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1492
Columbus "Discovers" America
In 1492, the Europeans claimed to have discovered a "New World." The reality was that Columbus had stumbled upon a land, now known as the Bahamas, already inhabited by many different peoples that Europeans went on to label as savages and uncivilized due to their unfamiliar ways of life. When Columbus brought this news back to Europe, it opened the gates for mass migration to what we now know as the Americas. -
1513
Ponce de Leon
In 1513, Juan Ponce de Leon is credited as the first European to reach Florida. After receiving permission from the Spanish crown to colonize the area, Ponce de Leon and a crew of 200 returned in 1521. Though Ponce de Leon died shortly after a battle with Native Americans, the founded colony is what we know now as Saint Augustine, Florida. -
Lost Colony of Roanoke
In 1587, England sent a group of settlers over to the Americas in an attempt to create the first English colony. When another group came to replenish supplies for the colony in 1590, they returned to a destitute area--noting Roanoke as a failed colony. -
Jamestown, the first English settlement
In 1607, England established their first successful colony in the Americas--located in Virginia. Within a little over 100 years, all 13 of the American colonies had been established, but not without disease, famine, and mass bloodshed of Native peoples in these areas. While some may look at these colonies as "discovery" and the establishment of the "New World," the truth is that these settlers immigrated to a land already inhabited and established by a multitude of others. -
Forced Immigration of Enslaved People
Regarding colonial records, enslaved people were stolen from their homes and shipped over as early as 1619. Though often termed "indentured servants," these people were subjected to horrid and inhumane conditions just along their journey before being exposed to the nightmares that awaited them. This treatment lasted over 200 years, despite being outlawed in 1808. -
Period: to
Mass European Immigration
Throughout the 17 and 18th centuries, America saw large-scale immigration from European countries such as England, Spain, Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands. Many were seeking economic opportunity, while others were seeking out religious freedom and a new way of life. -
Irish Immigration
Other than enslaved people Irish immigrants likely received the most discrimination and hatred from American-born citizens. Despite making up an incredibly large majority of immigrants in the 1800's, stereotypes quickly developed--attributed to rowdy behavior, perceived laziness, and drinking habits. In about 100 years, it is estimated that 4.5 Irish immigrants came to the colonies. -
Chinese Immigrants and the California Gold Rush
Pushed away by famine and motivated by the promise of gold, Chinese immigrants flocked to California--soon compromising 1/5 of the population of the mining counties. Rarely met with gold, these immigrants were more likely to be met with struggles to find work, violence, and racism--impacting how Chinese citizens are viewed even today. -
Chinese Exclusion Act and Fear of Losing Jobs
In the first notable piece of federal immigration legislation, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was signed under President Chester Arthur specifically to keep Chinese laborers from coming to America to work. As similar to today, many Americans expressed fear of their jobs being taken by immigrants who they saw as undeserving and less than themselves. -
German Immigration to the States
Throughout the 1880's, it is estimated that 1.5 million Germans immigrated to the United States. By 1890, there was a German population of about 2.8 million in the states. -
Designation of Ellis Island
In 1890, President Benjamin Harrison designated Ellis Island in New York as a port for federal immigration. Until 1924, it is estimated that 12 million immigrants entered the United States through this port. Despite often facing treacherous conditions on their journey to the States, immigrants were immediately assed for wellbeing/health and either admitted or denied entry based on these and other subjective traits. -
German Immigrants and WWI
With the start of the World War, German immigrants quickly became the target of hatred in the United States, often subjected to violent attacks, racism, and discrimination. -
The Red Scare
Due to the effects of propaganda around the time of World War I, many American citizens began to fear, discriminate against, and poorly treat any recent immigrants entering the country. There was growing fear regarding specific immigrants and ideologies, particularly those who embraced different political ideologies than the norm of the United States. -
Bracero Program
The Bracero Program was one between the United States and Mexico that allowed millions of immigrants from Mexico to the United States to work in agriculture on short term labor contracts. The program also sought to repair the damage of many Depression-era immigrations by allowing those who were deported back to the United States. These immigrants, however, often faced violence, discrimination, and harsh working conditions. -
Displaced Persons Act
in 1948, President Truman signed the Displaced Persons Act, effectively supporting European refugees through granting American visas to those who were displaced due to the happenings of World War II. The wording of the bill, however, prohibited Jewish refugees from entering America after fleeing the Holocaust--something that Congress largely ignored, even despite prodding from the President to amend the act. -
Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965
The Immigration and Nationality act effectively got rid of previous set quotas and instead allowed American citizens to sponsor their relatives for immigration into the United States, disregarding their country of origin. This act shifted patterns that continue today, as many of the United States' immigrants even today come largely from Asian and Latin American countries. -
Fidel Castro and Cuban Immigration
The Revolution in Cuba forced out hundreds of thousands of Cuban citizens to the United States. These refugees were often granted American citizenship through the Cuban Adjustment Act. -
Immigration Reform and Control Act
The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 was the first to impose punishment for hiring illegal immigrants in the United States. Though this scale was not intended, the act granted citizenship to around three million immigrants who were illegally living in the United States. -
Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act
This act was meant to remove undocumented immigrants and [restructure the legal immigration process[(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_Immigration_Reform_and_Immigrant_Responsibility_Act_of_1996). In turn, the act made the process more difficult for refugees seeking asylum in the United States, increased punishment and removals of illegal immigrants, and lowered the quality of life for a large portion of foreign-born residents. -
Muslim Americans after 9/11
Following the attacks on September 11, 2001, Muslim Americans often became the target of violent hate crimes and discrimination. Stereotypes arose that persist even today, including that Muslim Americans are more likely to be violent and dangerous. In current times, Muslim Americans are still one of the groups most likely to be treated poorly in the States. -
Obama and the Dreamers
President Obama passes the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Act. Though not providing a path to citizenship, this act allowed illegal immigrants who entered the United States as children to remain in the United States and granted them some of the same rights/opportunities as American-born citizens. In 2020, the Trump administration attempted to end this act but were blocked from doing so. In 2022, the Biden administration formalized the rule, making DACA permanent. -
Trump and the "Muslim Ban"
In 2017, President Trump issued two executive orders meant to complicate and discourage immigration from countries with large Muslim populations. This Muslim Ban sparked both outrage and support, with supporters often feeling emboldened to act upon hateful views. Hate speech and crimes against Muslim Americans, which were already prominent, only increased. -
Attitudes Today
Even today, immigrants are often villainized in the United States. Their existence has been highly politicized and has become a polarizing topic. Many see immigrants as threats to security, peace, and economic opportunities for native-born citizens. The latest Gallup Polls show that 38% of citizens believe the amount of immigration should be decreased. Immigrants still face discrimination, hate crimes, unfair wages, and poor work conditions. -
Policies Today
American Immigration Policies are still seen as incredibly harsh. Immigrants and their children are often treated inhumanely upon entering the United States. Border patrol and ICE are two agencies who are often brutal in their treatment of illegal immigrants. Many immigrants live in fear of their loved ones being ripped from their lives and deported to their country of origin.