USA Case Study

• What is the background of the USA?

  Largest economy in the world
• What is the GDP per capita of the USA?

  $70,249
• What is the HDI of the US?

  0.921
• What is the history of migration policies in the US?

  Naturalisation Act of 1790 - allowed free borders

  Immigration Act of 1882 - Slightly stricter borders

  Labour laws of 1885 and 1887 - encouraged more workers

  National origin quotas 1924-64 - quotas based on nationality

  Bracero program 1942-64 - to meet famer shortages

  Immigration Nationality Act of 1965 - Scrapping the nationality quota
• How many immigrants were living in the USA in 2018?

  44.7 million
• What percentage of the population are immigrants?

  13.7%
• What are the main countries of origin of immigrants?

  Mexico (25%)

  India (6%)

  China (6%)

  The Philippines (4%)

  Puerto Rico (3.5%)
• What are the pull factors of the USA?

  The positive immigration policies and the chances of a green card

  Employment opportunities for both high and low skilled

  Wage differences and better remittances

  Educational opportunities and access to more services

  The quota system on refugees
• What are the push factors of immigrant’s countries of origin?

  Low wages

  Gang and violence

  Lack of high skilled job opportunities

  Political instability
• What are the patterns of emigration?


  Mainly return migrants to high skilled workers migrating
• How many US emigrants are living in other counties? Name the examples of these countries

  4.8 million - Mexico, UK, Canada and other EU countries
• Explain the migration policy: Mexican Borders


  Physical 2000 mile long wall planned to be built

  Cameras around the borders

  $1.7 bn more to Homeland security for more officers along the borders
• Explain the migration policy: DACA

  his was a program that granted citizenship to anyone under 31 who had been brought into the US illegally as a child
• Explain the migration policy: H-IB visa


  This was a special visa for highly skilled workers - 25% of visas are rejected
• Explain the migration policy for asylum seekers and refugees


  The Trump Administration wanted to stop asylum claims and put 5000 active duty guards to stop large groups of people crossing the borders
• What is the current migration policy based on?

  Family reunification (480,000 a year)

  Skilled workers (140,000 a year)Protecting refugees and Humanitarian relief (set quota each year - in 2018 it was 45,000)

  Promoting equality (50,000)
• How are the US and Mexico interdependent economically?

  Reciprocal trade gives $1.4bn a day

  Mexico benefits from Foreign Direct Investment

  Low skilled Mexican workers contribute to the economy

  Remittances make up 2.2% of Mexico’s GDP - $25.3bn in 2015
• How are the US and Mexico interdependent socially?

  In 2018, 38.5 million Mexicans lived in the US

  738,100 Americans live in Mexico

  This creates large diasporas and family links
• How are the US and Mexico interdependent politically?

  Both countries work together to tackle human trafficking, the drug trade, the Colorado river basin
• How are low skilled migrants an opportunity created by migration in the US?

  Immigrant populations take many unattractive low skilled and low paid jobs
• What are the examples of the industries immigrants work in?

  Services (29%)

  Manufacturing (26%)

  Production and transport (21%)
• How are high skilled migrants an opportunity created by migration in the US?

  Higher wages encourages more skilled migrants and more development and innovations
• How are youthful migrants an opportunity created by migration in the US?

  More youthful workers mean that there’s more money for pensions and to support an ageing population
• How are unauthorised migrants a challenge created by migration in the US?

  10.9 mil unauthorised immigrants (4.9 mil are Mexican) live in the US - illegal immigrants don’t contributes the economy and are more vulnerable to human rights violations
• How is uneven integration a challenge created by migration in the US?

  This created inequality both economically and socially
• How is the high concentrations of migrants a challenge created by migration in the US?

  resources and services are put under pressure due to more people (e.g. Southern California)
• How is the USA’s policy on migration important?


  The US is very influential with its $3 trillion GDP and it maintains global trade and it relies heavily on migrants