Citizenship and Immigration - Essay Example

Module Citizenship and Immigration United s is a country of immigrants. Everywhere you turn you will see people from diverse cultures and ethnic groups working and living together. Immigration issues that plague the modern society are different from the ones that early Americans faced a century ago. Currently, American citizens enjoy a plethora of rights and privileges that have facilitated the establishment of immigrants in the society. As a country, United States has established itself as a melting point where all cultures of the world are accepted and integrated into the American society. America became known as the land of opportunities, where people from all walks of life can thrive and work towards achieving their dreams. The American concept of unity and oneness regardless of origin is as a result of a series of historical events that facilitated the development of the concept of citizenship and Americanization. The country was already inhabited by the American Indians who had migrated into the country long before the Europeans. The American Indians originated from Asia and migrated to America before the recent Ice Age phenomenon (Morrow 17). The Indians occupied Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida states. The early Americans purposed to colonize the cities and thus secure the region as their new territory. The political society defined the first model of citizenship. The 18th centuy politics consisted of the Liberalists and the Federalists groups. The elite group dominated the political scene whereas the rest of the American population endured suffering. At the time, most Americans did not enjoy the privilege to vote freely. The political scene was dominated by the Jeffersonian Republican party. Changes in the political scene allowed more white people to vote. However, other groups such as women, Indians, slaves and a vast number of blacks, were not allowed to vote. The vicious campaign in 1828 ushered the spirit of democracy. The Jeffersonian Republic split into two parties, that is, the Democratic Republicans and the National Republicans. The year 1828 ushered in the ‘‘Jackson Era’’. Andrew Jackson won the election. This new era was celebrated by the common folk because it symbolized the end of Aristocracy and the birth of democracy (Tindall 33). As equal protection president, Jackson promised “equal protection and benefits’’ He expanded suffrage across America, thereby allowing a large number of people to vote. However, African Americans, Native Americans and Women could not vote (Tindall 337).In 1836; Jackson chose not to run for a third term as president. This choice brought a new leader by the name of Martin Van Buren on the scene. In 1830, Martin Van Buren became the 8th president of the United States. MartinVan Buren was of Dutch origin and therefore spoke English as his second language. Martin’s relationship with Jackson paved the way for his political achievement as the president of the United States. In order to live up to Jackson’s exemplary leadership, Martin adopted Jackson’s policies (Tindall 350). Consequentially the Jackson policies resulted in a massive economic downturn dubbed “The Panic of 1837”. Moreover, the issue of immigration demanded the adoption of policies in order to deal effectively with the rapidly increasing number of immigrants. Prior to the Civil War era, the society did not conceptualize citizenship. Martin Van Buren faced the issue of immigration during his era as president. America had experienced massive waves of immigration during the colonial era. Massive groups of people were now settling in their country. Immigrants came to America due to the great economic opportunities. Others came as pilgrims in search for economic freedom, for example, the 1620 Pilgrim migration. In 1815-1865, Immigrants came from North and Western Europe. The massive famine that occurred in Europe at the time contributed to massive migration. A third of the American population consisted of people from Ireland. The immigrants entered the country through New York and opted to remain near the East Coast. Due to the high costs incurred during transportation, the Irish people settled in the country almost penniless (Miller 4). The society viewed the immigrants as a threat. Therefore, Congress adopted policies that would prohibit the new immigrants from owing lands. The administration under Martin Van Buren established the Pre-Emption Act in 1871.This Act allowed the pioneer settlers to own land. The French Revolution of 1789 to 1799 resulted in the European wars that made the European countries unsafe. This resulted in the second wave of immigration that took place in the 18th to mid-19th century. Immigrants escaping the European wars became numerous in the society due to the French Revolution. The Revolution also influenced the politics in America. The Federalists movement viewed the war immigrants as a potential threat in the society. On the other hand, the Democrats supported the French revolution and deemed it as a progeny of the American Revolution. The Democratic-Republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson viewed the British as the enemy (Bischoff 3).The country saw the need to secure its borders and thus prevent the collapse of their new nation. The policies adopted by Early Americans only sought to secure their citizenship. Settlers from the second wave of migration were perceived as a threat. The tension arising from the French Revolution fuelled the already existing tensions. In 1798, John Quincy warned his father over the impending danger of French invasion. Later, Jonathan Dayton publicized this notion by stating that the French troops were planning to invade North America. The Federalists feared that the country may be inhabited by French sympathizers who may opt to help them invade the country. Consequentially, the Federalists implemented four acts that gave them control over the immigrants (Kovek & Gotzke 9).The Alien and Sedition Act of 1798 gave the president powers to arrest, detain and deport dangerous immigrants from the country. Included in this law was The Naturalization Act which enabled the president to lengthen the period of Naturalization of immigrants from about 5 to 14 years. The Act also gave the president power to deport immigrants