America with significant changes over the years. The increase in immigrants has led to it becoming a major issue that has resulted in policy reforms. Immigrants came to America in the past came to look for opportunities, and they still do up to now. However, perceptions of Americas towards immigrants are changing. Some Americans are some viewing immigrants as a threat to various social, economic and cultural aspects. Initially, most of the immigrants originated from Europe especially in the 19th century. Most of the immigrants came from England, Scotland and Ireland. Germans were also included among the early immigrants. However, towards the end of the 20th century and early 21st century the most of the immigrants have originated from Latin America and Asia. After the 1950s, most of the immigrants have come from Asia and Latin America.
Companies and industries requiring specific skills set has resulted and contributed to the increasing number of immigrants. Consequently, family members of individuals that have legally immigrated to the United States for work reasons have resulted in using family reason to visit and eventually making their stay in the states permanent. Additionally, individuals seeking to search for the American dream or a better future for their families have sought to move to the states to achieve their goals. Furthermore, the quality of education in the United States is believed to be one of the best in the world and offering education to immigrants may help the development process in the developing countries. Furthermore, the United States gains a lot of economic advantage from fees paid by foreign students, and this contributes to quite a good share of the American economy.
Reference
Martin, P., and Midgely, E., (2006). Immigration: Shaping and Reshaping America. Retrieved from http://www.prb.org/pdf06/61.4USMigration.pdf
