A Nation of Immigrants

Examining the evolution of four immigration models in the US, this book traces the historical roots of current policy debates.

Susan F. Martin (Author)

9781108830287, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 25 March 2021

375 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.4 cm, 0.745 kg

'General readers and undergraduate students will appreciate the breadth of coverage and the excellent bibliography … this is a well-written synthesis of American immigration history … Recommended.' R. F. Zeidel, Choice

Immigration makes America what it is and is formative for what it will become. America was settled by three different models of immigration, all of which persist to the present. The Virginia Colony largely equated immigration with the arrival of laborers, who had few rights. Massachusetts welcomed those who shared the religious views of the founders but excluded those whose beliefs challenged prevailing orthodoxy. Pennsylvania valued pluralism, becoming the most diverse colony in religion, language, and culture. A fourth, anti-immigration model also emerged during the colonial period, and was often fueled by populist leaders who stoked fears about newcomers. Arguing that the Pennsylvania model has best served the country, this book makes key recommendations for future immigration reform. Given the highly controversial nature of immigration in the United States, this second edition – updated to analyze policy changes in the Obama and Trump administrations – provides valuable insights for academics and policymakers.

1. Introduction
2. 'Gentlemen, Tradesmen, Serving-men, Libertines'
3. 'A City upon the Hill'
4. 'The Seed of the Nation'
5. Immigration and the Formation of the Republic
6. Building a Nation: 1830–1880
7. The Golden Door: 1880–1917
8. The Triumph of Restrictionism: 1882–1924
9. Turning Inward: 1924–1964
10. 'A Nation of Immigrants': 1965–1994
11. A Nation of Refuge
12. The Pennsylvania Model at Risk: 1993–2009
13. Executive Action and Immigration
14. Looking Ahead.

Subject Areas: International humanitarian law [LBBS], Politics & government [JP], Ethnic studies [JFSL], Migration, immigration & emigration [JFFN], History of the Americas [HBJK]