ST. JOSEPH HIGH SCHOOL

WELCOMES YOU!

Ciao e Benvenuti

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IMMIGRATION

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1. You are BORN in the U.S.2. You are born to a U.S.

citizen parent or your parent became a citizen

before you turned 183. You are adopted by a

U.S. citizen (Child Citizenship Act of 2000)

4. You are naturalized (more about this process

later)

THERE ARE 4 WAYS TOBE A U.S. CITIZEN

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Unemployment

Persecution

War

Poor education

Civil unrest

Economic hardship

PUSH FACTORS

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PULL FACTORS

Financially Secured Future

High Standard of Living

Start of a Series

Education

Political Reasons

Rejoining family

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ILLEGAL AND LEGAL IMMIGRATIONILLEGAL

• For unskilled jobs U.S. workers won’t take them and Illegal

immigrants will work more cheaply

• May come over to give birth to their children so that they are

considered US citizens and gain the benefits

• Desire to escape civil war or repression in the country of origin.

• Some people forced into sexual slavery

• Come over illegally in the drug trade

• Can’t pass the citizenship test

LEGAL

• Come here legally because they are already skilled in their field of work

and can earn more money

• Come to gain their children as well as their own American citezenship

• Come here to escape poor conditions in their own country

• Ensure safety and a better socio-economical status

• Have no problems to study for the citizenship test

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STATES WITH MOST UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS

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• Antebellum 1840-1860 • Largely northern European, especially England,

Ireland and Germany—approx. 4.5 million

• 1900-1920• Largely Southern and Eastern European,

including Polish and Russian Jews, Italian, Greek—approx. 14.5 million

• Late 19th – 20th Century Asian immigrants in the in much fewer numbers

(for example, Chinese immigrants built US railroads)

WAVES OF IMMIGRATION IN U.S.

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THE AMERICAN DREAM: THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITIES

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For many Italian immigrants, migration to the United States could not be interpreted as a

rejection of Italy.

In reality, it was a defense of the Italian way of life, for the money sent home helped to

preserve the traditional order.

Rather than seeking permanent homes, they desired an

opportunity to work for a living, hoping to save enough money to return to a better life in the

country of their birth.

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DID YOU KNOW THAT..?Hammonton was settled by William Coffin in 1812. The influx of

Italian immigrants, many from one town of Gesso, Sicily, supported the agrarian base with hard work and a family

atmosphere.

As a matter of fact, according to the latest U.S. census, Hammonton is the U.S. municipality with the largest

concentration of Italians.

More than 54 percent of Hammonton’s 12,604 residents call themselves Italian.

That’s the largest concentration of any place in the nation with more than 1,000 people, just ahead of Johnston, Rhode Island; East Haven, Connecticut; Rosetto, Pennsylvania; and Frankfort,

New York.

THE AMERICAN IMMIGRATION DEBATE

Side #1 Side #2

“Close the Borders” 1 “Welcome to America”

Deport all of those in the country illegally 2 Help grant illegal aliens in

America full citizenship

Decree the amount of immigrants allowed per year 3 Increase the amount of

immigrants allowed per year

Strengthen border security 4 Modestly increase

border security

Limit temporary visas into the United States 5 Allow foreigners to gain a

temporary work/education visa

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STOP

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* Write articles for your school or community newspaper about the immigration issue.

* Advocate by sending letters to legislators about current immigration issues.

* Reach out to refugees and immigrants in your local area.

* Befriend a newcomer at your school.

* Increase awareness of refugee and immigrant issues.

* Form a club in your school with others interested in these issues.

* Raise money, or do a food/clothing drive for a local or national organization that serves immigrants and refugees.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

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THANK YOU