Chapter One: Immigration History and Myths and Facts

1 Immigration History and Myths and Facts
BridgeFact Sheet: Where Have ImmigrantsCome From?
US ImmigrationHistory:A Handout
(BRIDGE: Building a Race and Immigration Dialogue in the Global Economy, National
Networkfor Immigrantand Refugee Rights,_,_vw.nnirr.o_)
Rounding Up US Citizens
(MarjodeCohn,ww'#.counterpunch.org)
Immigration Myths and Facts
(YDS NationalOffice,v_v.ydsusa.org)
1) How has the number of immigrants and sources of migration to the US
changed over time?
2) When did you, your family or your ancestors come to the US, from where,
and why? Was it from one location or several places?
3) What discrimination, if any, did they (or you) face? What government
programs, if any, were they able to use to establish themselves in the US?
How did those factors impact what they thought of the US and their
experiences here?
4) Do you notice any trends in immigration that may be related to
economics? What about ways that the history of immigration to the US
relates to the history of labor, civil rightsand other social justice organizing
in the US? To government repression of immigrant communities?
5) Which of the "immigration myths" have you heard the most from other
people or the media? Why do you think people believe them? Why do
you think people use them? Who benefits?

BRIDGE Fact Sheet
Where Have Immigrants Come From?
1900 13.6% of the U.S. population was born outside the U.S.
86.0% of all immigrants were from Europe
11.4% of all immigrants were from Northern America (including Mexico)
2.6% of all immigrants were from other areas
1900: Top Ten Sending Countries: Germany, Ireland, Great Britain, Canada, Sweden, Italy,
Poland, Russia, Poland, Norway, Austria.
1960 6.9% of the U.S. population was born outside the U.S.
75% of all immigrants were from Europe
9.8% of all immigrants were from Northern America (including Mexico)
9.4% of all immigrants were from Latin America
5.1% of all immigrants were from Asia
0.7% of all immigrants were from other areas
1960: Top Ten Sending Countries: Italy, Germany, Canada, United Kingdom, Poland, Soviet
Union, Mexico, Ireland, Austria and Hungary.
1980 6.2% of the U.S. population was born outside the U.S.
39.0% of all immigrants were from Europe
6.5% of all immigrants were from North America
33.1% of all immigrants were from Latin America
19.3% of all immigrants were from Asia
2.1% of all immigrants were from other areas
1980: Top Ten Sending Countries: Mexico, Germany, Canada, Italy, United Kingdom, Cuba,
Philippines, Poland, Soviet Union, Korea.
2000 10.4% of the U.S. population was born outside the U.S.
15.3% of all immigrants were from Europe
2.5% of all immigrants were from Northern America
51.O% of all immigrants were from Latin America
25.5% of all immigrants were from Asia
5.7% of all immigrants were from other areas
2000: Top Ten Sending Countries: Mexico, China, Philippines, India, Cuba, Vietnam, El
Salvador, Korea, Dominican Republic, Canada.
252 [ BRIDGE: Building a Race and Immigration Dialogue in the Global Economy
www.nnirr.org

N
BRIDGEFactSheet
_:_
SOURCES:
.... Profile of the Foreign-Born Population in the United States: 2000," U_S.Census
_ Bureau, 2001.
_ Hobbs, Frank and Nichole Stoops. "The Foreign Born Population in the United States:
_ 2000," US Census Bureau, 2002.
i_
_ Gibson, Campbell J. and Kay Jung. "Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals By
_ Race, 1790 to 1990, and By Hispanic Origin, 1970 to 1990, For The United States,
_ Regions, Divisions, and States." US census Bureau. Washington D.C., 2002.
N
•
_, Gibson, Campbell J. and Emily Lennon. "Historical Census Statistics on the Foreign-
!_ born Population of the United States: 1850-1990". U.S. Bureau of the Census.
i_ Washington D.C., 1999.
N
N
_N
national network for immigrant and refugee rights I 253
www.nnirr.org

