Key Issue #3: Why Do Migrants Face Obstacles?

• Immigration Policies of Host Countrieso U.S. Quota Laws

• Acts of Congress – Quota Act of 1921 & National Origins Act of 1924• Set quotas (max limits) of people allowed to immigrate into U.S. from

each country during a 1-year periodo 3% of 1910 census #’s from given countries & 2% of 1890 censuso Designed to keep most immigrants European

• Immigration Act of 1965 – quotas based on hemispheres not countries (170,000 east & 120,000 west)

• Global quota of 290,000 in 1978 – now 620,000 with no more than 7% per country

• Exceptions alter limits – 480,000 family-sponsored & 140,000 job-related

• Reuniting of families (5 year wait); No limit of family of US citizens• Quotas do not apply to refugees• Asians use job-related then family-sponsored (chain migration)• Brain Drain – loss of quality workers from home country

Key Issue #3: Why Do Migrants Face Obstacles?

o Temporary Migration for Work• More common in Middle East (oil-related work) & Europe• Guest workers – protected by wage laws, unions• Make up much of workforce in many European countries (1/2 of

Luxembourg, 1/6 of Switzerland)• Europe in Stage 3-5 of DT – low pop. growth or on decline• 700,000 legal & 500,000 illegal annually in Europe• Take low status, low skill jobs (taxi, garbage, road crews,

cleaning, etc.)• Low pay but better than home country – reduces

unemployment in home country; send money back• U.K. very restrictive guest worker laws• Mostly from Middle East, N. Africa, Eastern Europe, & Asia

o Turkey to Germanyo Algeria & Morocco to France

Key Issue #3: Why Do Migrants Face Obstacles?

o Time Contract Work• Recruited for fixed time – many stay permanently after

contract expired• Indians to Burma/Myanmar, Malaysia, Guyana, S.

Africa, Fiji, Mauritius, Trinidad• Japanese & Filipinos to Hawaii, Japanese to Brazil,

Chinese to U.S. (1869 trans-continental railroad)• 33 million Chinese live in other countries (3/4 of

Singapore, 1/3 of Malaysia, 1/10 of Thailand)• Many illegal Asian immigrants in Taiwan (Filipinos, Thai,

Malaysians)

Key Issue #3: Why Do Migrants Face Obstacles?

• Difference in Economic Migrants & RefugeesoMigrants – limited; Refugees – special priorityo From Cuba• U.S. considers as refugees since 1959 (Fidel Castro)• Communist government• 600,000 fled to U.S. after revolution, mostly to FL• 1980 – Castro allowed prisoners, criminals, & mental

patients to leave (took back about 2,500)• 125,000 in Mariel boatlift• 20,000 per year since 1987• 90-125 miles from Cuba to FL

Key Issue #3: Why Do Migrants Face Obstacles?

• Difference in Economic Migrants & Refugeeso From Haiti

• Francois “Papa Doc” & Jean-Claude “Baby Doc Duvalier dictatorship – U.S. does not consider as refugees

• Haitians admitted in lawsuit after 1980 Mariel boatlift• 1991 coup of Jean-Bertrand Aristide – many fled but were rejected as

refugees (considered economic migrants)• 1994 – U.S. & UN peacekeeping invasion to reinstate Aristide &

democratic elections• Haiti – poorest country in Western Hemisphere

o From Vietnam• 1975 – communist N. Vietnam captures Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh

City)• Many tried to flee to U.S on boats (boat people)• Some considered refugees but not all (economic vs. political)• 800,000 to U.S. & 1 million to other countries

Key Issue #3: Why Do Migrants Face Obstacles?

• Cultural Problems Faced While Living in Other Countrieso U.S. Attitudes• 19th century – suspicious but viewed as important to

settle frontier & extend U.S. control across continent• Opposition grew when immigrants came mainly from

southern & eastern Europe (Russia, Italy, Poland, etc.)o Viewed as criminals, inferior, resistant to assimilationo Asians viewed suspiciously – language, religiono Hispanics prejudiced against – all assumed illegal; language

• CA voters denied access to public services (education, healthcare, etc.) for undocumented immigrants – not constitutional & hard to enforce

Key Issue #3: Why Do Migrants Face Obstacles?

• Cultural Problems Faced While Living in Other Countrieso Attitudes Towards Guest Workers

o In Europe (Typically young, single males who send money home):o Suffer from poor social conditionso Little money, food, housing, entertainmento Lonely, unfamiliar with language & culture

o Regarded as temporary but actually permanent – often joined by families later

o Suspicions, dislike, political restrictions, attacks increasingo In Middle East:

o Fear political unrest & abandoning of traditional Islamo Force return to marry, prevent return with spouse or children

o Reduced # of guest workers due to reduced economic growtho Anti-immigration policies – somewhat racist, claim to reduce

unemployment & taxes