Suchergebnisse

IMMIGRATION NOW DEFINES POLITICAL CONFLICT OVER THE BASIC VALUES OF AMERICAN SOCIETY--MUCH LIKE RACE, TAXES, AND CRIME--AND EVOKES RACIAL, CULTURAL, AND ECONOMIC ANXIETIES. UNFORTUNATELY, AS THE PUBLIC DEBATE INTENSIFIES, IT IS INCREASINGLY CHARACTERIZED BY DISAGREEMENT OVER FACTS AS WELL AS POLICY. THE STRUCTURE AND GOALS OF U.S. IMMIGRATION POLICY ARE FREQUENTLY MISUNDERSTOOD. U.S. IMMIGRATION POLICY NEEDS TO BE VIEWED AS THREE FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT SET OF RULES: THOSE THAT GOVERN LEGAL IMMIGRATION (MAINLY SPONSORED ADMISSION FOR FAMILY AND WORK); THOSE THAT GOVERN HUMANITARIAN ADMISSIONS (REFUGEES AND THOSE GRANTED ASYLUM); AND THOSE THAT CONTROL ILLEGAL ENTRY. THE DISTINCTION IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE EACH CATEGORY IS GOVERNED BY DIFFERENT LEGISLATION, INVOLVED DIFFERENT NETWORKS OF BUREAUCRACIES, IS GUIDED BY DIFFERENT GOALS, AND RESULTS IN IMMIGRANTS WITH LARGELY DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS. THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSES THE MAGNITUDE OF IMMIGRANT FLOWS, THE PACE AND DIVERSITY OF IMMIGRATION, CHARACTERISTICS OF IMMIGRANTS, GEOGRAPHIC CONCENTRATION, AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS. HIGH LEVELS OF IMMIGRATION GIVE THE UNITED STATES UNDERAPPRECIATED ADVANTAGES IN THE WORLD ECONOMY: AMERICA HAS A SUBSTANTIAL POPULATION WITH FAMILIAL, ETHNIC, AND LANGUAGE TIES TO SOME OF THE MOST DYNAMIC ECONOMIES IN THE WORLD.