Cross-Border Labor Mobility: Immigration to the United States

This chapter navigates the dynamic realm of cross-border labor mobility in the United States, characterized by a continuous influx of immigrants throughout its history. Despite fluctuating restrictions on certain groups, the nation has never fully closed its doors to immigration. Over the past two centuries, over 80 million legal immigrants have entered the country, with countless others arriving illegally. While initial immigrants were predominantly European, since the 1970s, Latin America and Asia have emerged as primary sources of immigrants, profoundly altering the nation's demographic landscape. The chapter investigates the evolving immigration policies, integration processes, management of illegal immigration, economic contributions, and the relatively successful assimilation of diverse immigrant waves in the country despite enduring tensions.