Immigration Issues

Immigration has generated ongoing debate throughout American history. This resource offers students an examination of the 12 most persistent immigration issues from colonial times to the present and provides the text of 86 key primary documents throughout American history that express differing views on those issues. These 12 controversies, posed in the form of questions, will encourage critical thinking and student debate.

Each issue features a historical overview, examines differing points of view in successive historical periods down to the present, and presents excerpts from the text of 58 important primary documents that illustrate those opposing views. These documents give voice to ordinary citizens, presidents and legislators, impassioned advocates and those in opposition. A timeline of major immigration events, a table documenting immigration by country for the years 1820-1995, a chronological listing of the documents by period of immigration, and a general bibliography for further research all provide reference value.

HENRY BISCHOFF is Professor Emeritus in the School of Social Sciences and Human Services at Ramapo College. He has written books and articles on immigration and local history. He was the director of the Garden State Immigration History Consortium and the recipient of the New Jersey Historical Commission Award of Recognition.