1492 COLUMBUSARRIVESIN THEAMERICAS LLEGADADECOLON ENLASAMERICAS
1600s -1865 SLAVERYOFAFRICANS:Millions of ESCLAVITUD:Miliones de Africanos
Africans forcibly removed from the removidos pot la fuerza de su
continent, enslaved and transported to continente, esclavizados y transportados
North America, primarily to work on a Norte AmErica. Primeramente para
plantations in the South. trabajar en las plantaciones en el sur.
1790 NATURALIZATIONACT Only "free white ACTADE NATURALIZACIONSolamente las
persons" eligible to become U.S. "personas blancas libres" son elegibles
citizens,
para convertirseen ciudadanos
estadounidenses.
1830 INDIAN REMOVALACT ACTADEEXPULSIONINDIGENAForza
Forces 70,000 Native Americans to 70,000 mil indigenas norteamericanos a
relocate in order to free land for ser removidos o trasladados para p°der
settlement by European immigrants, liberar tierra para la ocupaci6n de los
inmigrantes europeos.
1848 MEXICANAMERICANWAR:War between GUERRAMEXICANAAMERICANA:La
Mexico and the United States. The U.S. Guerra entre MExico y EEUU. EEUU
annexes all or parts• of Texas, New tomo Sreas en los estados de Texas,
Mexico, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nuevo MExico, Arizona, California,
Nevada, and Utah. Mexicans in these Colorado, Nevada y Utah. Los
areas lose their citizenship rights.. Mexicanos que riven en esas _reas
pierden sus derechos de ciudadania.
1865-1870: 13THAMENDMENToutlaws slavery. Ku ENMIENDA13 prohibe la esclavitud. Se
1865 Klux Klan is founded, forma el Ku K/ux Klan.
1866 CIVIL RIGHTSACTgrants citizenship to ACTADEDERECHOSCIVILESle da la
people born in the United States, except ciudadania a todos los nacidos en los
American Indians.
Estados Unidos excepto a los Indigenas
norteamericanos.
1868 14th AMENDMENTgrants equal prote- ENMIENDA14 le da protecciOn igual de la
...... ction of the law to African Americans. ley a 10s afroamericanos.
62 I BRIDGE: Building a Race and Immigration Dialogue in the Global Economy

1870 15th AMENDMENT establishes the right ENMIENDA15 establece el derecho de los
of African American males to vote. hombres afroamericanos a votar.
i Specifically excludes all women. Especificamente excluye a todas las
mujeres.
';;. i 1882-1943 CHINESEEXCLUSIONACT: Denies ACTADEEXCLUSIONDE LOSCHINOS:Niega
iill citizenship for. Chinese immigrants la ciudadania a los inmigrantes chinos y
and suspends their entry to the U.S. suspende su entrada a los Estados Unidos.
"_-.t During the late 1880s, Italians and the Durante el final de los 1800s, los italianos y
I Irish also faced discrimination, los irlandeses tambi_n enfrentan mucha
discriminaci6n.
.i
1890-1895 THENEW SOUTHLAWS 01M CROW LASkEYESDELNUEVOSURO kEYESDE "JIM
LAWS) Beginning with Mississippi, CROW" Empezando con Mississippi, los
Confederate States enact amendments estados confederados ponen enmiendas
denying blacks the right to vote. negando a los negros el derecho a votar,
Forms of disenfranchisement include en forma de impuestos en las casillas y
poll taxes and ownership of property, tenencia de tierras para poder votar. Texas
In Texas,these laws are also used to adopta alas mismas leyes para exduir a
deny Latinos the right to vote. los negros y tambi_n a los Latinos.
1919 PALMERRAIDS:Deportations and LASREDADAS"PAkMER"Deportaciones y
round-ups of "aliens," anarchists, and redadas de extranjeros, anarquistas, y
communists, especially those from comunistas, especialmente los del sur de
southern Europe and Latin America. Europa y Latinoamerica que tenian un _
10,000 labor and immigrant activists papel central en organizar los sindicatos
are deported, en los Estados Unidos. 10,000 activistas
de los movimientos laboral e inmigrante
fueron deportado s.
1920 20TH AMENDMENT:Women win the ENMIENDA20: La mujer gana el derecho a
right to vote votar.
1921-1930 DEPORTATION OF MEXICAN WORKERS: DEPORTACIONESDE TRABAJADORES
Thousands of Mexican workers, MEXICANOS:Miles de trabajadores
including many US citizens, are mexicanos son deportados, incluyendo a
deported, muchos ciudadanos.
national network #or immigrant and refugee rights [ 63
www.nnirr.org

