Since the first immigration of European settlers into North America some 600 years ago, the area has been receiving thousands of new entrants every decade. The feature has created an important topic that has received massive attention over time. Also, it has caused a major problem that is currently affecting the social, economic, and cultural aspects of the US. Immigration to the US is a highly complex but important demographic feature that has led to a steady increase in the US population and cultural dynamism since the discovery of the New World (Chiswick 116).
Although there is a reverse migration that sees several Americans immigration to the rest of the world, the net effect is normally an increase in the number of people in the country. Among the social, cultural, and political impacts of the phenomenon are profound. In particular, immigration into the US occurs in two major forms- illegal and legal immigration. While both types of immigration are important for discussion because they have a profound impact on the country, it is worth noting that illegal immigration is the major cause of the current debate. Thus, the aim of this paper is to discuss the social economic and political impact of illegal immigration.
Also known as “undocumented immigration,” illegal immigration in the US is the violation of immigration laws by individuals entering the country from foreign nations. It involves foreign immigrants entering by violating the laws or staying in the country beyond their terminations dates of the Visa provided by the US government. Currently, it is estimated that more than 10 million people are illegally residing in the US. About half of this number is composed of immigrants from Mexico, while 24% are from Latin America. Also, Asia, Europe, Canada, and Africa have significant numbers of illegal immigrants living in the US (Chiswick 116). Also, statistics indicate that more than 8% of the children born in the US every year are offspring of illegal immigrants, with the number likely to increase in the coming decade. Statistics further indicate that more than 6 million immigrants came to the US between 2000 and 2010, while the annual numbers of illegal immigrants entering the country are estimated to be about 500,000 (Chiswick 116).
With a huge population of illegal immigrants, the US faces several social, cultural, and political problems. First, it is worth noting that most of the immigrants are from low-income nations. Very few illegal immigrants are from first world countries, including Canada, Western Europe, Japan, and Australia. This means that the majority are from Mexico, Latina America, Asia, and Africa (Chiswick 117). Noteworthy, most immigrants are in search of jobs and better lives that their nations can hardly provide. The feature further means that they are ready to uptake almost any job offered in the US to maintain their lives. The long-term impact of this problem is a decrease in wage rate and an increase in the rate of unemployment among the American citizens. Also, studies indicate that crime is high in areas dominated by foreign immigrants. In particular, crimes associated with illegal firearms, drugs, and other forms of fraud are prominent in these areas. Also, almost every case involves a least immigrants, mostly illegal, from these nations.
Moreover, the voting patterns in the US are largely influenced by immigrants, both legal and illegal. For example, children born in the US by illegal immigrants are eligible voters after reaching the minimum required age. They are mostly aligned to a given political side both at local, state, and national level. Therefore, their voting patterns affect the political aspects of the US (Chiswick, 119).
In conclusion, illegal immigration into the US is a wide topic. It is a phenomenon with profound impacts on the economic, political, social, and demographic aspects. As such, it is worth analyzing the long-term outcomes of the phenomenon in the proposed study.
Works Cited
Chiswick, Barry. “Illegal Immigration and Immigration Control”. The Journal of Economic Perspectives. 2.3 (2012): 101-115. Print.