originating from any country that was an enemy to the State. The Alien and Sedition Act resulted in the prosecution and detention of a number of immigrants in the society. George Washington was a strong advocate of Immigration. He supported the unlimited immigration of white Europeans (Kovek & Gotzke 9).However; the public did not share his beliefs. Americans felt the need to establish neutrality during the French revolution. The society identified a need to restrict the entry of immigrants so as to prevent the birth of “Radical” political ideas. Societal conflicts spurred due to the massive size of immigrants. Multiculturalism became a major issue. Immigrants were not ready to embrace the cultures of the Native Americans. The Society perceived these cultural differences as a threat to the Nation’s cohesiveness. The Immigrants were alienated and forced to a life of servitude. Unfavourable conditions in Europe perpetrated Irish migration. Miller states that the Irish emigrants consisted of Irish citizens who repelled the developments of Irish Agriculture and Industry (Miler 345).The emigrants were motivated by the new opportunities of the New World and the success of previous emigrants. According to Miller, Irish played an integral role in the commercial and industrial revolution that transformed the North Atlantic world. However, this role greatly affected the country and had a numerous implication on its citizens (Miller 3).By 1870 million of Irish settled in the U.S. particularly Boston and New York. Streets and ghettos became prevalent in these regions. Early Americans viewed immigrants as a source of labor. Irish women worked in the garment industry whereas the men laboured in the construction industry (Morrow 25).Regardless of the fact that the immigrants were a source of cheap labour, the society were hostile to the immigrants. Job security became an issue as people feared that they would be unable to get jobs due to the large number of immigrants. Notices such as “No Immigrants allowed” became common in various workstations (Morrow 25). Religious differences fuelled the hostility in the society. The Irish immigrants were majorly of catholic denomination whereas the society was largely protestant. Catholic consecrations became rampant in the cities of New York, Boston and Philadelphia. These led to massive protests from the Native Americans against Irish settlement. Members of the society established the Nativist Movement. This movement resisted the Irish settlement. The movement, also dubbed The Know-Nothing party launched a newspaper known as the spirit of seventy six. In this newspaper, they stated their anti-Catholic views and their development policies for the country. This movement later expanded across all cities including Boston, New York, Charleston and Massachusetts. This expansion resulted in the establishment of Anti-foreignism and Anti-Catholicism programs. I n1830 to 1840 catholic churches were targeted by arsonists (Deignan8). In 1830, America had the largest population of Irish settlers. The large number of immigrants consisted of poor Catholics from Southern and Western Ireland. The Irish community survived in ghettos and were subjected to the harshest form of labour. However, the immigrants were subjected to prejudice from the society. One article in the Chicago tribune stated that “Who does not know that the most depraved, debased, worthless and irredeemable drunkards and sots which curse the community are Irish Catholics?’’ (Morrow 39)This statement conveys the perception of the society towards the immigrants. However, the behaviour of the Irish Immigrants was contrary to this belief. The immigrants resolved to form groups in an attempt to help themselves in this harsh environment. The Hibernian Society of Baltimore and the Shamrock Friendly Association in New York were some of the groups that spurred up during the19th century. The first ancient order of Hibernians resulted from British neglect and the Irish dependence on potatoes. The potato saga in Europe changed the course of history of the Irish country. The American Industrialization demanded cheap labour and thus created a second wave of immigrants. African Americans unlike their Irish counterparts did not migrate to America in search of opportunities or due to war conflicts. The arrival of this new group was as a result of the thriving slavery market that became the largest economic enterprise of its time. Africa was viewed as the source of cheap labour and goods. Commodities such as gold dust, dye and ivory were in great supply. In the article dubbed On the “Populousness of Africa” a British colonialist on the Gold Coast stated that “Africa can continue supplying the West Indies with the supply of labour in the quantities she has and if deemed necessary, the continent can spare millions more in the many years to come”(Conrad 10). African American slaves were regarded as property. According to Semite, slavery justified exclusion from National citizenship (Samito 14).The African American slaves were under the control of the Native Americans. Slavery was a lifetime status, passed on from one generation to another. Moreover, the society was hostile to African American’s due to their colour, and, therefore, did not regard them as people worthy of citizenship. The society viewed Africans as descendant of Ham the accursed son of Noah. They were, therefore, regarded as pagans, savages and barbarians who could not adopt the Christian conduct (Conrad 10).In 1860 slave holding states contained approximately 3,954,000 African Americans (Samito 14). The Antebellum period was an era of reform that ushered in societal changes. This era ushered in the concept of Abolitionism in an attempt to change the society. A series of reforms in this era purposed to create an American society with a common national identity. Utopian communities in the antebellum era formed Abolitionist movements. Antislavery campaigns were an integral part of this movement. The African Americans like the Irish Americans claimed full National Citizenship in the aftermath of the civil war. The loyalty portrayed by the Irish and African Americans in the war brought about the crises of Citizenship in the society. In 1862, Congress struggled to conceptualize citizenship. The Congress questioned as to whether “black men” could be