On Still the Golden Door

Basic examination of post-war immigration from the Third World—good for context before reading more depth elsewhere. Chapters include topics like the gradual loosening of restrictions before 1965, the Immigration Reform Act, immigration from Asia, from the Western hemisphere, refugees, undocumented immigrants, etc. The second edition was published in 1992, so it still maintains a strong Cold War outlook and is mostly dated now. It’s nice that the author recognizes illegal immigration outside simply coding it as “Mexican,” there’s a decent, in-depth treatment in here. There was also a really interesting insight on “refugee” as a Cold War concept. Nearly all refugees entering the US were fleeing communism, and those who claimed asylum from right-wing dictatorships (Haiti, Chile, etc.) were generally denied. That’s honestly pretty fucked up, but I’m glad the definition of “refugee” has since widened, even if it’s still really restrictive.