Immigration: A Hot Topic

The state of the immigration debate is extremely divided, especially among political party lines. It is important to remember that people from both sides of the debate are using inflammatory and derisive language to argue their point. Many fake and misleading articles/photos are being shared online. In light of this, please use your critical thinking skills to fact-check articles before sharing them. Unfortunately, we are more apt to be less critical of information that supports our own opinions and beliefs. This phenomenon is known as confirmation bias. 

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines immigration as:

"travel into a country for the purpose of permanent residence there."  

The United States has a long history of immigration. Most of us are familiar with the large waves of immigration that happened during the colonial period, the first part of the 19th century and from the 1880s to 1920.

For as long as people have been immigrating to the country, people have been debating immigration. There is also a history of laws being put in place to regulate and/or restrict immigration. Take, for instance, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which banned Chinese workers from coming into the United States. 

In the past few years, immigration, especially through the southern border with Mexico, has seen a huge resurgence as a hot button issue in the United States. 

This guide is created to help you understand the conversation about immigration in the United States, as well as find credible information on immigration related topics.

If we don't have it, don't worry!  Our InterLibrary Loan Service can help.

We can borrow books and journal articles from another library.