Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Economics and Politics Case Study:
U.S. Immigration
Immigration has played, and continues to play, a
major role in the growth and cultural diversity of the
U.S. population.
Since 1820, the United States has admitted almost
twice as many immigrants and refugees as all other
countries combined! The number of legal immigrants
(including refugees) has varied during different peri-
ods because of changes in immigration laws and rates
of economic growth (Figure 7-7). Currently, legal and
illegal immigration account for about 41% of the coun-
try's annual population growth.
Between 1820 and 1960, most legal immigrants to
the United States came from Europe. Since 1960, most
have come from Latin America (53%) and Asia (25%),
followed by Europe (14%). Latinos (67% of them from
Mexico) made up 14% of the U.S. population in 2005.
By 2050, Latinos are projected to account for one of
every four people in the United States.
In 1995, the U.S. Commission on Immigration
Reform recommended reducing the number of legal
immigrants from about 900,000 to 700,000 per year for
a transition period and then to 550,000 per year. Some
analysts want to limit legal immigration to 20% of the
country's annual population growth. They would
accept new entrants only if they can support them-
selves, arguing that providing immigrants with public
services makes the United States a magnet for the
world's poor.
There is also support for efforts to sharply reduce
illegal immigration. Some remain concerned that a
crackdown on the country's 8-10 million illegal immi-
grants might lead to discrimination against legal
immigrants.
Proponents of reducing immigration argue that it
would allow the United States to stabilize its popula-
tion sooner and help reduce the country's enormous
environmental impact. The public strongly supports
this position. In a January 2002 Gallup poll, 58% of
people polled believed that immigration rates should
be reduced (up from 45% in January 2001). A 1993
Hispanic Research Group survey found that 89% of
Hispanic Americans supported an immediate morato-
rium on immigration.
Others oppose reducing current levels of legal im-
migration. They argue that it would diminish the
United States' historical role as a place of opportunity
for the world's poor and oppressed. In addition, immi-
grants pay taxes, take many menial and low-paying
jobs that most other Americans shun, open businesses,
and create jobs. Moreover, according to the U.S.
Census Bureau, after 2020 higher immigration levels
will be needed to supply enough workers as baby
boomers retire.
x
H
OW
W
OULD
Y
OU
V
OTE
?
Should immigration into the
United States (or the country where you live) be reduced?
Cast your vote online at http://biology.brookscole.com
/miller11.
7-2
POPULATION AGE STRUCTURE
2,000
1,800
Age-Structure Diagrams
The number of people in young, middle, and older
age groups determines how fast populations grow or
decline.
As mentioned earlier, even if the replacement-level
fertility rate of 2.1 were magically achieved globally
tomorrow, the world's population would keep grow-
ing for at least another 50 years (assuming no large in-
crease in the death rate). This results mostly from the
age structure:
the distribution of males and females in
each age group in the world's population.
Population experts (demographers) construct a
population age-structure diagram by plotting the per-
centages or numbers of males and females in the total
population in each of three age categories:
prereproduc-
tive
(ages 0-14),
reproductive
(ages 15-44), and
post-
reproductive
(ages 45 and older). Figure 7-8 presents
generalized age-structure diagrams for countries with
rapid, slow, zero, and negative population growth
rates. Which of these figures best represents the coun-
try where you live?
1,600
1907
1914
New laws
restrict
immigration
1,400
1,200
1,000
800
Great
Depression
600
400
200
0
1820 1840 1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000
2010
Year
Figure 7-7
Legal immigration to the United States, 1820-2002. The
large increase in immigration since 1989 resulted mostly from the
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, which granted legal
status to illegal immigrants who could show they had been living in
the country for several years. In 2005, almost one in eight people
in the United States was born in another country. (Data from U.S.
Immigration and Naturalization Service)
