Migration and Immigration. Social Sciences. Term Paper

MIGRATION AND IMMIGRATION
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Introduction
Every year, thousands of people across the world land on American soil. Most have come in search of the elusive ‘American Dream’ or simply, the opportunities that have often been fabled in the country. Compared to their home countries where there is definitely a lower probability of securing any job or even prospering compared to the U.S., these individuals will always be ready for anything that the American experience throws at them. For the American systems however, this issue of immigration causes a serious challenge of its own. With each immigrant comes new logistical and planning challenges for the government. Migration and immigration have been constant issues in matters to do with planning, social order and even politics in the U.S.
Migration and Immigration
Esses (2018) defines migration as the general movement of individuals from one given location to another. This can take place either within the country or between countries. Immigration on the other hand entails the movement of individuals from one nation to the other. Both migration and immigration are either on permanent or temporary basis. It can however be either voluntary or involuntary based on the causes of the same. Migration and immigration can be caused by employment opportunities, sociopolitical strife, businesses, or even due to natural disasters. It is temporary if it entails workers moving from one location to another in order to work on a certain project, after which they will go back to their original homes.
It is permanent if these individuals were forced out of their original places of residence to move to a new area. As initially noted, involuntary migration is a result of forceful ejection of people from the places they once called home, and onto new territories due to either natural disasters like volcanic eruptions or violence (Esses, 2018). Sometimes, it can even be due to economic turmoil caused by a combination of bad governance and political intolerance. It is a combination of such factors that have continuously and perennially pushed people out of their home countries and into the U.S.; where there is relatively no sociopolitical turmoil and the existence of functional governance that feed into a booming economy.
The Benefits
When two different cultures come together, there is bound to be an exchange of practices, traditions and even beliefs. Such is the case with immigration and migration. There is a fusion of these cultures from both the immigrants and the natives, which results in the generation of a new culture and cultivation of new ideas (Jawetz, 2019). Subsequently, there are new practices and growth in various fields such as sports, poetry and even art. Acculturation automatically occurs as both the newcomers and the natives learn on how to live with each other for the greater benefit of both (Esses, 2019). The freedom of such practices by the American society is what really makes it a great destination for most immigrants.
Immigration has also resulted in the availability of enough workforce for the American industries. Just the same way people come in to look for job opportunities, the American industries provided them with the same, at agreed wages. They also bring in their skills and expertise in the respective specialties, something that be a great boon for the American economy (Svajlenka & Wilson, 2014). It is quite important to note that most immigrants usually come into the U.S. when they are at their prime and hence physically and mentally active (Jawetz, 2019). They can therefore contribute to the continued growth of the American economy over the long-term.
Immigrants have also played a crucial role in cutting down on the population decline amongst various towns across the U.S. There are towns such as Utica, Fargo and Georgia which were previously experiencing population decline before the introduction of immigrants to boost up their populations. Immigrants have therefore played a role in revitalizing these waning communities and hence successfully ensuring that social amenities such as schools, churches and even hospitals, do not close down (Svajlenka & Wilson, 2014). This has effectively saved even businesses in such areas from closing down due to lack of customers. In other terms, the lifeline of these towns has bordered greatly on the existence of the immigrants.
Finally, there is the great contribution of the immigrants to the economy in form of taxes. When they come into the country, these people get jobs in various sectors of the economy. They then get taxed on their income. It is such taxes that contribute greatly on the government’s planning and allocation on various sectors too. On the bigger picture, the taxes help pay for social security and other bills that helping the growth of the American economy (Svajlenka & Wilson, 2014). Immigrants along with their kids have contributed in the growth of virtually all the sectors of the American economy in one way or the other.
The Immigration and Migration Crisis in the U.S.
With all the benefits of the visitors into the country, there is a rapidly developing crisis. Taking for example the Mexican and other South American migrants trying to come into the country. They first experience a number of challenges on their way to the border, such as getting waylaid and raped, especially for female immigrants. Once they get to the border, the pressure shifts to the other side of the border, where the U.S. doesn’t have the necessary resources to properly handle a burgeoning immigrant population. The government doesn’t have enough housing for them, same to the social amenities and services needed to sustain them.
The result is a serious humanitarian crisis on both sides of the border between the U.S. and Mexico. The month of May, 2019 for example, experienced the highest surge in the number of migrants trying to cross over from the Mexican side to the U.S. The numbers, 144,000; even overwhelmed the available migrant shelters, patrol stations and the security personnel (Johnson, Selee & Preston, 2019). As initially mentioned, most of them were asylum seekers trying to flee the harsh ,dangerous environments back home ,for a safer and more sustainable one in the U.S. The crisis is a combination of laws and politics, that have all threatened to cause massive loss of lives.
Asylum Law
According to the U.S. asylum law, anyone who is found within the boundaries of the country is eligible to seek the relevant documents that can help him or her take asylum in the country. The only exception is when there is some concession between the U.S. and another country, through which the individual has passed (Johnson, Selee & Preston, 2019). Quite interestingly, some of the nations that are in such a concession with the U.S. are Guatemala and Mexico.
Who or What is Responsible for The Crisis
Politics have played a huge part in the current refugee crisis along the border between the U.S. and Mexico. Before 2016, the number of immigrants trying to cross into the U.S. was quite modest and didn’t even raise any alarm. However, there was a sudden spike in the numbers from 2016. The reason for this can be due to the presidential campaigns that year, when some of the nominees subtly encouraged immigration (Johnson, Selee & Preston, 2019). There were generally s...