Multiple Choice
Identify the
choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
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The Rights of
Aliens
American citizens have many rights under their state constitutions and the U.S.
Constitution. In particular, the Bill of Rights guarantees the freedom of speech, assembly, and
religion. These rights apply equally to legal aliens, whether resident or nonresident. In certain
circumstances, many of these rights also apply to illegal aliens. In general, legal (resident) aliens
can legally own real estate and send their children to public schools. They cannot, however, vote in
any election, be it local, state, or federal. Legal aliens normally are not required to serve in the
military, nor are they called for jury duty. In exchange for their privileges, resident aliens must
pay taxes and obey all laws.
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1.
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Aliens enjoy the same
constitutional rights as American citizens
a. | true | c. | no way to tell | b. | false |
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2.
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Resident aliens can own real
estate but cannot legally send their children to public school
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Policies on Immigration
In
the early days of our country, small numbers of people inhabited vast areas of land. It is not
surprising, then, that most early Americans wanted to encourage immigration. During the
constitutional debates in Philadelphia, Alexander Hamilton pointed out that immigrants could make an
important contribution to the nation and should be treated as "first-class
citizens."
The states believed that there was strength in large numbers. They wanted more
people to move to their states, so they set up advertising campaigns to lure prospective citizens. By
the time the Civil War broke out, more than thirty states and territorial governments had immigration
offices whose purpose was to attract immigrants. Some states passed laws requiring that new
immigrants be inspected, particularly for diseases. In New York, for example, sick immigrants were
not allowed to enter the state.
The legality of the states' regulation of immigration was
upheld in Mayor of New York v. Miln (1837). In Henderson v. Mayor of New York
(1875), however, the Supreme Court declared that state legislation on immigration was
unconstitutional. These state laws infringed on the exclusive power of Congress to regulate
interstate and foreign commerce.
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3.
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In the early days of the United
States
a. | the states encouraged
immigration | c. | the states were
neutral on immigration | b. | the states blocked most immigration | d. | the states took up arms against
immigration |
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4.
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States such as New York would
take any immigrants under any conditions
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5.
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The cases Mayor of New York v. Miln (1837). and Henderson v. Mayor of New York
(1875),
a. | said that the mayors could control
immigration | c. | said the states
could control immigration | b. | said nothing about immigration | d. | said the states could not control
immigration |
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6.
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Congress has the exclusive
right to control immigration because
a. | it is more powerful than the
president | c. | they are in charge
of the INS | b. | immigration if considered interstate
commerce | d. | Congress does not have the right to
control immigration |
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Restricting Immigration
The
1880s saw the first true restrictions on immigration. Before that time, most immigrants had come from
northern and western Europe and had blended in easily with the existing population in the United
States. Most of these immigrants were Protestants, except for the Irish and a few Germans, who were
Catholic. In contrast, the immigrants who arrived from the 1880s onward were from eastern and
southern Europe. Their languages were different, and most were not Protestant but Jewish, Catholic,
or Eastern Orthodox. Their customs seemed strange and foreign to the earlier immigrants. During the
same period, Chinese immigrants started entering the western states, particularly to help build the
new railroads.
Congress responded to the influx of Asians with the Chinese Exclusion Act of
1882, which stopped entry of Chinese immigrants into the United States for ten years. That act
was the first to establish the federal government's right to restrict immigration based on
nationalities. More restrictive acts were passed in 1888 and 1891. They allowed the national
government not only to exclude certain individuals-convicts, prostitutes, and insane persons, for
example-but also to deport aliens who entered the country in violation of these immigration
laws.
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7.
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Which statements are
true
a. | Neither statement is
true | c. | Both statements are
true | b. | The U.S. wants to restrict people who may change the existing American culture
too much | d. | The U.S. allows immigration when
there is a need for their labor |
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8.
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Mary Zebo is a ex convict from
Canada who earns her living as a prostitute. At first the U.S. refused to allow her to immigrate to
the U.S. After she is found to be insane the government decides she is not guilty of her crimes by
reason of insanity and allows her to remain in the U.S.
a. | true, Mary would be allowed to
immigrate | c. | there are no laws
about criminals or prostitutes | b. | false, Mary would not be allowed to
immigrate | d. | she would be allowed to stay if she
were not insane |
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Quotas
The concept of
limiting the rights of certain nationalities to immigrate resulted in the Quota Act of 1921. This act
limited the annual number of immigrants from each nationality to 3 percent of the number of
foreign-born persons of that nationality who were living in the United States in 1910. For example,
assume that there were 100,000 Polish persons living in the United States in 1910. Under the 1921
Quota Act, 3 percent of 100,000-or 3,000 persons-would be allowed to immigrate from Poland to the
United States each year. Most Asian groups were not included in the list of nationalities. Therefore,
they could not legally immigrate to the United States for some time. The law did not apply to certain
categories of educated people, such as professors, ministers, doctors, and
lawyers.
Immigration from the Western Hemisphere was also unrestricted. The world responded,
with 700,000 immigrants entering the United States in 1924.
The Immigration Act of 1924 and
the National Origins Act of 1929 established a new quota system for each nationality and set a limit
on the total number of immigrants to be allowed entry at all (150,000 per year). The quota system
that resulted from these acts served as the basis for U.S. immigration policy for more than
thirty-five years.
