Migration policy, immigration process and immigration from Latin America to the united states: institutional, regional and international political discourses

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Migration policy, immigration process and immigration from Latin America to the united states: institutional, regional and international political discourses

Tsivatyi Viacheslav Hr. PhD (History), Associate Professor, The Honored Worker of Ukraine, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv Full member of the board of the Non-governmental organization «Scientific Society of History of Diplomacy and International Relations» (SSHDIR)

In the article the author analyzes the increasing of immigrants quantity from Latin America as a result of the US immigration process liberalization after 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act was adopted. The author argues that such change of the immigrants' ethnic composition henceforth affected the demographic situation. Determined how such restructuring of immigration process can be new challenges for the American nation and the establishment of institutional and political society of XXI century.

Keywords: the USA, immigration, immigrants, immigration policy, Latin America, nation, national identity, foreign policy, diplomacy, institutionalization, bilateral relations.

The problem of immigration and the impact of immigrants on the national identity draws the attention of many researchers, occupying a prominent place in modern political science, and ethnopolitics and migration research. Studying the experience of the United States - the state known as the «nation of immigrants» - is important for European countries where in recent years is noticeable intensification of immigration flows and the revival of the debate on the issue of national identity in various institutional and political levels. The US experience in that matter is relevant to Ukrainian society due to the fact that discussions about the formation of the Ukrainian nation is still ongoing, and the question of national identity and institutional and political formation of society is in a state of permanent debate.

United States in the second half of the twentieth century suffered unprecedented influx of immigrants from those countries/regions, entrance of which was previously forbidden to existing immigration quotas. This article is a continuation of our joint research of 2015-2023 (V. Tsivatyi, N. Bureiko).

This was a consequence of the liberalization of US immigration policy, based on the provisions of «Immigration Act» of 1965 and significantly changed the immigration palette. This palette significant niche occupied by immigrants from Latin America, including Mexico. The proposed article, the authors seek to answer the question whether restructuring is the modern immigration process in the United States new challenges and threats to national identity. Based on the goal, outlined the following objectives: to analyze the growing number of immigrants from the region of Latin America as a consequence of the liberalization of US immigration policy; determine whether the transformation of American society constitute a threat to the institutional, political and national cohesion of society of XXI century.

«Law on Immigration», known as the law of Hart-Sellers, adopted August 25, 1965 as having had a meet national needs, consistent with international goals and meet the position the United States as the leading state of the «free world».

Not focusing more on the waves of immigration from Europe, the Act opened the possibility of immigration to the «new world» immigrants from non-European countries. He abolished restrictions based on nationality.

Criterion national and ethnic origin in immigration from now not considered (significant, that by 1965 70% of the seats set aside for immigrant natives only three European countries - Britain, Ireland and Germany - and remained mostly unused). This initiative actively supported the appeals to Congress D. Eisenhower in 1960 and John. F. Kennedy in 1963. It was fundamentally important milestone in the liberalization of US immigration process, and all social and political life of the state. Especially significant was mentioned law to ensure the rights of racial and ethnic groups. Some researchers see it as one of the tangible results of anti-discrimination movement.

One of the main effects of the «Law on Immigration» in 1965 (entered into force in 1968) was the rapid increase in the number of immigrants and qualitative changes in immigration patterns. Immigration studied period we called «new immigration», which was first analyzed in detail in the pages of «Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups» [1, p. 254]. Researcher W. Briggs called this period «a new era of mass immigration», which not only continue, but likely will be characterized by increasing intensity of immigration movements.

Yes, assumed that the law will bring benefits primarily Europeans and immigrants from other regions will not come in such numbers to radically change the ethnic palette of immigration flows in the United States.

The statements of American officials confirm these assumptions. Yes, Minister of Justice of the United States Robert Kennedy said that after the influx of immigrants from Asia-Pacific, which is approximately 5 thousand.

People in the first year after the entry into force of the law, these figures will go on the decline and will not make a striking affect composition of immigrants. Senator E. Kennedy, in turn, assured that the law would not lead to the fact that American cities every year will fill immigrants and ethnic picture of American society will not change. According to Johnson, this legislation «was not revolutionary, influenced the lives of millions and did not change the structure of everyday life» Americans, but in fact he introduced significant changes in the quantity and quality of immigration, primarily ethnic in its performance.

