Immigration

Early History By 1870s nearly 40% of CA was foreign born-- about 2x today’s rate Clashing interests: Railroad and then growers vs many native whites Waves of immigration and Exclusion--Chinese, Japanese, Philippino, Mexicans through the Bracero program

History, cont’d 1950s #1 source of immigration to CA was Canada majority of immigrants first language was English

The modern Period 1965 Immigration Act -Not based on race or ethnicity -priority given to family reunification The new boom--3rd world immigration -air travel, chain sponsorship -increased more during the 1990s boom -roughly 300,000 per year

Current System INS reorganized under Homeland Security as Citizenship and Immigration Services Types of legal immigration: -Family sponsored (for Green Card only spouse or child)-- 70% -Student or Employment based--20% -Refugee/Asylee--5%—“reasonable fear of persecution for ethnic, cultural, religious reasons” -Other—“Diversity Lottery”, etc.

Immigration to CA almost 1/3 of all legal US immigration comes to CA about 50% come from Latin America and the Caribbean about 40% from Asia and the Pacific

Illegal Immigration About 10 million illegal immigrants in US about 1/3 in CA

Is immigration (still) good for the country? costs: schools, medical, courts, police, etc. benefits: provide labor, pay many taxes, reinvigorate cities objection: new immigrants not assimilating like old--a permanent foreign underclass, especially given “new economy” defense: are assimilating

Backlash 1994 Prop 187 -denying illegal immigrants state-funded education, welfare benefits and non-emergency medical care -thrown out by the courts 1996 Welfare Reform cut legal immigrant eligibility for welfare benefits-- subsequently partially restored now proposal to extend the fence

Other issues ID Drivers licenses -were legal until relegalized in 2003, repealed by Swarzenegger -permitted in four states Matricular IDs -granted by foreign countries’ consulates -accepted as valid in a dozen states, some cities

Other issues Voting -a history of non-citizen voting -NY and LA allow it for school boards