5. Mass population movements and resettlement, 1965 to the present

Abstract

After immigration law reform in 1965, vast numbers of immigrants, principally from Asia and Latin America, sought entry to the United States. Illegal immigration from Mexico increased dramatically after 1990. Conflicts across the globe increased the numbers of refugees and asylum seekers. This chapter compares and contrasts this wave of mass voluntary immigration with past waves. To the extent that mass migratory movements are the result of the spreading of modernizing processes across the globe, the purposes and structures of contemporary voluntary migrations are generally a variation on familiar historical themes, such as the network as the key to the organization of migration, now enhanced by new technologies, especially electronic media and jet air travel. With its laws encouraging family reconstitution, America remains an attractive destination in spite of the relative insecurity of contemporary job markets. To the extent destinations within the United States have proliferated, immigration has been nationalized.