The Declaration of Independence and Immigration in the United States of America

Authors

Kenneth M. White, Kennesaw State UniversityFollow

Department

Political Science and International Affairs

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2011

Abstract

The United States has always been a nation of immigrants, and immigration policy has always been controversial. The history of immigration in the United States is contrasted in this article with a normative standard of naturalization (immigration policy) based on the Declaration of Independence. The current immigration debate fits within a historical pattern that pits an unrestricted right of immigration (the left) against exclusive, provincial politics (the right). Both sides are simultaneously correct and incorrect. A moderate policy on immigration is possible if the debate in the United States gets an infusion of what Thomas Paine called "common sense."

Journal Title

Norteamérica

Journal ISSN

1870-3550

Volume

6

Issue

2011

First Page

211

Last Page

228