regarded as African Americans. At the time, the concept of National citizenship was determined by a series of complex factors such as naturalization, race, status, gender and the political office(Samito 1).Citizenship constituted of rights and privileges determined by the complex factors present in this antebellum era. The society feared identifying African Americans as their equals, and this resulted in hostility towards the freed slaves. Samito states that the free blacks born in the U.S. did not have alien status nor did their tribal allegiance justify their exclusion (Samito 14). After the Civil War, the Irish Americans and African Americans demanded for inclusion of their rights as Americans. The Boston-born liberator, William Cooper Nell often cited the black military participation as reason for their inclusion as American citizens. There was also tension between the African Americans and the Irish Americans. The tension arose due to the different conditions that the two groups faced. According to Samito, African Americans were confronted with more difficult conditions unlike the Irish (Samito 29).The political arena was also divided with the issue of immigrants. Some members of society supported the solution of exclusion of immigrants. The perception of immigrants was later changed with the events of the civil war. Patriotism unified the immigrants with the Native Americans as a Nation. The participation of immigrants in the civil war and their contribution to the economy consequentially led to their emancipation and ascension to the rights of National citizenship (Samito 24).The Immigrants were assimilated as American citizens and with the same privileges and rights as the Native Americans. Citizenship became the driving force of societal integration. According to Samito, citizenship became the driving force that expanded successfully into the previously excluded groups. Citizenship resulted in the expansion of social, civic and political rights. Citizenship embraced the diverse multiethnic and religious backgrounds. The society adopted ideologies that unified the people as a Nation. The country was now unified under the declaration of independence and the constitution. The result of this new found unity and patriotism was the establishment of a civic culture that valued liberty. Democracy became an accepted political ideology that resulted in the formation of the Bill of Rights. The country became identified as a Nation consisting of people from various multiple-ethnic and religious backgrounds. Today, the factor of Americanization and citizenship remains an issue. America is often depicted as the land of opportunities. In the 19th and 20th century, the country continued to receive an influx of immigrants from a diversity of cultures. The historical events concerning immigrants shaped the societal views. Currently, the country faces an influx of immigrants from Latin speaking countries amongst other regions in the world. The society began to view immigrants as a source of labour. The society viewed immigrants as individuals with the ability to make a generous contribution to the society. This notion was derived from the economic benefits accrued to the Irish Americans. Kozen identifies that the median annual income for households headed by the Irish Americans totalled $54,000.This significant amount was more compared to $48,000 for all households (Koven & Gotzke 56). The massive influx of foreigners brought about the need to control immigration. Some people in the society viewed immigrants as an economic asset whereas others viewed them as an economic liability. The second wave of immigration provided labourers for economic development. Labourers developed roads, railways and contributed to the establishment of the National market. However, not all people viewed immigrants as an asset. One nativist critic stated that the unlimited, unrestricted admission of foreign emigrants poses a serious injury to the native labouring population (Bischoff 24).Some members of the society viewed immigrants as a threat to the rights and privileges of American-born workers (Bischoff 35).The issue of security also comes to play in the country. In light of the recent terrorist effects, the society views a need to control the influx of immigrants. These concerns resulted in the establishment of various immigration laws so as to control the number of immigrants entering the country. In conclusion, the History of America is evidence that the issue of migration is not a recent phenomenon. The 1st and 2nd wave of immigrants’ fuelled development in America. However, recent events bring the need to evaluate the concept of citizenship and the need to regulate immigrants. The Government faces a major challenge of the presence of undocumented immigrants in the country. There is therefore, a growing concern to protect the present American citizens while effectively regulating the assimilation of immigrants in the society. Works Cited Bischoff, Henry: Immigration Issues. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2002. Print. Blumin, Stuart. The Emergence of the Middle Class: Social Experience in the American City, 1760-1900. Cambridge University Press, 1989. Print. Conrad. A. C, Whitehead. J. & Mason. L, Stewart. African Americans in the U.S. Economy Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Feb 9, 2005. Web. Apr 14, 2015. Deigan Tom. Irish Americans 1st ed. for the U.S., its territories and dependencies, and Canada Published by Barrons Educational Series, Inc. in Hauppauge, NY (2003). Koven G.S, Götzke .F. American Immigration Policy: Confronting the Nations Challenges. Springer Science & Business Media, Aug 9, 2010. Web. Apr 14, 2015. Miller, Kerby A. Emigrants and exiles: Ireland and the Irish exodus to North America. Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. Morrow, Robert D “Immigration Rich Diversity or Social Burden. 1994. Print. Samito G. Christian Becoming American under Fire: Irish Americans, African Americans, and the Politics of Citizenship during the Civil War Era. Cornell University Press 2009. Print. Tindall, George Brown, & David E. Shi "America: A Narrative History, Volume 2." 1992. Web. Apr 14, 2015. Wheelwright Wayne. Presidents of the United States of America: 1732 – 1901. Andrews UK Limited, Feb 24, 2014. Web. Apr 14, 2015. Read More