US No Longer the First Refuge for Immigrants - Europe is 1st Choice
The mainstream media of the US might want to study immigration trends more closely, and abandon their practice of repeating propaganda that sells myths about why the US is attractive to immigrants--be they legal or illegal. Over a year ago--on January 8, 2004, in announcing his controversial "Immigration Plan"--George W. Bush declared to the press: “Our nation needs an immigration system that serves [the] American economy and reflects the American dream.” Bush was right about the economy; there is no doubt that the current illegal immigration of underpaid and exploited workers from Mexico benefits the US. But Bush’s view on immigration as a mirror of the American dream needs an update. He did not tell the whole truth in his speech. The important wave of immigrants coming from Europe to the US in the 19th century through WWII contributed to make America appear as “the land of freedom and promises." Today, however, immigration holds a different meaning. A mere look at statistics and a quick study of the international situation makes the difference obvious. Whereas the US was the first refuge for immigrants all over the world for decades, since the early 1990s Europe has become the first choice of immigrants. European nations welcomed 1.7 million foreigners in 2002, a higher number than that of the US and Canada combined. (Accurate numbers for illegal immigrants cannot be ascertained.) [more]
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