Key Issue 3 Why Do Migrants Face Obstacles

Key Issue #3: Why Do Migrants Face Obstacles? • Immigration Policies of Host Countries o U. S. Quota Laws • Acts of Congress – Quota Act of 1921 & National Origins Act of 1924 • Set quotas (max limits) of people allowed to immigrate into U. S. from each country during a 1 -year period o 3% of 1910 census #’s from given countries & 2% of 1890 census o Designed to keep most immigrants European • Immigration Act of 1965 – quotas based on hemispheres not countries (170, 000 east & 120, 000 west) • Global quota of 290, 000 in 1978 – now 620, 000 with no more than 7% per country • Exceptions alter limits – 480, 000 family-sponsored & 140, 000 jobrelated • Reuniting of families (5 year wait); No limit of family of US citizens • Quotas do not apply to refugees • Asians use job-related then family-sponsored (chain migration) • Brain Drain – loss of quality workers from home country

Key Issue #3: Why Do Migrants Face Obstacles? o Temporary Migration for Work • More common in Middle East (oil-related work) & Europe • Guest workers – protected by wage laws, unions • Make up much of workforce in many European countries (1/2 of Luxembourg, 1/6 of Switzerland) • Europe in Stage 3 -5 of DT – low pop. growth or on decline • 700, 000 legal & 500, 000 illegal annually in Europe • Take low status, low skill jobs (taxi, garbage, road crews, cleaning, etc. ) • Low pay but better than home country – reduces unemployment in home country; send money back • U. K. very restrictive guest worker laws • Mostly from Middle East, N. Africa, Eastern Europe, & Asia o Turkey to Germany o Algeria & Morocco to France

Key Issue #3: Why Do Migrants Face Obstacles? o Time Contract Work • Recruited for fixed time – many stay permanently after contract expired • Indians to Burma/Myanmar, Malaysia, Guyana, S. Africa, Fiji, Mauritius, Trinidad • Japanese & Filipinos to Hawaii, Japanese to Brazil, Chinese to U. S. (1869 trans-continental railroad) • 33 million Chinese live in other countries (3/4 of Singapore, 1/3 of Malaysia, 1/10 of Thailand) • Many illegal Asian immigrants in Taiwan (Filipinos, Thai, Malaysians)

Key Issue #3: Why Do Migrants Face Obstacles? • Difference in Economic Migrants & Refugees o Migrants – limited; Refugees – special priority o From Cuba U. S. considers as refugees since 1959 (Fidel Castro) Communist government 600, 000 fled to U. S. after revolution, mostly to FL 1980 – Castro allowed prisoners, criminals, & mental patients to leave (took back about 2, 500) • 125, 000 in Mariel boatlift • 20, 000 per year since 1987 • 90 -125 miles from Cuba to FL • •

Key Issue #3: Why Do Migrants Face Obstacles? • Difference in Economic Migrants & Refugees o From Haiti • Francois “Papa Doc” & Jean-Claude “Baby Doc Duvalier dictatorship – U. S. does not consider as refugees • Haitians admitted in lawsuit after 1980 Mariel boatlift • 1991 coup of Jean-Bertrand Aristide – many fled but were rejected as refugees (considered economic migrants) • 1994 – U. S. & UN peacekeeping invasion to reinstate Aristide & democratic elections • Haiti – poorest country in Western Hemisphere o From Vietnam • 1975 – communist N. Vietnam captures Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) • Many tried to flee to U. S on boats (boat people) • Some considered refugees but not all (economic vs. political) • 800, 000 to U. S. & 1 million to other countries

Key Issue #3: Why Do Migrants Face Obstacles? • Cultural Problems Faced While Living in Other Countries o U. S. Attitudes • 19 th century – suspicious but viewed as important to settle frontier & extend U. S. control across continent • Opposition grew when immigrants came mainly from southern & eastern Europe (Russia, Italy, Poland, etc. ) o Viewed as criminals, inferior, resistant to assimilation o Asians viewed suspiciously – language, religion o Hispanics prejudiced against – all assumed illegal; language • CA voters denied access to public services (education, healthcare, etc. ) for undocumented immigrants – not constitutional & hard to enforce

Key Issue #3: Why Do Migrants Face Obstacles? • Cultural Problems Faced While Living in Other Countries o Attitudes Towards Guest Workers o In Europe (Typically young, single males who send money home): o Suffer from poor social conditions o Little money, food, housing, entertainment o Lonely, unfamiliar with language & culture o Regarded as temporary but actually permanent – often joined by families later o Suspicions, dislike, political restrictions, attacks increasing o In Middle East: o Fear political unrest & abandoning of traditional Islam o Force return to marry, prevent return with spouse or children o Reduced # of guest workers due to reduced economic growth o Anti-immigration policies – somewhat racist, claim to reduce unemployment & taxes