The Distance Between US Book Review Example
Type of paper: Book Review
Topic: Immigration, Migration, United States, Policy, Law, Politics, Criminal Justice, President
Pages: 4
Words: 1100
Published: 2023/02/22
A speech by President John F. Kennedy, in June 1963, shows the then president's sentiments towards the United State's quota system, stating that it is intolerable. After the president's assassination, Congress started debates that later on led to the passing of the 1965 Act on Immigration and Naturalization. The New York representative cosponsored the act, Emanuel Cellar and the Michigan Senator, Philip Hart, who were heavily given support by the late president's brother, Massachusetts Senator, Ted Kennedy. Debates gave rise to testify that of various experts, who argued that the reformed legislation would change in minor contributions. These experts argued that the reforms were more of a principle-based matter that was to have more open policies.
After the latter president, Lyndon B. Johnson, promulgated the act in October 1965, he indicated that the act was not to be a ground-breaking bill. He further specified that the act does not have any mass effects and that its contributions would not result into the reshaping of the construction of people's daily lives, neither would it add any importance to the wealth or power of the United States.
The 1965 Act on Immigration and Naturalization, also recognized as the profound Hart-Celler Act, eradicated and eliminated the earlier quota system that was based in favor to national origin. The Act gave rise to the establishment of an entirely new policy based concerning immigration system that encouraged the reuniting of immigrant families, while attracting skilled labor into the United States. Over the following decades, the placed immigration policies that were affected in 1965 would immensely alter the demographic foundation of the entire American population. Immigrants were seen entering the United States in larger numbers, owing it all to the new legislation that was set in place, which resulted in large populations coming from countries such as Latin America, Africa and Asia, as opposed to the European countries. The signing of the bill in 1965 led to a histrionic break as compared to the initial immigration policy, resulting in lasting and immediate impacts. In placement of the quota system in favor of national-quota systems, the act gave major preferences that were implemented according to various categories. These categories included permanent residents' relatives or the relatives of US citizens, those individuals or groups that had skills deemed as useful in the United States, or even immigrants of unrest or violence. The act eliminated quotas per se; however, the policy placed caps on total immigration and per country, as well as following caps on every category. As present in the previous act, family reunion was considered as a chief goal, which took change in the new policy reforms that increasingly allowed whole families to migrate from other nations, in order to reestablish their livelihoods in the United States.
Throughout the period of the 1980s to the 1990s, the cases of illegal immigration became a constant venue for political debates, as various immigrants continued to enter the boundaries of the United States. These illegal immigrations were evidently witnessed by journeys of land routes that composed of many illegal immigrants travelling from Mexico and Canada. The 1986 Reform Act endeavored to tackle the problem via provision of better policies that were enforced in the Immigration and Naturalization Act, which would aim at increasing legal immigrations.
In an era where undocumented immigration is a major issue, particularly from a political perspective, the voice of the undocumented immigrant is seldom heard. To this end, Grande’s exceptional viewpoint attempts not to resolve a conversation that is already topsy-turvy. In its place, Grande simply allows her experience, as opposed to politics, to guide her writing. In the compelling memoir, Grande charts the path of a young girl from the town of Iguala, to the bustling Los Angeles metropolis, in a bid to reunite with her parents, who had abandoned her. She lives in secrecy, and this only aggravates her despair, given that she is unable to seek solace from her abusive father. He has his own demons with which to contend. Unlike the generation that preceded her, however, Grande is wise beyond her years, and finds a way out of the shadows.
Conclusion
The wake of the terrorist attacks, of 9/11, saw reforms in the 2002 Homeland Security Act that was formulated by the Homeland Security Department. The 2002 Act took over numerous immigration services and functions to its enforcement, which was initially performed by the service clerics at the Immigration and Naturalization board. The policies that were established by the board were slightly modified. The modifications detailed that non-citizens coming into the country could perform this act in two lawful ways. It was either by receiving temporary admission or the permanent (immigrant) admission. Therefore, this would see to it that a member of the permanent admission would be classified as legal and permanent resident of the United States, providing eligibility to work in the United States via receipt of green cards, which would allow persons to gradually apply for citizenship.
References
Grande, R. (2012). The distance between us: A memoir. Simon and Schuster.
Pentecost, R. A. (2015). Indigenous and Spanish Transculturation: Becoming Mexican American. Plaza: Dialogues in Language and Literature, 5(1), 39-47.
Zandoná, A. N. (2014). The use of photography as a clinical tool in social work: a theoretical exploration using Winnicottian and Jungian lenses (Doctoral dissertation).
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