- 2025-03-13 So yesterday I did some “bottom-up” learning (that is, learning disconnected from reality/predictions/conversations, via e.g. generating a deep research report, reading it, and making flashcards).
I made a deep research report about US immigration, as that’s clearly a super hot-button issue (comes up on Twitter a tonne), and I know nothing about it
3 waves of immigration
- I haven’t reviewed my flashcards yet, but I now have a bit more of a sense of things.
- I expect the below to be wrong in various ways - this is what I can remember from not having reviewed any flashcards, just by reading the report, working with ChatGPT to make flashcards, editing them with vim, putting them in a Miro board, and organising the Miro board
Wave 1
There have been 3 big waves of immigration, the first was Germans & another group (the Irish, I think?), and led to things like kindergarten, German beer, and Catholic stuff (churches etc I guess)
It was ended by some policies/laws. Idk too much about them. There were things like quotas, literacy tests, which were implemented over time. I think anti-immigrant sentiment rose, and then America became very anti-immigrant, and laws essentially stopped the second wave.
This was like, maybe 1840-1880? But this could definitely be wrong.
Wave 2
Wave 2 was like maybe 1900-1919, and was more eastern europeans. 5 million immigrants in wave 1, 15 million in wave 2. Ellis Island was made for wave 2.
I forget what wave 1 immigrants did, but wave 2 was like, construction, textiles, meat-packing. New York, Boston (?), Chicago. Detroit?
America had strong anti-Asian immigrant laws for a while, like decades. Then a bunch of chinese people were allowed to join to help with railways? And then anti-chinese sentiment rose a lot and wave 2 (?) ended?
Wave 3
Wave 3 is 1965 onwards. It’s the one I’ve read less about right now, but seems much less white - Mexico, India, Latin America, the Philippines, Vietnam, etc.
Sentiment re: immigration
Views re: immigration have changed over time, and this is currently the time when the most Americans believe that immigration is the #1 issue. The other peak time was either in the 80s or the 90s?
It is now deeply polarised along party lines
Arguments for immigration:
- Good for the economy. Immigrants tend to be well educated. Male immigrants participate in the workforce more than male national citizens. Immigrants tend to be older (median age 10 years older than avg american?).
- Cultural diversity, melting pot
Arguments against immigration:
- Lower income Americans feel that their wages are squeezed. They may be outcompeted.
- Lack of cultural cohesion - some people are nationalist and want to be surrounded by people from the same culture. Language differences, cultural differences are difficult
- Belief that immigrants use more than they give back, e.g. benefits, healthcare. Seems that this isn’t true, that immigrants actually use significantly less healthcare than national citizens?
- Illegal immigrants are a drain on society. Many right-wing people belief that America is at a breaking point due to immigration. Crisis narrative, “we’re full” etc
”Immigrants” aren’t 1 single pot
- “Dreamers” - kids who came with their family illegally - not their choice to go to America, they were kids, so they should be treated differently?
- Highly educated immigrants, asylum seekers
Immigration legislation
- Don’t know anything about this yet. Presumably there’s been various important bills, lots of things blocked, lots of deadlock in congress. What does Trump want to do? What do Democrats want to do?