All skills Social Studies

Learn Index · Cultures and Society Grade 6–8

Immigration to the United States

Millions of people have immigrated to the United States, many arriving at Ellis Island in New York from 1892 to 1954, and the country has debated who should be welcomed, with laws such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.

Illustrated topic card: Immigration to the United States — The United States has been shaped by waves of immigrants from Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa and beyond.
Illustrated topic card: Immigration to the United States — The United States has been shaped by waves of immigrants from Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa and beyond.

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A nation of immigrants

Apart from Native Americans, the ancestors of almost every American came from somewhere else, either by choice or by force, as with enslaved Africans. About 14% of people living in the United States today were born in another country.

Waves of immigration

Period Main groups Why they came
1600s–1700s English, Scots-Irish, Dutch, Germans; enslaved Africans brought by force land, religious freedom, trade; slavery
1820–1860 Irish and Germans the Irish Potato Famine; political unrest in Europe
1850s–1880s Chinese (to the West) the Gold Rush; building the Transcontinental Railroad
1880–1920 Italians, Poles, Russians, Jews from Eastern Europe, Greeks, and others poverty, persecution; jobs in factories and cities
1965–present Latin America (especially Mexico), Asia (India, China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Korea), Caribbean, Africa family reunification, work, education, refuge

Gateways to America

  • Ellis Island (New York, 1892–1954): about 12 million immigrants passed through. They were checked for illness and questioned. The nearby Statue of Liberty welcomed ships.
  • Angel Island (San Francisco, 1910–1940): mainly Asian immigrants, who were often detained for weeks or months because of exclusion laws. Some carved poems into the walls.

Restrictions and exclusion

Immigration has often faced resistance, called nativism.

Law Year Effect
Chinese Exclusion Act 1882 banned Chinese labourers; repealed in 1943
Gentlemen’s Agreement 1907 Japan limited emigration to the U.S.
Immigration Act (Johnson-Reed) 1924 set national-origin quotas favouring Northern and Western Europe; nearly banned Asian immigration
Refugee restrictions 1930s the U.S. accepted few Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany

Opening the door: 1965

The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 ended national-origin quotas. It prioritized:

  • family reunification
  • skilled workers
  • refugees

This dramatically increased immigration from Asia, Latin America and Africa, and made the U.S. far more diverse.

Becoming a citizen

Naturalization is the process of becoming a citizen. Generally, a permanent resident (green card holder) must:

  • live in the U.S. for at least five years (three if married to a citizen)
  • show good moral character
  • pass an English test and a civics test about U.S. history and government
  • take the Oath of Allegiance

Anyone born in the U.S. is a citizen under the 14th Amendment, though the scope of birthright citizenship has become a subject of legal and political debate.

Immigration debates today

Immigration is one of the most debated issues in American politics. Key questions include:

  • Undocumented immigrants: about 11 million or more people live in the U.S. without legal status. Should there be a path to citizenship, stronger enforcement, or both?
  • DACA (2012): a program protecting people brought to the U.S. as children, often called "Dreamers," from deportation; its future has been in the courts.
  • Border security: how to manage the U.S.–Mexico border and asylum claims.
  • Economic impact: how immigration affects jobs, wages, innovation and public finances.
  • Refugees and asylum: how many people the U.S. should accept.

People hold strong and differing views. Understanding the history, data and values involved helps people discuss immigration respectfully.

Contributions

Immigrants and their descendants have shaped every part of American life: science, business, food, music, sports, the arts and government. Many major U.S. companies were founded by immigrants or their children.

Try it yourself

  1. Create a timeline of U.S. immigration laws, marking which opened or closed the door.
  2. Compare the experiences of immigrants at Ellis Island and Angel Island.
  3. Take a sample U.S. citizenship civics test.
  4. Research one current immigration debate and present two perspectives fairly.

Quick recap

  • The U.S. was built by waves of immigrants, along with Native Americans and enslaved Africans.
  • Ellis Island and Angel Island were major gateways.
  • Laws like the Chinese Exclusion Act and 1924 quotas restricted immigration.
  • The 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act ended national-origin quotas.
  • Immigration remains a major political debate today.