Immigration is such an emotionally charged issue that it is difficult to tackle it without subjecting oneself to speculation about motives. There are many ugly motives found by people on all sides. Many individuals try to keep foreigners out because of personal racism. This was a main factor in the restrictions of immigrants in the earlier part of the nineteenth century with the limitations places upon certain races. This is not the case today. "Today, nearly two-thirds of the people desire reductions in immigration. Yet, today's opposition to immigrants is different from the previous eras. Today, race no longer stands out as the main reason fueling the restrictions movement: Americans have become more racially tolerant."" (Lee pg.31) The modern day movement for reform of the national immigration policy is not part of racist or xenophobic ideas that it had been in later years. It is part of the clear understanding that this country is rapidly reaching its carrying capacity. It would be a clear injustice for all of America's current citizens if this huge influx of immigration continues, as it would lower the standard of normal American life for all.
"Since 1970, more than 30 million foreign citizens and their descendants have been added to the local communities and labor pools of the United States. It is a numerical equivalent of having relocated within our borders the entire present population of all Central American countries."" (Beck pg.15) We have always heard the term " a nation of immigrants- associated with the United States. This is a very true, nostalgic statement since the origin of almost every American, at one time or another, was through immigration. But presently, difficult questions have risen that can no longer be avoided as the United States enters a fourth decade of unmatched high immigration and the increasingly difficult struggles that come along with it.