1929 U.S. BORDERPATROLCREATED SEESTABLECIOLAPATRULLAEN LAFRONTERA
1942-1945 IAPANESEINTERNMENT:U.S. forcibly CAMPOSDEDETENCIONJAPONESES: E1
moves 120,000 Japanese-Americans gobierno EEUU remueve por la fuerza
from the western U.S. to detention 120,000 americanos de descendencia
camps for 3 years, japonesa del oeste de los Eatados Unidos a
campos de concentraci6n por 3 a_os.
1943 CHINESEEXCLUSIONACTREPEALED ELACTADEEXCLUSIONCHINOESREPEl_ADO :_%_
1942-1964 BRACEROPROGRAM:Millions of PROGRAMABRACERO:Miliones de t_aba- _-_%;
contract workers from Mexico, jadores contratados de M6xico, Jamaica, _-_!
Jamaica, British Honduras and Honduras Brit_xicas, y Barbados son Ueva........
Barbados brought to the U.S. to meet dos a los Estados Unidos para responder a la 7:.
labor shortages created by WWII. falta de trabajadores debido a la Segunda , _,
Workers are still fighting for wages Guerra Mindial. Hasta la Iecha, los trabaowed
to them. jadores siguen peleando poi sueld0s que ;'_:._:,_
IF_"
nunca recibieron. "':;:'!
epo.at o cam On e pe, =vaOa0e oro eo ac iii il o e
1954 OPERATIONWETBACKMassive ESPALDASMOJADAS :':'_>
than 1.1 million Mexicans. expulsando mgs de 1.1 miUiones de !1: _i:;__ _
mexicanos.
_!;'
1961 FREEDOMRIDESchallenge segregation fiARAVANASDE LALIBERTADenffentan la :'/_:_[
I
on buses segregaci6nen los autobuses _,_:_:
:';-#L
1965 VOTING RIGHTSACT:Literacy tests and ACTADE DERECHOA VOTAR:Exgmenes de _:,_'"_'_
other such requirements preventing alfabetismo y otros tales requisitos que _,_!::_[
::;!':_ citizens from voting become illegal, ilnpiden a ciudadanos votar son declarados _:_,
_,_,_
([_,_ ilegales. [
...._ 1965 IMMIGRATIONACTEliminates race, ACTADEINMIGRACIONY NACIONALIDAD i[__'_
I
':,i creed, and nationality quotas as basis Elimina raza, etnicidad y nacionalidad como __'_'
':[ for admission to the U.S. base para el ingreso a los Estados Unidos i!_:_)'_i
• i_711
• °
_a I BRIDGE: .Building a Race and Immigration Dialogue in the Global Economy

