Immigration is one of the most talked-about topics in American politics. But how much do you really know about it? Find out why America is often called a nation of immigrants, and what recent government data tells us about immigration trends.
When the opportunity to escape presented itself, Ginger knew she had to act fast. It might be the last chance she’d ever have. Find out how she fled from a violent gang in Honduras, and how she’s fighting to stay in America legally.
Who gets to be an American? It’s a question at the heart of one of the most heated debates in America today. Get the facts in this article, with support from text features like a timeline and a map.
There are millions of undocumented immigrants in America today. Under President Donald Trump, many of them are facing deportation or incarceration. What are some arguments for and against allowing undocumented immigrants in the U.S. to stay?
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Famous quotes about U.S. immigration
“Our attitude towards immigration reflects our faith in the American ideal. We have always believed it possible for men and women who start at the bottom to rise as far as their talent and energy allow. Neither race nor place of birth should affect their chances.”
— Robert F. Kennedy
“Nearly all Americans have ancestors who braved the oceans—liberty-loving risk takers in search of an ideal. . . . Immigration is not just a link to America’s past; it’s also a bridge to America’s future.”
— President George H.W. Bush, on signing the Immigration Act of 1990 into law
“I had always hoped that this land might become a safe and agreeable asylum to the virtuous and persecuted part of mankind, to whatever nation they might belong.”
— George Washington in 1788 (shortly before being elected the first president of the U.S.)
“As each new wave of immigration has reached America it has been faced with problems, not only the problems that come with making new homes and new jobs, but, more important, the problems of getting along with people of different backgrounds and habits. Somehow, the difficult adjustments are made and people get down to the tasks of earning a living, raising a family, living with their neighbors, and, in the process, building a nation.”
— John F. Kennedy, from his book A Nation of Immigrants (written in 1958, when he was a U.S. senator)
Four immigrants to the U.S. who made an impact on this country—and the world
Madeleine Albright
(1937- )
The first female secretary of State in U.S. history was born in what is now the Czech Republic. She immigrated to the U.S. with her family when she was 11.
