Before reaching this chapter, the book has covered the fact that American immigration (before 1986) has mostly demonstrated continutity. Although, there have been changes in attitudes toward immigration, therefore resulting in changes in immigration law and regulations.This chapter focuses on more current ideas and views on immigration, in this age of globilzation. Immigration has continued to grow within the past years; between the years 1981-2000, would be the heaviest period in immigration history. The chapter mentions the increase of refugees and asylees. Also, there are no more just legal immigrants, but there are "nonimmigrant" immigrants. These are people who enter the country on various kinds of visas that don't entitle them to apply for permanenet resident status.
While reading this chapter and taking into consideration the information presented in previous chapters, one realizes how complex the concept of immigration is. Toward the end of the chapter, the text talks about how being able to control the country's borders could be impossible.
Beside that, one section that I found particularly interesting is found on page 413, beginning with the second paragraph:
"What all these data tell us is that generalizations about the socioeconomic status of contemporary immigrants, when lumped together, are largely meaningless and misleading. Only when we are able to particularize and focus on individual groups, and on classes within those groups, is it possible to speak with any degree of precision."
This is speaking in regards to each group's experience in America. I find it interesting because it makes me think, perhaps by focusing on each ethnic group by itself, there could be a better understanding on immigration and how to handle the issue of immigration in the future.
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