A Constitutional Shredding: Rounding Up U.S. Citizens
By MarjorieCohn, Counterpunch,September30/Octoberl,2006
The Hilitary Commissions Act of 2006 governing the treatment of detainees is the
culmination of relentless fear-mongering by the Bush administration since the
September 11 terrorist attacks.
Because the bill was adopted with lightning speed, barely anyone noticed that it
empowers Bush to declare not just aliens, but also U.S. citizens, "unlawful enemy
combatants."
Bush & Co. has portrayed the bill as a tough way to deal with aliens to protect us
against terrorism. Frightened they might lose their majority in Congress in the
November elections, the Republicans rammed the bill through Congress with little
substantive debate.
Anyone who donates money to a charity that turns up on Bush's list of "terrorist"
organizations, or who speaks out against the government's policies could be declared
an "unlawful enemy combatant" and imprisoned indefinitely. That includes American
citizens.
The bill also strips habeas corpus rights from detained aliens who have been declared
enemy combatants. Congress has the constitutional power to suspend habeas corpus
only in times of rebellion or invasion. The habeas-stripping provision in the new bill is
unconstitutional and the Supreme Court will likely say so when the issue comes
before it.
Although more insidious, this law follows in the footsteps of other unnecessarily
repressive legislation. In times of war and national crisis, the government has
targeted immigrants and dissidents.
In 1798, the Federalist-led Congress, capitalizing on the fear of war, passed the four
Alien and Sedition Acts to stifle dissent against the Federalist Party's political agenda.
The Naturalization Act extended the time necessary for immigrants to reside in the
U.S. because most immigrants sympathized with the Republicans.
The Alien Enemies Act provided for the arrest, detention and deportation of male
citizens of any foreign nation at war with the United States. Many of the 25,000
French citizens living in the U.S. could have been expelled had France and America
gone to war, but this law was never used. The Alien Friends Act authorized the
deportation of any non-citizen suspected of endangering the security of the U.S.
government; the law lasted only two years and no one was deported under it.
The Sedition Act provided criminal penalties for any person who wrote, printed,
published, or spoke anything "false, scandalous and malicious" with the intent to
hold the government in "contempt or disrepute." The Federalists argued it was
necessary to suppress criticism of the government in time of war. The Republicans
objected that the Sedition Act violated the First Amendment, which had become part
of the Constitution seven years earlier. Employed exclusively against Republicans,
the Sedition Act was used to target congressmen and newspaper editors who
criticized President John Adams.

Subsequent examples of laws passed and actions taken as a result of fear-mongering
during periods of xenophobia are the Espionage Act of 1917, the Sedition Act of
1918, the Red Scare following World War I, the forcible internment of people of
.lapanese descent during World War II, and the Alien Registration Act of 1940 (the
Smith Act).
During the McCarthy period of the 1950s, in an effort to eradicate the perceived
threat of communism, the government engaged in widespread illegal surveillance to
threaten and silence anyone who had an unorthodox political viewpoint. Many people
were jailed, blacklisted and lost their jobs. Thousands of lives were shattered as the
FBI engaged in "red-baiting."
One month after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, United States Attorney
General John Ashcroft rushed the U.S.A. Patriot Act through a timid Congress. The
Patriot Act created a crime of domestic terrorism aimed at political activists who
protest government policies, and set forth an ideological test for entry into the
United States.
In 1944, the Supreme Court upheld the legality of the internment of Japanese and
Japanese-American citizens in Korematsu v. United States. Justice Robert Jackson
warned in his dissent that the ruling would "lie about like a loaded weapon ready for
the hand of any authority that can bring forward a plausible claim of an urgent
need."
That day has come with the Military Commissions Act of 2006. It provides the basis
for the President to round-up both aliens and U.S. citizens he determines have given
material support to terrorists. Kellogg Brown & Root, a subsidiary of Cheney's
Halliburton, is constructing a huge facility at an undisclosed location to hold tens of
thousands of undesirables.
In his 1928 dissent in Olmstead v. United States, ]ustice Louis Brandeis cautioned,
"The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well
meaning but without understanding." Seventy-three years later, former White House
spokesman Ari Fleischer, speaking for a zealous President, warned Americans "they
need to watch what they say, watch what they do."
We can expect Bush to continue to exploit 9/11 to strip us of more of our liberties.
Our constitutional right to dissent is in serious jeopardy. Benjamin Franklin's
prescient warning should give us pause: "They who would give up an essential liberty
for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security."

