Introduction to Immigration from 1945 to the Present

After World War II in 1945, the demographics and character of immigration to the United States again shifted. Larger numbers of immigrants came to the United States from Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Populous Latino communities flourished far from the border states. The repeal of discriminatory exclusion laws and the extension of citizenship privileges fueled a dramatic increase in immigration from Asia.

The legal structure governing immigration also transformed during this period. Modifying the quota system that had governed legal immigration to the United States for nearly a century, legislators established a tiered visa system that sought immigrants with special skills, professions, or research interests. Special allowances were made for unskilled and limitedly skilled workers, especially migrant agricultural workers. A supplemental lottery system was introduced to diversify immigration. While no less controversial than their predecessors, these laws shaped the development of immigration over the last half of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The articles "Amnesty—Who is Eligible?" and "Your Rights and Responsibilities as a Permanent Resident" discuss some of these issues. More current debates on immigration reform are featured in a subsequent chapter.

A significant portion of immigration during the period covered in this chapter involved refugees, asylum seekers, and displaced persons. From the emigration of victims of the Holocaust after World War II, to the flight of victims of more recent human rights abuses, these groups are discussed in the chapter Refugees, Asylees, and Displaced Persons.

Many of the articles in this chapter discuss immigration as it relates to economic and social policy. However, immigration is the result of deeply personal decisions and sacrifices made by millions of individuals. Whether spurned by war, famine, economic circumstance, concerns of personal safety, a desire for liberty, or want for a better life, immigration is not simply an economic or demographic phenomenon. "Top Ten Immigration Myths and Facts" responds to some arguments advanced by critics of both legal and illegal immigration. "15 Years on the Bottom Rung" chronicles the everyday struggles of undocumented immigrants to the United States. Finally, the inclusion of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Articles 13-15 is a deliberate reminder that immigration issues often converge with human rights concerns.