America’s love-hate relationship with immigrants
Oddly for a nation made up mostly of immigrants, the United States has always had a problem with immigration. Long before President Trump called for building a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, generations of Americans have advocated limiting immigration to the country. Most recently, Trump endorsed a plan to cut legal immigration by half.
In the 1800s, the Irish were a favorite target, and newspaper wants ads commonly included the phrase “No Irish need apply.” Later in the 19th century, anti-immigration sentiment was codified in federal laws that singled out Asians. Later federal laws targeted Italians and Southern Europeans.