It is clear that in the first years of the «Law on Immigration» demographic effects were not significantly felt. Thus, representatives of Caucasian amounted to 87.3%, other races - 12.6%. However, even before the 1990s. These figures were 76.2 and 23.8% respectively. Immigration to the United States from Europe in the late twentieth century declined sharply, while the number of arrivals from the regions, the entry of which had previously been limited significantly increased. In the structure of immigration clearly defined new trend - started to prevail among immigrants come from Latin America (90 years of the twentieth century. They made 47.9% of all immigrants, of which 23.7% - Mexicans). For comparison, immigrants from Europe and Canada accounted for only 13.8% of total immigrants.

Tracing the quantitative changes in immigration, we turn to these quantitative indicators. In 1961-1970, number of immigrants from Europe amounted to 1 mln. 123 thousand, From Latin America - 1 mln. 283 thousand, a percentage - 33.8 and 38.6% respectively (estimates of the percentage based on statistics Service Immigration and Naturalization Service). Already in the 1981-1990 biennium. To the US from Europe immigrated 762 thousand. Representing only 10.4% of immigrants from Latin America - 3 million. 458 thousand. That percentage reached 47.1%. In 90-ies. XX century almost half of the immigrants who came to the United States were from Latin America.

It should be remembered that the proposed percentage of illegal immigrants are not included because their exact number is impossible to establish because they are not involved in the census and registration. Importantly, the number of illegal immigrants from the region we studied it began to grow in 1965.

This was due to the completion of the program «brasero», in which Mexicans invited the United States to perform agricultural work. Thus Hispanics, mostly Mexicans, nearly a quarter century had the opportunity to be employed in the US, because the program operated from 1942 to 1964.

After the program «brasero» already in 1970-1980-ies. According to some sources, the number of illegal immigrants from Mexico totaled 1.5 million. People per year at 50-60 thousand. Legal immigrants. The tendency to increase the number of illegal immigrants continued further: if in early 1980 in the country were 2.5-3.5 million. Immigrants, in 1986 according to various estimates there were already 3.5 to 5 million people.

The problem of illegal immigration from Mexico to the US can be explained not only considerable length of the common border but also in that, it separates the two countries with a significant gap in wages and income levels. The desire to escape poverty and seek a better life leads many to illegal immigration, despite a number of risks and political threats. For example, illegal status restricts access to education, medicine, prevents social mobility. Hence, there is a major problem limiting the possibilities of integration into American society. Although the latter is often associated with the reluctance of most immigrants settle mostly concentrated along with members of their own ethnic group.If you analyze the specifics of the settlement of immigrants from Mexico, it is traditional - immigrants from the region come and settle in the South West of the country: 49% live in California, 18% - in the state of Texas.

Now observed motion vector immigrants from Mexico to the west of the United States. Characteristically, they are usually settled in compact communities, creating ethnic enclaves. This is due largely to the fact that people tend to support ethnic relations, preserving language environment, culture and traditions. Especially important is the psychological aspect when it comes to the ability to reproduce the emotional attachment as the basis of identity of emigrants from the region we investigated.

If more analysis of immigration from Latin America, it is worth noting that in 1990-ies XX century a record number of immigrants of the region moved from Mexico (two million. 249 thousand. representing 25% of all immigrants).

Thus, the number of immigrants from Mexico alone exceeded the number of immigrants from all over Europe together. Characteristically, in the 1980s. This figure is also higher than the figures for the number of immigrants of European origin. However, it was in the 1990s. Level of immigration from Mexico increased by some estimates nearly 35,8% compared with the previous decade.

High levels of immigration from Mexico due to the desire of Mexicans to move to permanent residence in the US to find a better paying job. In addition, the intensive increase in the number of immigrants from Mexico, particularly in the early 1990's. Explain the implementation of the «Law on immigration reform and control», adopted in 1986, which gave an opportunity to the legalization of illegal immigrants who were in the United States since 1982. Under legalization were mostly illegal immigrants from Latin America, especially from Mexico (Mexicans accounted for 2/3 of all illegal immigrants who have been subjected to amnesty).

This greatly affected the demographic structure of the United States. After a total number of residents in the United States on Spanish-Mexican, origin during 1990 increased by 50% and by 2000 reached 21 million. People. Every year their number increased by one mln. Due to a high birth rate among immigrants from Latin America. Although in the early 2000s observed, a significant decrease in immigration from Mexico that resulted from legislative reform late XX - early XXI century Its impact on the demographic picture of the USA has become very tangible. Already in 2010-2011. The Census Bureau of the United States recorded that among the number of children born during this year, 50,4% - children representatives of minorities.