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9.
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The Quota Act of 1921 put
restrictions on some immigration from Europe but allowed unlimited immigration of persons from
Mexico
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10.
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The Quota Act of 1921 favored
the immigration of people from
a. | Asia | c. | England and Germany | b. | Europe | d. | Mexico and South America |
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11.
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The 1921 Quota Act favored the
immigration of
a. | educated
people | c. | business
people | b. | military people | d. | union workers |
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The Immigration
Controversy
The number of immigrants legally allowed into the United States does not
necessarily represent the actual number of immigrants who come here. This nation has a large flow of
illegal aliens, also known as undocumented aliens. Many of these individuals are tourists who
overstay their visas and start working. Many are from Mexico and other Latin American countries. No
one knows for sure how many illegal aliens arrive each year, but the estimate is two million. The
number of illegal aliens who permanently live in the United States is estimated to be between five
million and twelve million.
Periodically, the federal government has attempted to remedy the
problem of illegal immigration. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, for example,
imposed severe penalties on employers who willfully hired illegal aliens (fines range from $250 to
$10,000 for each offense). Employers who repeatedly violate this law can be jailed for up to six
months.
The 1986 law also included an amnesty program. (Amnesty is a general pardon for past
offenses-in this case, illegally residing in the United States.) From the summer of 1987 to the
summer of 1988, illegal aliens who could prove that they had been in this country continuously for at
least five years could apply to obtain temporary legal residency status. Eighteen months later, they
could apply for permanent residency. Eventually, they could apply for citizenship.
The most
recent attempt to stem illegal immigration was the 1996 Immigration Reform Act. As we have already
discussed, this act had many provisions aimed at curbing illegal immigration into the United
States.
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12.
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The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 directed punishment or illegal immigration
at the
a. | states | c. | illegal aliens | b. | employers of illegal
aliens | d. | the families of illegal
aliens |
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13.
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The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 extended amnesty to aliens who were here
illegally so they could eventually apply for citizenship
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14.
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The 1986 immigration law
a. | allowed the illegal aliens to be
returned to their native countries | c. | granted refugee status to illegal alliens | b. | granted immediate citizenship to illegal
aliens | d. | allowed illegal aliens to apply for legal
residency |
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Matching
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Immigration and the Non
citizen
Not everybody
living in the United States, of course, is a citizen of this country. Various words have been used to
describe people who are not citizens. The two most common are immigrants and aliens. The difference
between the two is important. Immigrants are individuals who live in the United States with the
intention of becoming naturalized citizens and remaining here permanently. During the last decade,
immigrants have made up more than one-third of the nation's population growth. Aliens, in
contrast, are individuals living in this country who are not citizens.
Types of
Aliens
According to U.S. law, there are five different categories of aliens. Each category
includes important legal distinctions.
Resident aliens are individuals who have come to
the United States to establish permanent residence. They are immigrants and are called resident
aliens until they become naturalized citizens. Resident aliens may stay in the United States as long
as they desire and are not required to seek American citizenship.
Nonresident aliens
are individuals who expect to stay in the United States for a specified period of time. A journalist
from Britain who has come to cover the presidential election is a nonresident alien. A Japanese
tourist from Tokyo visiting San Francisco for the month of June is a nonresident alien. The head
salesperson for a Swiss watch company who is in New York to promote a new line of watches is a
nonresident alien.
Enemy aliens are citizens of nations with which America is at war.
During World War I, when our nation was at war with Germany, German citizens who resided in the
continental United States were considered to be enemy aliens. During World War II, when our nation
was at war with Japan, U.S. residents of Japanese descent living on the West Coast were considered,
as a group, enemy aliens.
Refugees are immigrants to the United States who are granted
entry because they are unsafe or unwelcome in their own countries for political reasons. In recent
years, the United States has accepted refugees from Southeast Asia, Cuba, El Salvador, Nicaragua,
Haiti, and Poland. Refugees are allowed to apply for permanent resident status one year after they
arrive in the United States
Illegal aliens are individuals who enter the United States
without a legal permit or who enter as tourists or students (nonresident aliens) and stay longer then
their status legally allows. Everyone entering the United States is supposed to have a valid
passport, visa, or entry permit. A visa is an authorization that allows someone to enter another
country legally. Usually, a visa is an official stamp placed on the inside of an individual's
passport. Most visas for non-immigrants are granted for a specific time period. A tourist, for
example, may be allowed to travel legally in the United States for six months. Staying past that
period is illegal.
Illegal aliens can be deported, or forced to leave the United States. Over
one million illegal aliens are deported each year. | |
a. | illegal alien | e. | refugee | b. | non-resident alien | f. | immigrant | c. | enemy alien | g. | tourist | d. | resident alien | h. | alien |
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15.
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anyone who is living in the
United States and is not a citizen
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16.
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a person who is allowed to
take up residence in the U.S. because they may be in danger from their own
country
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17.
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A permanent resident of the
United States who intends to become a citizen
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18.
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Someone who lives in the
United States and has a permanent residence
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19.
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A person who enters the United
States illegally or overstays there visa
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20.
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a tourist in the United States
who is here for a visit
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21.
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a person who is allowed to
travel in the U.S. for, up to, six months.
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22.
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a person who resides in the
United States and is a citizen of a nation that the U.S. is at war with
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