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Immigration Policy Of The United States And Its Effects On Hispanic Immigrants

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0292321_SPAN2311.MHS_ForeignLanguageWritingAssignment
Tanya Meinecke-Smith
SPAN_2311_MHS
06 December 2014
Immigration Policy in the United States and its Effects on Hispanic Immigrants
Whether with a cold shoulder welcome or a open arm embrace, the United States has constantly received a range of global immigrants, over half whom originate from Latin America (migrationpolicy.org). Largely driven by the prospect of the “American Dream,” the Latino immigration movement began in the 1840s and has fluctuated with new policies, including the bracero program, an oppressive operation for temporary migrant workers, during World War II, and the Immigration Act of 1965, which created the first immigration limit for the Western Hemisphere (Gutiérrez, Ewing). Since 1960, the Latino population in America has grown from 3.24% of the U.S. population to 16%, and recent estimates proclaim an approximate 11 million undocumented Hispanics, revealing the growing need for for a political reassessment of immigration policy (Gutiérrez, whitehouse.gov). Today, immigration policy, particularly pertaining to Hispanics, has become a controversial subject in the United States, bearing opposing views and proposals, accompanied by diverse impacts that could reverberate throughout the Americas.
Following the Mexican-American War, a colossal tract of land was sold to the U.S. and quickly trampled by the California Gold Rush, catalyzing the first modern wave of Hispanic immigration to America (Gutiérrez).

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