Cindy Sung

Immigration: The Real Facts

Research Question:

Why are immigration laws in America stricter than other countries, such as Canada?

Hypothesis:

American culture and tradition stunts the progression of America as a nation.

Background/History of the Issue:

It all began when Christopher Columbus accidentally traveled to North America and claimed it as his

own, ignoring the savages that inhabited the land before him. Throughout history, race has been a

dividing factor of people not only of the United States, but of the world. The roots of American history

and culture stem from hate, fear, and ignorance, halting the progression of America as a nation. There are

many events in history that capture Americas beginnings, slavery, Jim Crow laws, Brown v the Board of

Ed., Japanese internment camps, and the list goes on and on. This history has set precedence in our

systems of government, and the subtle tones of this racial bias still live today in our courts and our

legislation. American culture is defined by nationalism and pride in the countrys roots even if they are

potted in the soil of stolen land, watered by blood shed by the innocent. This culture puts emphasis on

tradition and outdated pieces of text. It breeds misinformed Americans, fueled by media corporations that

peddle biased agendas with incorrect information. This culture is what affects all legislation and in turn,

immigration laws and policies. America has been unable to grow and it reflects in our legislation,

especially those regarding immigration. Current president Donald Trump, campaigned over the promise of

stricter immigration and his stance regarding immigration policy has been the focus of his entire

campaign, leading into his presidency. He has proposed many different changes to our government in

order to crack down on immigration and the question is why is America turning into a nation with closed

borders, characterized by several unsuccessful immigration reform attempts, while other countries have

had more success in immigration reform and open borders.

Rationale:

I feel that although my research question and hypothesis are specifically about immigration law, it

analyzes and critiques our systems of government which is important to our democracy. As society

progresses and we as a people evolve, it is important that our government and systems change with us,

especially in a democracy defined by popular sovereignty. Also, now more than ever, immigration is a

very controversial topic and a lot of people have opinions on it even though most of them are

misinformed. There have been several attempts at immigration law reform and there has been a constant

back and forth between having very controlled, closed borders and more open borders that incite

opportunities for immigrants. Immigration is something that affects all citizens of all countries and it is

important that people are well informed about the issue and are able to influence their governments as it is

their civic duty. This research question also seeks out the answer to why past attempts at immigration

reform may have failed which analyzes our history and turns it into a teachable moment/ a way to learn

from mistakes.

Basis of Hypothesis:

My hypothesis is something that I came up with. There are very little sources that talk directly about the

American culture and its effect on government, however with the research that I have conducted on

Americas history with race and closed borders I inferred that this may have something to do with the

specifics of America. These specifics include its culture, tradition, history, basically the differences of all

countries and how that shows through its government and legislation. I feel as though this research

question specific enough to compare and contrast Americas immigration law with Canadas, but it is also

able to stretch to encompass many different ways to analyze those changes such as differences in cultures

and values and also mass media and how that affects both countries.

Operational Definitions:

Culture: The specific traits, behaviors, and beliefs of specific groups built up and strengthened

over time.
 Tradition: The passing down and surviving information, procedure, or event over time.

Descriptors Used for Literature Search:

Systemic racism

Mass medias effect on government

Polarization of America

Mass media and polarization

American immigration laws

Canadian immigration laws

Controlled borders