Immigration Research Paper

BACKGROUND

The social, legal, and economic impact of continuing heavy immigration of foreign nationals to the United States is under discussion in local, state, and federal arenas. Immigrants come from many cultures and arrive with diverse capabilities and educational backgrounds. Those who are prepared for work become mainstreamed and are a benefit to society. Those who have few skills or financial means and difficulty learning English often become dependents at great expense to the system. A nation of immigrants itself, the United States is searching for the best course to follow regarding the regulation of immigration.

BROWSE FOR BOOKS ON THE SHELF USING THESE CALL NUMBERS

325.73

304.809

LOOK UNDER THE FOLLOWING SUBJECTS IN THE CATALOG (CARD OR COMPUTER)

United States—Emigration and immigration

United States—Emigration and immigration—Biography

United States—Emigration and immigration—Government policy

REFERENCE MATERIALS THAT MAY HELP (BOOKS OR CD-ROMS)

Bogue, Donald J. The Population of the United States: Historical Trends and Future Projections, 1985.

CQ Researcher, February 3, 1995.

Thernstrom, Stephen, ed. Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups, 1980.

U.S. Bureau of the Census. Statistical Abstracts of the United States, 1995.

General encyclopedias

PERIODICAL INDEXES TO SEARCH (BOOKS OR CD-ROMS)

EBSCO Magazine Article Summaries

InfoTrac

NewsBank and other newspaper indexes

Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature

WILSONDISC

ONLINE DATABASES TO SEARCH

America Online

CompuServe

Dialog

Internet

Prodigy
KEY WORDS AND DESCRIPTORS FOR PERIODICAL INDEX AND ONLINE SEARCHES

Immigration and emigration

Immigration and emigration law

Immigrants

Alien labor

Illegal aliens

VIDEOTAPES ON THIS TOPIC

The Immigrant Experience: A Story of the American Dream. Learning Co. of America, 1992.

The Immigrant Experience: The Long, Long Journey. Learning Co. of America, 1986.

FICTION BOOKS RELATING TO TOPIC

Geras, Adele. Voyage, 1983.

Hesse, Karen. Letters from Rifka, 1992.

Levitin, Sonia. Silver Days, 1989.

Tan, Amy. Joy Luck Club, 1989.

Yep, Lawrence. Mountain Light, 1985.

NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS TO CONTACT FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Center for Immigration Studies, 1815 H St., N.W., Ste. 1010, Washington, DC 20006.

Federation for American Immigration Reform, 1666 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Ste. 400, Washington, DC 20009.

Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island, Liberty Island, New York, NY 10004.

SUGGESTIONS FOR NARROWING THIS TOPIC

Choose a specific nationality that has immigrated to the United States and discuss its history and current status.

Discuss the changing patterns of immigration.

Research immigration reform in the United States.

Select a particular state or area of the country and report on immigration status; e.g., Florida, California, New York.

SUGGESTIONS FOR RELATED TOPICS

English as the national language

Expatriots

Illegal aliens

Political refugees

Refugee Act of 1980

This RESEARCH TOPIC GUIDE is intended to help the library user find information and materials on a particular topic in many sources throughout the library. Resources on this topic are not limited to those described and availability will depend upon the individual library. Feel free to ask a librarian for assistance.