The Changing Role Of Immigrants In The 21st Century

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At the beginning of the 20th century, there was a boom in immigration, only to be interrupted by the government and limiting the amounts of immigrants entering the country by 1925. By the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, almost 12 million people immigrated within a decade. However, with the huge increase of immigrants, there was also a huge increase of illegal immigrants, resulting in a lot of controversial discussion. Immigration in the United States influenced many policies and practices in the 21st century, as well as provided possibilities for further development over the next few decades. As the number of immigrants increased, so did the influence of immigration on policies. During the 1980s and the early 21st century, nearly 1 million people per year were immigrating to …show more content…
Just a few decades ago, the majority of the immigrants were from European. By the 21st century more and more Latinos and Asians began to become part of the “Melting Pot”. With over 47 million Latinos in America, they also brought along their culture, their practices and their ideas. With this came the increasing presence of the Spanish language in everyday life, the influence of Latino cuisine and it even brought the formation of the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee (Kennedy, 1004). Besides Latinos, many Asians also began to change the nation’s perception and practices. They were once feared and thought of as disgusting as the “yellow peril” and had some of the most degrading jobs; however, with the increase of Asian immigrants, and a total over 15 million in 2008, they are now considered some of the most prosperous Americans and even have political influence (Kennedy, 1004). As the number of immigrants from countries such as Latin and Asia continued to increase, the practices of the nation changed