Immigration Reform Act Of 1965 Analysis

For generations, many Americans have seen their country as a haven for immigrants, a “melting pot,” of different cultures. These different cultures and traditions brought from countries across the world shaped the modern American identity, some would argue. While it is true many cultures from Europe, Africa, Latin America, etc. have contributed to molding the modern American society, immigration history is marred by resistance. Patterns in immigration throughout American history have created a culture de jour that is at the center for the most ardent opposition. From the Irish, to the Asians, and now Hispanics, it is easy to interchange the culture or race, while keeping the hysteria in any given decade from America’s past. The United State’s

The Act, signed into law by President Johnson, was an enormous step in liberalizing immigration policy in the United States. It was “iconic text,” that, in Johnson’s perspective, was one of the most important reforms in his administration. The act was significant in that it “eliminated the national origins quota system”(125). The large step however, needs to be seen through the context of the time. Politically, Washington and the entire country were going through significant social and political changes. The Voting Rights Act passed in that same year and the Civil Rights Act passed one year prior. This progressive change provided fertile ground for the Immigration Reform Act in 1965. Before the 60’s however, America’s track record was far more

It was no anomaly to see the signs of “No Irish Need Apply,” because prior to the mass immigration of Asians, the Irish were the heart and anti immigration fervor. In modern America, immigration politics are reminiscent of previous American culture uprisings. As the globalized economy has evolved, an uneasiness in communities across America has developed. A misunderstanding of other cultures and and traditions has fostered a nationalistic attitude that has translated into a reactionary movement from the right. Calls of “building walls,” and deporting millions of Mexican Americans to Mexico is the modern anti immigration movement. The next presidential election will determine the path the country will choose in terms of