America Needs Immigration

So many times the phrase "melting pot" is used to describe the United States of America. It is a country built on ideals such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and other basic human rights. These ideals, though they may have originated from European men labeled as liberals, eventually captured followers from all over the world. Soon, America was a mixture of peoples with different ethnic backgrounds, religions, and cultures all working together for the "American Dream."

With the country's vast natural resources, abundance of land, and endless opportunities, there seemed to be more than enough room for everyone. The gates were open to any that wished to enter. However, as the years progressed, America became less like a frontier and began to settle down. Not long after the United States found a relatively stable economy and government, the issue of restricting immigration arose. Many American citizens, although immigrants themselves, began to see newcomers as a problem. Fear for the stability of the economy, of the spreading of diseases, and of foreign culture disrupting American ideals were among some of the concerns. Prejudices also developed as a result of legal citizens seeing themselves as better than the average immigrant. Fortunately, these fears did not develop into anything more substantial than minor regulations until the beginning of the twentieth century. Strict laws were soon put into effect, some more severe than others, in an attempt to stop or at least slow the number of immigrants coming to America. Even today, refugees and immigrants are put through tremendous hassles, some never making it past the legal barriers. There is a serious problem with these laws, however. From the...

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