The second after Mexico by the number of immigrants from this region is the Dominican Republic. In four countries - the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica - account for 88% of immigrants from the Caribbean. If the main reason for immigration from Cuba, the Castro regime was authoritarian, the other three countries - economic problems and the desire of the population to increase their level of life and well-being. Moreover, given the territorial proximity felt the United States.

The growth of immigration from Latin America (and Asia), the corresponding reduction of immigration from European countries led to a situation where in the top ten source countries of immigrants to the United States was not a single European one. This situation is largely led to a change in the ethnic composition of immigrants (as in immigrants from non-European countries is much higher birth rate) and to change the demographic situation in the country. Given the fact that the image of American - representative of «nation of immigrants» for a long period was identical descendants of Europeans, that change the ethnic composition of immigration logically attracted the attention and concern [2, р. 257-259].

Thus, analyzing the changing nature of the American nation, P. Braymlou express reservation that America risks becoming a country «third world» as a result of reducing the number of white Americans and the growing number of immigrants from Latin America, calling the latter «disproportionately skilled and successful» that potentially lower the quality of the workforce in the US. In addition, because of immigration, the labor market in the United States was crowded specialists individual sectors, besides often low skilled.

This, in turn, led to higher unemployment among them. It is necessary to specify another negative consequence: the discrepancy in the educational level of immigrants and the local population, provoking social problems.

Analyzing critical assessments of P. Braymlou, we note that they have found wide support, not all social and political circles in the US. While not rare (for example, it is worth mentioning the study W. Briggs [3].

You cannot avoid thorough research on the subject of the proposed S. Huntington [4], which analyzed a major, in his opinion, the problems of modern society - determination of identity, referring to the immigration phenomenon, concludes that at this stage in the US active disintegration processes that make up the American challenge to the nation. Among other factors that affect the national identity, a researcher match the immigration from Latin America and the linguistic and cultural challenges that follow it.

On the institutional, political, linguistic and cultural problems caused by immigrants from the specified region, stresses in turn and researcher M. Hibernau. He notes that «the power of Spanish (Castile) language means that some in the US were actually bilingual and act as a magnet for further immigration of Hispanics, attracted by the prospect of being in a familiar environment» [5, s. 169].

It is significant that it was under pressure from immigrants from Latin America in 1967 by decision of the Congress adopted the «Law on bilingual education» in some schools where, according to experts, bilingual education needed 3,6-03,8 mln. Children. The law provided that students would have the opportunity to learn their native language and use it in training. Importantly, despite the large number of Hispanic population in the US, only the small number can influence American policy, because not all have the right to vote and participate in political life.

Some researchers, analyzing the identity of Hispanics in the United States («meksykano-amerykanska identity», «Mexican-Americans»as a specific type of Hispanic identity), based on three interrelated cultural, social and political spheres, race, class, culture, and thus argue that meksykano-amerykantsi («Mexican-Americans») is a newly formed the identity of foreign-born Americans.

Given this, the question about the possibility / impossibility of establishing at least some degree of ethnic homogeneity in American society, which was the main task of the American «melting pot». However, what about the immigrants, who kept contact with their ethnic homeland, use their language and traditions remained original media, the concept of «melting pot» is not indicated. That is why this concept is gradually transformed and partially lost its popularity.

Some researchers have generally expressed the view that the «melting» of different ethnic groups in the United States, including immigrants from Latin America, it remains impossible fact. Others believe that it was successful only at first. The American researcher P. B'yukinen underlines the success of «melting pot», through which passed more than 60 million. People of German origin, but emphasizes its absolute inability XXI century assimilate 21 million Mexicans [6, p. 164].

Here and there appear and sharp criticism and absolute rejection of the idea of «melting pot» in the form of a warning that «melted» generation and its descendants will not have future awareness features and exclusiveness of their race and religion [7, с. 2-18].

An alternative view of the political and ethno-cultural and institutional and political developments in American society become cultural pluralism. Its essence is to recognize the multi-ethnic state of the various ethnic groups with their inherent cultural characteristics within a single institutional-political and ethno-political body [8, с. 193-200; 9, с. 103-107].

The state tolerates these features, which may differ significantly from the dominant cultural characteristics cultural community. Exceptional popularity and spread of cultural pluralism began to acquire from the end of the 1960's twentieth century after the adoption of the «Law on Immigration» in 1965 increased ethnic origin palette immigrants in connection with the abolition of quotas that regulated immigration based on national origin, particularly Hispanics [10].

