The definition of who is an immigrant, or a foreigner, has changed in the US over time; however, the fear of “foreigners” has remained unchanged.
The “American dream,” “democracy,” a capitalistic society and the ability to pursue happiness, and wealth, has appealed to many. The US has always been seen as a land of abundance, and great opportunity, and this has driven millions of people to leave their motherlands and arrive at the US ports with nothing but hope. In fact, the US has been founded by immigrants over centuries, and in New York, according to a local tour guide, “one out of every six individuals in The Big Apple are first or second generation immigrants.” The validity of this statistic is still in doubt because beside all the native Americans, “aren’t we all immigrants?”
In the 18th century the Irish and Chinese were seen as the largest groups of immigrants. They were discriminated at the time and were seen to be “sub human.” Today, they are integral parts of the US society and they would proudly consider themselves Americans.
The term immigrant refers to a different group of individuals today. The US need to document everything, has made anyone without “citizenship or permanent residency” an immigrant. In general, an immigrant today would be anyone in the US without a “green card or a US citizenship.” In comparison to the previous perception of immigrants, the matter of nationality or origin has no role in today’s definition of an immigrant. A Chinese may be an immigrant, as much as a British or an Indian.
However, the connotation of “immigrant” has taken on a negative meaning. Today, many feel immigration implies “illegal immigration.” The picture of Mexicans running across the border, immediately strike us when we think of immigration. This negative connotation towards immigration doesn’t find its roots only in the influx of Mexicans rushing across the border. Rather the roots to this skepticism are derived from centuries of apprehension and fear of immigrants. In the 18th century immigrants were discriminated due to their lack of assimilation; however, in general people were apprehensive and weary of the “new” strange race. This fear has passed on over centuries. The Chinese were treated the same way. Today the Indians are also disliked by many. The “Hispanic” population is discriminated. Although, many people with “Hispanic” heritages have been successful, specially in the entertainment industry, the typical “Hispanic” is looked down upon. In fact, society in general is fearful of them today. The media depicting Mexicans running across the border to steal jobs and ruin the economy has only fueled this insecurity of immigrants. This depicts that the apprehensive nature towards immigrants in America has presided over centuries.
The definition of an immigrant has changed, but the attitudes towards them haven’t. It is ironic to see that most of the US is marked by the cultural heritage of immigrants and not all immigrants are illegal immigrants.
