Improvements in transportation had made it possible for people to migrate from places far away. For example, steamships made it possible for migrants to travel across the Atlantic in just two weeks compared to the 42-day trip it took to cross it on sailing ships. Steamships also offered low travelling fares which made immigrating to a new land seem even more appealing (Schaller et al., p. 619). People were able to travel to America for decently low prices to work at multiple newer industries that may not have been in their own countries at the time. Coal mining and railroad progressions were two of these industries that drew people from all over the world to work for very low …show more content…
In 2012, there was an estimated 11.4 million unauthorized immigrants who were living in the United States coming from countries all over the world including Mexico, Asia, Europe, Canada, and other countries. More than half of these immigrants were living in the states of California, New York, Texas, and Florida. In addition, the United States has admitted 209,846 refugees into the country over the last three years. Both these issues have caused controversy within the United States on whether we should be allowing people into the U.S. illegally (Zong, Batalova). Immigration is an issue that has been discussed in the past, is being discussed now, and will be discussed in the future. There were many events involved that led up to what it is today for example, in the 1870’s during the “American Fever”. Although there were people who did not mind immigrants coming into the country, there were also many people who opposed and created organizations to oppose it. Finally, there are resources today that help give people insight on the immigration going on in today’s world. Although immigration has changed throughout the years, the concept and curiosity will always remain the