America Is A Nation of Immigrants Essay -- Ethics of Immigration, Cate

For over 300 years, various ethnic, cultural, and social groups have come to this country to seek economic opportunity, reunite with family members, and find a place where they can be free from political and religious persecution. I suspect a majority of American-born citizens believe that immigration is a bad thing in this country that is harmful. Those particular Americans believe that this country is being infested by foreigners who cannot even speak our own language. However, if one were to look at the truth behind these fallacies, he/she would see that immigration is beneficial to our country and should not be abandoned. Instead, it should be increased. Approximately 800,000 immigrants enter the United States each year. Of this number, 480,000 of them are family sponsored, meaning that they are immediate relatives to American citizens, such as a spouse, child, or sibling. Employment-based immigrants total 140,000 each year. This means that they are, â€Å"skilled professionals with exceptional ability and other priority workers, immigrating to jobs for which the U.S. Department of Labor has certified that no qualified U.S. worker is available† (â€Å"Legal Immigration to the United States†). Contrary to popular belief, only 1% of the population constitutes illegal immigrants. People commonly view these immigrants as â€Å"dirty Mexicans† crossing the border, when in fact, six out of the ten illegal immigrants enter the United States legally with a student, tourist, or business visa. Many become illegal when they stay in the United States after their visas have expired (â€Å"America is Immigration†). Refusing immigrants into this country will not alleviate the problem of illegal immigration. If they are able to get in now, then... ...e and greater opportunities. If it had not been for immigration, none of us would be in the position we are today. WORKS CITED â€Å"America is Immigration.† American Immigration Lawyer’s Association. 2014. Web. 28 May 2015. . â€Å"Five Immigration Myths Explained.† American Immigration Lawyer’s Association. 2013. Web. 28 May 2015. . â€Å"Legal Immigration to the United States.† American Immigration Lawyer’s Association. Web. 28 May 2015. . Rachels, James. The Elements of Moral Philosophy. 4th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1999. Sumption, M. "The Economic Value of Citizenship for Immigrants in the United States" 2012 Web. 4 June 2015. http://carnegie.org/fileadmin/Media/Publications/mpi_econ_value_citizenship_01.pdf Singer, Peter. Practical Ethics. 2nd ed. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999. America Is A Nation of Immigrants Essay -- Ethics of Immigration, Cate For over 300 years, various ethnic, cultural, and social groups have come to this country to seek economic opportunity, reunite with family members, and find a place where they can be free from political and religious persecution. I suspect a majority of American-born citizens believe that immigration is a bad thing in this country that is harmful. Those particular Americans believe that this country is being infested by foreigners who cannot even speak our own language. However, if one were to look at the truth behind these fallacies, he/she would see that immigration is beneficial to our country and should not be abandoned. Instead, it should be increased. Approximately 800,000 immigrants enter the United States each year. Of this number, 480,000 of them are family sponsored, meaning that they are immediate relatives to American citizens, such as a spouse, child, or sibling. Employment-based immigrants total 140,000 each year. This means that they are, â€Å"skilled professionals with exceptional ability and other priority workers, immigrating to jobs for which the U.S. Department of Labor has certified that no qualified U.S. worker is available† (â€Å"Legal Immigration to the United States†). Contrary to popular belief, only 1% of the population constitutes illegal immigrants. People commonly view these immigrants as â€Å"dirty Mexicans† crossing the border, when in fact, six out of the ten illegal immigrants enter the United States legally with a student, tourist, or business visa. Many become illegal when they stay in the United States after their visas have expired (â€Å"America is Immigration†). Refusing immigrants into this country will not alleviate the problem of illegal immigration. If they are able to get in now, then... ...e and greater opportunities. If it had not been for immigration, none of us would be in the position we are today. WORKS CITED â€Å"America is Immigration.† American Immigration Lawyer’s Association. 2014. Web. 28 May 2015. . â€Å"Five Immigration Myths Explained.† American Immigration Lawyer’s Association. 2013. Web. 28 May 2015. . â€Å"Legal Immigration to the United States.† American Immigration Lawyer’s Association. Web. 28 May 2015. . Rachels, James. The Elements of Moral Philosophy. 4th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1999. Sumption, M. "The Economic Value of Citizenship for Immigrants in the United States" 2012 Web. 4 June 2015. http://carnegie.org/fileadmin/Media/Publications/mpi_econ_value_citizenship_01.pdf Singer, Peter. Practical Ethics. 2nd ed. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999.