Impacts of Immigration Policies in the 80s and 90s

The United States has historically opened its doors to communities from other countries. From the 17th century well into the 20th century, the nation has witnessed a surge in the population of migrant communities. 1 The increase in the migrant population can be attributed to the immigration policies that the nation implemented. In the 1980s and 90s, the nation witnessed a peak in migrant arrivals. 2 These arrivals are still being witnessed today. The US has historically adopted a welcoming and friendly stance as regards immigration. However, there have been some moments in the country’s history where policies that are rather hostile have been adopted. These policies were intended to discourage immigration. Various ethnic groups in the United States and those who wished to migrate into the country were deeply affected by the immigration policies that were implemented. In this essay, the impacts that the immigration policies had on these groups are explored. 

In the 1920s, the country adopted a quota system for immigration. Essentially, this system placed limits on the number of immigrants from certain countries that would be allowed to migrate into the nation. The quota system was intended to address the mass immigration that the country had witnessed in the previous years. Basically, this system stipulated the maximum number of migrants from certain countries and regions that could move to the United States. The ceiling of the number of immigrants from a given country was placed at 20,000. This ceiling was accompanied by another that capped the number of immigrants from a particular hemisphere at 170,000. The system was also the result of the nationalist sentiment that was taking root in the country. 3 Many Americans feared that the nation was being overrun by foreigners who were robbing locals of employment opportunities. The quota system was scrapped during the Kennedy administration. In its place, a new system that placed focus on reuniting families was adopted. 4 The new system stipulated stricter restrictions. This prompted those who wished to enter the United States to resort to illegal channels. In the 1980s and 90s, millions of migrants entered the country illegally. 5 Mexico accounted for a majority of the illegal immigrants. The mass immigration that the US witnessed in the 80s and 90s is clear indication that immigration policies have profound impacts on ethnic communities. When these policies impose strict restrictions, the communities are forced to adopt desperate and illegal measures. This is a problem that the US still grapples with today as there are millions of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Mexico. 

When the quota system mentioned above was in place, most of the immigrants who moved from the US were from European nations. There were complaints that the system was discriminatory as it provided those from European nations with an easier path to the United States. 6 The new system discussed above addressed the concerns raised regarding discrimination. In addition to the new system, the US Congress introduced another policy that had tremendous impacts on the migrant population in the US. Referred to as the Bracero program, this policy was intended to encourage Mexicans to move to the United States where they would serve as laborers on farms. 7 This new policy was greeted with excitement by Mexicans who believed that the policy would offer them opportunities for economic advancement. When it came into force, the policy resulted into the migration of millions of Mexicans. This migration was sustained well into the 80s and 90s. In the previous years, Europeans formed the bulk of the migrant population in the US. 8 This changed as Mexicans constituted the largest migrant group in the country. The impacts of the Bracero program indicate that immigration policies can significantly alter the demographic profile of the country. The Bracero program significantly affected the Mexican immigrant community as it offered the members of this community the chance of economic empowerment. 

The 20th century was characterized by numerous violent conflicts that left many displaced. These conflicts also forced others to seek refuge from persecution in their homes. In response to these conflicts and the refugee crises that resulted, the US adopted a number of laws and policies aimed at streamlining the process of admitting refugees into the country. 9 For example, in 1948, the US developed a policy in which it committed to admitting 205,000 people who were seeking refuge. This policy was updated in 1953 where the country increased the cap on refugee admissions by 200,000. 10 The refugee policies set the stage for the country to admit thousands of refugees who trooped into the country in the later phases of the 20th century. For example, in the 1980s, refugees from the Indochina region turned to the US for refuge. The country also welcomed thousands of refugees who were fleeing conflicts in the Middle East. In the 1980s and 90s, the US continued to refine its refugee admission policies. For example, the country extended the limit on refugee numbers to allow it to admit more refugees. Additionally, the US did away with the bottlenecks that it placed on certain refugee groups. 11 In the previous years, the nation subjected refugees from communist countries to stricter requirements. Cubans and Haitians are just some of the ethnic communities that benefited from the refugee policies that were implemented in the US. Assyrians, Kurds, Azeris and Turkmens are among the ethnic communities that found refuge in the US. 12 Essentially, the refugee admission policies that the US adopted in the years leading to the 1980s and 90s set the stage for mass refugee admissions. The various ethnic communities that had fled conflicts found safety and stability in the US. Therefore, an argument can be made that the refugee admission and immigration policies that the US developed in the previous years greatly improved the lives of refugee communities in the 80s and 90s. 