Preaching diversity in American society, the focus was on the fact that it should never be separate factor. Since the late 1960s of the twentieth century in educational institutions of the United States introduced the software course to study the historical and cultural heritage of the major racial and ethnic groups and their contribution to the formation and development of the US American culture. A proper study of «multiculturalism» has since become an important component of the American educational system that actively supported and encouraged by the state, which carries out a range of measures aimed at ensuring ethnic pluralism [11; 12].

According to the idea of cultural pluralism cultural diversity that immigrants bring with him, contributes to the progress of the country and American culture would benefit from the realization of the desire of immigrants to preserve features of their culture [13, с. 9-12; 14, с. 32-36].

It is in the tradition of cultural resistance immigrants accordance with the ideas of cultural pluralism possible the establishment and preservation of identity. As a nation emerging from the collection of people for the harmonious coexistence of immigrants and the host society within a national education required is the presence of rallying factors under which is the union of the common spiritual and political integrity, in which there is a sense of national identity [15, с. 24-28; 16, с. 21-27].

The beginning of the XXI century marked by the fact that the immigration policy of US President Barack Obama was more aimed at its liberalization and reform. Landmark Obama was signing the end of 2014 a new law on immigration, through which more than 5 million people will be able to legalize their stay in the United States. The new rules apply to those living in America more than 5 years or gave birth to children here. Barack Obama said in his address: «You can come out of the shadows and live under the law [17, с. 72-75; 18].

Some critics of the law call it amnesty. It is not. Amnesty - a system of immigration that we have now, millions of people who live here and do not pay taxes, do not follow our rules. Here is a real amnesty - to leave such a dysfunctional system as is. Mass amnesty - is unfair. Mass deportation - as impossible and contrary to our nature. So I - with responsibility and common sense. If you fall under our criteria - you can emerge from the shadows. If you are a criminal - you deported. If you plan to enter the US illegally - chances are that you will send it back, just increased».

As the press service of the White House, according to the reform of this innovation would help those who came to the US illegally and work for meager pay and does not receive social assistance [19, с. 435-452; 20].

In addition, according to Obama, America will facilitate legalization for highly educated immigrants and businessmen. This will make the immigration system «honest and fair». At the same time, he urged Congress to wider and permanent measures, which will enable to implement, and not to block reform the immigration system and to resolve the problems of immigration reform in the United States beginning of XXI century both at the political, institutional and legislative levels. As of today, the United States is home to more than 12 million. Illegal immigrants, mostly from Latin America. Each year, the US deported more than 400 thousand. People. In 2015 summit «SELECTUSA» President Barack Obama announced further simplification of visa procedures L- 1 [21, с. 25-29; 22, p. 196-209].

With the change of Presidents in the USA, migration and immigration trends in the years 2000-2023 maintained their established trends, while migration patterns were transformed [21, с. 25-29; 22, p. 196-209; 23].

immigrant latin america demographic

Conclusions

Thus, the ethnic factor in the formation of the American nation is inextricably linked with the problem of immigration. It is significant that the question «What is your ethnicity?». Only 6% of respondents answered that they simply «Americans».

The remaining respondents described themselves as one of the proposed census of 215 ethnic groups. This raises the question of how a country with such astonishing diversity in ethnic palette retains and preserves the unity of the nation, and the inflexibility of national identity.

Lacking a sense of belonging to a common American culture, politics, history, without identifying himself with the only American nation, it is difficult to become a full member of American society. A lack of unity in society weakens logically increases the feeling of safety and new challenges and threats. The high degree of social segregation also violates its stability. For example, enclaves of Mexicans in the southwest United States can be a threat to national identity.

Many scientists regard this influx of immigrants (often Hispanics), increasing cultural distance between immigrants and the indigenous population as a threat to national identity. Recent Immigrants should in no way cause erosion of national identity even if they continue to identify themselves with the state of his former residence. However, the representatives of these ethnic groups to be integrated into the process of nation building and not be aloof institutional and political processes.

Today the US in order to avoid new challenges and institutional-political threats of the XXI century American nation of the immigrants, it is important conceptually correct understanding and approach at the state level to etno-race change American society, which is largely caused by the restructuring of immigration flows. In addition, it consequently - the need to make the right choices scientifically grounded concept that would meet the new realities and institutional etnorace political changes in the US XXI century world order.

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