Here are the top five reasons why people oppose immigration:
Every year, millions of people leave their countries to find a new home. Many immigrants register to live legally in their new country. Many others immigrate illegally. With so much immigration, there is sure to be some debate.
JOBS
Many people fear that they will lose their jobs to immigrants. They feel there aren’t enough jobs for everyone in their country plus large numbers of immigrants. In addition, immigrants from poor countries will often work for much lower pay than workers in their new country.
COST
Some people think that immigrants won’t contribute to the good of their new country by working. Workers pay taxes, which helps the country. Those who don’t work receive benefits, such as free health care or welfare payments. Some people oppose immigration because they think it costs the country too much.
CULTURE
People have pride in their country, their culture, and their language. Those who oppose immigration might feel that it will change their country too much. They feel that immigrants won’t make an effort to fit in with the culture by learning the language, dressing a certain way, or making other cultural changes.
PREDJUDICE
Some people have developed prejudices against a certain group of people or against all immigrants. They might dislike others because of their appearance, language, religion, or culture. Prejudice can also come from the belief that immigrants might be more likely to commit crimes, or that they dislike the citizens of their new country.
POLITICS
In some cases, large numbers of legal immigrants vote the same way in elections. Their political views might be different from native citizens of that country. If enough immigrants vote “against the grain,” they can shift the politics of their new state or country.
What is a DREAMer?
Imagine your family leaving the only home you have ever known, all of your friends and relatives, and moving to a country where you don’t know anyone, and you don’t even speak the same language. Although you are scared, your parents tell you this new life will be better.
You will have more food to eat, more clothes, and more opportunities. What your parents don’t tell you is that they are not making this move legally, meaning they are not following the steps required by the government to live in this new country.
After settling into your new life, you make new friends, go to school and work hard to make good grades. You even go to college to create a life for yourself and your own family as an adult.
Suddenly your life is interrupted when you find out that you are not a legal citizen of this country, and the government has decided to make everyone who came to the country illegally leave.
This situation is actually happening to people all over the United States. To protect those who came to the country as children due to their parents moving here, the government has provided the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act.
This Act allows students who have graduated from high school (or who are currently going to school) a three-step process for becoming a legal citizens of the United States. DREAMers are the students and young adults protected by this act.
Who Are Immigrants?
Immigrants are people who move from their birth country to a new country. There are four main kinds of immigrants: legal immigrants, illegal immigrants, illegal immigrants involved in crime, and refugees.
The main differences in these groups are why they left their countries and how they entered their new countries. In this article, we will learn more about each of these groups.
What Is An Immigrant?
Where were you born? Where do you live now? Are there others who live around you, go to your school, or play on your soccer team who were born in a different country? They may look different than you, but maybe not. They may speak differently, but maybe not. Maybe you know someone who was born here, but their parents were born in a different country before moving here.
An immigrant is someone who moves from the country where they were born to a new country. They may become a permanent resident of the new country, meaning they remain a citizen of their birth country but live in the new country permanently, or they may become a citizen of their new country, as if they had been born into the new country.
It is even possible for a person to hold dual citizenship, continuing to be a citizen of their birth country and becoming a citizen of the new country as well.
Why Do People Immigrate?
What is an Immigrant?
- Lack of jobs or low wages: Some people choose to leave their country in the hopes of finding a better job in a new location. Depending on their skills or education levels, there may be too few jobs in one area, while another area may be looking for people to do those jobs. It is also possible that one country may pay less for the same job in another country, causing people to move to the country that pays more.
Let’s talk about Mr. Kahlil’s part in this story!
Best you read our article "Let's Talk About Gratitude" first.
The second he spotted the violin in the back seat, the cab driver had an important decision to make. On one hand, he could have kept the violin and sold it. But he could have also done the right thing by returning it to the owner.
On the surface, the choice might seem simple. When you take a closer look, you will see that the cab driver had a difficult decision to make. We are going to explore some of the things that were likely going through his mind, which ultimately led him to take the honest path.
Read more: Let’s talk about Mr. Kahlil’s part in this story!