Illegal immigration is a challenge that the US has struggled to contain. This problem is the result of the policies that the country employed in the early years of the 20th century. For instance, as mentioned earlier, the country placed restrictions on immigrant numbers and this forced immigrants especially from Mexico to find alternative paths into the country. The following statement by Barbara Jordan who testified before the Immigration Committee sums up the challenge of illegal immigration: 

"Credibility in immigration policy can be summed up in one sentence: Those who should get in, get in; those who should be kept out, are kept out; and those who should not be here will be required to leave...For the system to be credible, people actually have to be deported at the end of the process." 13

Barbara’s statement suggests that the US desperately needed to weed out illegal immigrants. In the 80s and 90s, the country embarked on a campaign to address illegal immigration. This campaign was characterized by harsh penalties imposed on illegal immigrants and reforming the legal process so as to expedite deportation. 14 The country also introduced new measures to prevent terrorist elements from exploiting the immigration process to enter the country. It can be imagined that the stricter policies caused fear within the undocumented immigrant population. Mexican immigrants who entered the country illegally must have been particularly worried. The impacts that the stricter policies had on the migrant communities points to the fact that policies that the US adopted in earlier years continued to affect the lives of migrant communities in the 80s and 90s. 

Overall, the policies that the US adopted regarding immigration had impacts that were largely positive. These policies offered Mexicans with access to employment opportunities in US farms. Additionally, the policies allowed refugees to enjoy the freedoms and stability that are defining features of the United States. Iranian communities such as Kurds who fled the political conflict in the country also found refuge in the US. These policies basically offered desperate communities the opportunity for personal advancement. However, as the discussion above indicates, the policies did present some negative impacts. For example, the stricter policies exposed many undocumented immigrants to the threat of deportation. The open-door policy that the nation had adopted also exposed it to the threat posed by terrorist elements. The fact that the impacts of the immigration policies are mixed indicates that immigration is a complex and tricky affair. Great care must be exercised when developing these policies. 

In conclusion, the US remains the preferred destination for immigrants. Every year, thousands of individuals apply for immigration and the country admits many. This has always been the case as the US has historically welcomed migrants. These migrants provide much-needed labor and allow the US to offer refuge to those fleeing conflict. The experiences of ethnic migrant communities in the 80s and 90s were greatly influenced by the policies that the country had implemented in the earlier years. This fact makes it clear that policies have far-reaching impacts. Before implementing policies concerning immigration, policymakers in the US need to think critically and do all that they can to minimize adverse impacts. 

References

Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty: An American History (New York: W.W Norton & Company, 2011), 8. 

Faye Hipsman, “Immigration in the United States: New Economic, Social, Political Landscapes with Legislative Reform on the Horizon”, Migration Policy Institute http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/immigration-united-states-new-economic-social-political-landscapes-legislative-reform  

Ibid 

“U.S. Immigration Since 1965” History http://www.history.com/topics/us-immigration-since-1965  

“History of US Migration Laws” Federation for American Immigration Reform http://www.fairus.org/facts/us_laws  

John Perr, “Before Syrian Refugees, America Welcomed Massive Iranian Influx”, Daily Kos, November 22, 2015, accessed November 1, 2016 http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/11/22/1453232/-Before-Syrian-refugees-America-welcomed-massive-Iranian-influx  

“History of US Immigration Laws”