Immigration Myths and Facts
Young DemocraticSocialistsFact Sheet
There are a lot of mythsoutthere on bothsidesofthe debate aroundimmigration.
However,the majorityof mythsthatwe hear are fromthe anti-immigrantsideof the
spectrum,and it is importanto understandwhythey use certainwords,phrasesand
conceptsintheir rhetoric.This is alsoa handycheatsheetto studybeforedebateswith
the right-wing!
1) "Illegalaliens"is an impartialterm,and "undocumentedworkers"istoo PC.
The word=alien"impliesnon-humanand thereforenotdeservingof humanrights.
"Undocumented"refersto someonewithoutimmigrationpapers. Pro-immigrant
advocates contend that, while some may cross borders without government
authorization,=nohumanbeingis illegal."
2) Americais beingoverrunbyimmigrants.
ThroughoutUnitedStateshistory,we havehad large wavesof immigrantsand they
contributedto societyin manyways. Infact, the percentageof foreignbornresidents
of the U.S. to the totalpopulationis muchsmallertodaythan itwasfrom 1890 -
1920. The imageof a communitybeingoverrunbypestsis invokedinthisconcept,
whichis part of a longhistoryof racistimagery.
3) Undocumentedimmigrantsdrainpublicresourcesbecausethey don'tpay
taxes and they use public schools and hospitals.
Manyundocumentedimmigrantworkersusefake socialsecuritynumbersto get
jobs, and they therefore pay taxes that they never get back, unassigned taxes that
add upto billionseachyear, and likeall workersthey paysales taxes. Immigrant
labor also contributes to the economy. The real question is why public schools and
hospitalsdon'tget enoughfundinginthe firstplace, and wherewe spendourtax
dollars instead.
4) Immigrantwomenhave "anchorbabies"just to stayinthe US, thengo on
Welfare.
An undocumentedpersoncan notreceivefederal orstatewelfare(TANF).They
wouldbe arrestedand deported. EspeciallysincePresidentClinton'sreformsinthe
1990's,welfare benefitshave beencutto miserlylow levels,punishingthe so-called
beneficiariesand doinglittleto actuallyliftthemoutof poverty(stateand federal
expenditureson welfare programsmake up a mere 1-2% ofthe total budget). Since
immigrantscomehere to workand supporttheirfamilies,thereare no incentivesfor
them to riskdeportationforthe meager resourcesdispensedbywelfare.
Furthermore,since 1783 it hasbeen U.S. lawthat any childrenbom inthe U.S. are
U.S. citizens. The ideaof =anchorbabies"scapegoatsimmigrantwomenwhosimply
wantto be mothersorwhodon'thavetruecontrolovertheirownreproductivelives.
5) Undocumented immigrants steal jobs.

This is a muddy issue. Employers like undocumented workers because they can
exploitthem moreeasilybyusingthe threat of deportationto silencetheirvoicesand
preventdemandsfor fair wagesand workingconditions.Undocumentedworkersare
pushedhere byUS foreignpolicyand an unjustglobaleconomy. Immigrantsoften
havelittlereal choicewhen lookingto surviveand supporttheirfamilies. Whilethe
presenceof manyundocumentedworkersin a communitymay havean impacton
•the job market, the net resultsare decidedlymixed. However,it is importantto
recognize that blaming other workers will not help U.S. workers improve their
conditions.Employerswilltake advantageof anydivisionsinthe workforce,so unity
aroundraisingstandardsforundocumentedworkersis importantfor raisingthe
standardsfor allworkers.
6) Immigrantsdon'tcare aboutthe communitiesthat they moveinto.
Immigrantsare barredfromparticipatedinthe formalciviclifeinthe communities
that they moveinto,and they are oftenstrugglingto survivein a hostileeconomic
and culturalclimate. The majordifferencebetweenimmigrantsof todayand
immigrantsof prioreras (suchas 1890- 1920) isthe immigrationlaws. Peopleare
comingfor basicallythe same reasons,to earn a livingto feed theirfamilies. Mutual
distrustis a naturalreactionto perceiveddifference,butitcan be overcomewith
dialog and cultural sharing.
7) Worryingabout"culturalchanges"isnotracist.
Southernsegregationistsduringthe civilrightsmovementsaidthey simplywantedto
preservetheir"wayof life". Soundfamiliar?.
8) Immigrantsare morelikelyto commitcrime,especiallythe men,sincethey
commita crimesimplyby beinghere ifthey are undocumented.
This is a classicargumentthatequatestwototallydifferentthings,committinga
violentcrime and breakingan unfairlaw ina climatethat makessurvivaldifficult.In
addition,rightwingpunditsoftengive moreexposureto crimescommittedbypeople
of color,whetherlatino/aor black,thanthosecommittedbywhites,inan effortto
whipup racialfear amongwhites.
9) Immigrants coming to the US will create an environmental crisis because we
havea higherstandardof livingand they'llthereforehavea bigger
environmental=footprint"simplyby livinghere.
It is truethat residentsin the UnitedStatesuseup moreresources,per person,than
virtuallyany othercountryon the planet. However,blamingindividualsora section
of societybasedontheirrace, ratherthanblamingpollutingcapitalistcorporations,
hides the real issue. What we need is transparent government regulation of
corporationsor stateentitieslikethe militarythatimpactthe environment.
10) Mexicanimmigrantswantto take overthe SouthwestUS and turn it into
Aztlan.
This isa classicultra-rightmythof an attemptto re-establishAtzlan,and is the work
of conspiracytheoristslike Rush Limbaughand Pat Buchanan,plusand abouta

