Professors Richard Powers and Howard Weiner: The COR 100 Film
Professors Richard Powers and Howard Weiner created the COR 100 film. They are both teachers of history. The video is an interview with Professor Richard Powers about the concept of immigration, its origins, and the sociocultural and political importance of immigration to the United States throughout history. It is a video lecture that is intended for everyone who is interested in their past as well as the history of the country and how immigration has influenced the cultural, political, and economic status of the country, not just history students. It is clear that the United States as an immigrant nation where most of the inhabitants today are not the indigenous occupants of the land. Professor Howard Weiner mentions that immigration occurred in waves that involved different cultural groups entering the country at various times through different routes and means, from different countries and for different reasons. The variance in the progress, idea, and sequence of immigration caused the different waves. Immigration has become a core discussion topic to the extent that most social issues in the United States are often described in the context of or with reference to immigration. It is the result and cause of huge political adjustments, economic adjustments and the cultural decisions by the people.
The Lecture on Immigration: History Students' Focus
The lecture by the two history professor is primarily prepared for the history students about the topic of immigration and the social, classical and scientific theories of immigration. It teaches about the occurrence, progress, and sequence of the immigration waves. The lecture alludes to the point that immigration is an ongoing thing but civilization, technological advancement amongst other things might have changed the way it occurs differently from the old times. In earlier times, immigration occurred in waves that are documented in different films. Italians, Germans and the South American are the main groups that are mentioned in the lecture. Political turmoil in Germany that carried on from the world caused most of the Germans to flee their country and enter the United States as refugees. They wanted to find a more liberal place where they could lead their lives, work and raise families; pretty much what instigated other moves. Even though it was for a common goal, different recorded cases happened at different times and history, and they brought in different effects both economic and legal.
The Irish Immigrants and the Impact of Immigration
The Irish immigrants were some of the first to enter the country. Sadly, they were associated with crimes and unethical actions such as violence and corruption cases that prompted the American authorities to act against immigration. The actions were mainly legal through tightening of the immigration laws meant to tame illegal immigration through prosecutions and possible deportation of the illegal immigrants, denying people citizenship and hence job opportunities. It is a lot harder today to migrate into the country that it was in the sixties and the eighties because of the legal transformations that have occurred in response. Social scientists explain that immigration was very instrumental the American society and the occupants because it helped to embrace diversity, exchange cultural beliefs and deal with cases of segregation along gender and racial lines. Most of the immigrants came in to look for jobs and provided better options for cheap labor which came as a plus but without living the minuses. Because they were inexpensive means of labor, they helped grow the American economy but at the same time caused employment crisis and stalemate. Most nationals lost their jobs to the immigrants because they were considered expensive. There was also the case of cultural pluralism. Currently, immigration laws are still hotly contested in the Senate.