dozen ultra nationalists. However, it interestingly enough does draw attention to the
fact thatduringthe Spanishand Mexicanperiodwhat is nowthe American
Southwest was largely controlled (not owned) by indigenous Native tribes, with some
Mexicanslivingthere,and whenthe U,S. tookcontrolthey systematicallyoppressed
the formerMexicansand Nativepeoplelivingthere. Keepingthis historicalrealityas
partof historyhardlytranslatesintoa trueattemptto overthrowthe UnitedStates.
Also,thinkof itthisway. If you riskedyourlifeto fleeto the U.S., wouldyou then
want to turn the U.S. back into a Mexico?
11) Open borders let in terrorists.
Completely sealing our borders is impossible, but the right-wing likes to justify
increased spending on guns and soldiers at the border by making the argument that
immigrantsare terrorists,or at the very leastharborthem. The realityisthat no one
crossingthe Mexicanborderhaseverbeenfoundto be a terrorist,over40% of all
peopleenteringthe U.S. comeinthroughairportswithtouristvisasanyway,and
since9/11, the manymeasurestargetingimmigrantsinthe nameof nationalsecurity
have nettedno terrorismprosecutions.SharpincreasesinU.S. spendingon border
militarizationhas coincidedwithsharp increasesinthe numberof immigrants
crossing the border, demonstrating the ineffectiveness of border militarization in
stoppingimmigrantsfrom crossing.
12) A guestworkerprogramwillsolvethe problemwe have witha laborshortage.
We don'thave a laborshortage- infactwe havea crisisofjoblessnessinmany
innercitiesand ruralareas. We may havea shortageof workerswithvariousskills
or education levels, but that is a problem with our educational system. Corporations
want a huge labor pool because then they can drive down wages through
competitionbetweenworkers. Witha guestworker program,therewouldbe an extra
subclassof workerswithbasicallyno rights,whichwouldmakeiteven harderfor
regularAmericanworkersto improvetheirworkingconditions.Historyshowsthat
past guestworkerprograms(likethe Bracerosprogram)preventedunionization.
This is whymanycorporationsare generallypro-immigration,becausethey wanta
guestworkerprogramto givethem largenumbersof exploitableworkers.
13) Immigrants do jobs Americans won't do.
This is a myth not spread by the right, but rather by the immigrant rights movement.
Immigrantscertainlydo jobs thatmake thiscountryfunction. However,the reason
that Americanswon'tdo them is oftenbecausethe payand conditionsare sobad.
There isa crisisofjoblessnessamongmanypoorcommunities,especially
communitiesof color,andjobs withdecentwagesand dignityare sorelyneeded, but
corporationswouldratherhire exploitableimmigrantswhoare eitherafraidto stand
upfortheirrights,orwhoconsiderthe wagesand conditionsmuchbetterthanthe
even worse ones available in their home countries.
14) We are all immigrants.
Yes, manyUS citizenshaveancestorswhowere once immigrants.Butsomeof our
ancestorswere not immigrantsbychoice(dueto slavery),and someof our
ancestorswere indigenouspeoplehere, NativeAmericanswhose cultureswere

destroyedby the Europeanimmigrants.This isnotto blameanyonealivetodayfor
what happened in our history, but rather to remind us that we need to be mindful of
the hurtful past the our slogans could inadvertently bring up.
Additional
Resources
http:llwww,campusactivism.orgldisplayresource-605,htm
http:llwww.justiceforimmigrants.orglmyths, html