A presentation by Janet Davis, Katelyn Deininger, DeNeale Elrod, Kimberly Garmon, and Brandi Gore. Kennesaw State University

1. Immigration & Education
Janet Davis,
Katelyn Deininger,
DeNeale Elrod,
Kimberly Garmon
& Brandi Gore

2. Past Immigration Laws
1790 1795 1798
The Naturalization Act of
The Naturalization Act of
1790, the country's first
1790 is amended and
naturalization statute, says
extends the residency
that unindentured white
requirement to five years.
males must live in the U.S.
for two years before
becoming citizens.
With xenophobia on the rise,
the residency requirement in
the Naturalization Act of
1790 is lengthened again, to
14 years.
1802
The residency
requirement for
citizenship is reduced
to five years.
1870 1875 1882 1891
The Naturalization
Act of 1870 allows
"aliens of African
nativity" and
"persons of African
descent" to become
U.S. citizens.
The Page Act
becomes law. It's the
country's first
exclusionary act,
banning criminals,
prostitutes, and
Chinese contract
laborers from entering
the country.
1892
Congress
passes the
Immigration Act.
The Chinese
Exclusion Act of
1882.
Immigration
Act of 1891
creates the
Bureau of
Immigration
The Geary Act strengthens the
Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882
by requiring Chinese laborers to
carry a resident permit at all
times. Failure to do so could
result in deportation or a
sentence to hard labor. It also
extends for another 10 years the
ban on Chinese becoming
citizens.

3. Past Immigration Laws
1906
1907
1917
The Naturalization Act of
1906 creates the Bureau of
Immigration and
Naturalization. Immigrants
must learn English to
become citizens.
The Immigration Act of
1907 - bans
physically/mentally
disabled, & children without
parents.
Expatriation Act of 1907-
women who marry
foreigners lose their
citizenship.
Immigration Act of 1917 -
bans homosexuals, “feeble-minded,”
“idiots,” “insane
persons,” alcoholics, etc.
1921
The Emergency
Quota Law of 1921
limits the number of
immigrants entering
the U.S. each year to
350,000.
1922 1924 1929 1943/1946 1948-1950
Married
The National Origins
Women's Act
Act lowers the limit of
of 1922
immigrants entering
(repeals the
the U.S. each year to
Expatriation Act
165,000.
of 1907).
The U.S. Border
Patrol is created.
The National
Origins Act
changes the annual
cap on the number
of immigrants
allowed to enter the
U.S., this time to
150,000.
The Chinese Exclusion
Repeal Act - in 1943
allows Chinese, and in
1946 includes Filipinos &
Indians. The Immigration
Act of 1917 is revoked.
The Displaced
Persons Act - allows
refugees from war to
enter U.S.
Internal Security Act
- deportation of those
in the Communist
Party.

4. Past Immigration Laws
1965 1966
1975
The Immigration Act of
1965
Cuban Adjustment Act
Indochina Migration and
Refugee Assistance Act of
1975
1978
The immigration caps
outlined in the 1965
Immigration Act are
replaced with an
overall annual limit of
290,000.
1980 1986 1943/1946 1948-1950
The Refugee Act defines
refugees as a person who flees
his or her country “on account of
race, religion, nationality, or
political opinion.” Refugees are
considered a different category
than immigrants
The Immigration Reform
and Control Act of 1986
(IRCA) Offered legal status to
immigrants who came to the
U.S. before 1982.
(About 3 million immigrants
gained legal status through
IRCA.)
The Chinese Exclusion
Repeal Act - in 1943
allows Chinese, and in
1946 includes Filipinos &
Indians. The Immigration
Act of 1917 is revoked.
The Displaced
Persons Act - allows
refugees from war to
enter U.S.
Internal Security Act
- deportation of those
in the Communist
Party.

5. Present Immigration Laws
1990
The Immigration Act of 1990
sets an annual ceiling of
700,000 immigrants for three
years, and 675,000 thereafter.
1996
2002
Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act
● Provided for more Border Patrol agents.
● Requires that schools report foreign students
● Stipulates that foreign nationals in the US will be
The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act:
immigrants could be deported for a wider range of crimes
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act:
drastically cut legal permanent residents’ eligibility for many public-assistance
benefits, including food stamps, Supplemental Security
attending classes.
required to carry IDs with biometric technology
Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and
Medicaid.
2005
The REAL ID Act of 2005 requires states to
verify a person’s immigration status or
citizenship before issuing licenses, expands
restrictions on refugees requesting asylum, and
limits the habeas corpus rights of immigrants.

6. Immigration Reform: In the Process
SAFE Act -
● Moves for stronger enforcement.
● Gives more immigration enforcement authority to
states and localities,
● Criminalizes unauthorized status,
● Significantly increases mandatory detention of
immigrants
SKILLS Visa Act -
● Increases immigrant and non-immigrant employment-based
visas for skilled immigrants, entrepreneurs, and
STEM graduates.
● Decreases family-based immigration and eliminating
the diversity visa program.
Agricultural Guest Worker Act
● simplifies and expands the worker visa
program for agricultural employers
● reduces worker wages and protections
● H-2C visa is temporary, would not lead to
permanent residence, and would exclude
workers’ family members.
Legal Workforce Act
● establishes a national employment eligibility
verification system that all employers would be
required to use within two years of enactment to verify
the employment eligibility of new hires and employees
with expiring work authorization
Border Security Results Act
● requires control of the southwestern border
within 5 years and emphasizes measurable
metrics and verification
Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and
Immigration Modernization Act
● A comprehensive reform bill,
● addresses border security, a path to citizenship for the
undocumented, paths to citizenship for undocumented
childhood arrivals and agricultural workers

7. [More] Immigration Laws:
In the Process
American Families United Act
Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity of 2013
Military Enlistment Opportunity Act of 2013
Startup Act 3.0
ENLIST Act
American Entrepreneurship and Investment Act of 2014
Border Enforcement Accountability, Oversight, and Community Engagement Act of 2014

8. Impact on Children & Families
● Georgia is one of six states that has passed immigration laws that require “verification of lawful presence” to obtain
benefits such as healthcare (White,Yeager, Menachemi, Scarinci, 2014).
● “The term “unauthorized” refers to a person who resides in the United States, but who is not a U.S. citizen, has not been
admitted for permanent residence, and does not hold authorized temporary status permitting long-term residence and
work (Passel, 2007)” (Chavez, Lopez, Englebrecht, Viramontez Anguiano, 2012) .
● According to Chavez, Lopez, Engelbrecht, and Viramontez Anguiano 4 million children are born to undocumented families.
This causes stress in the household because there is constant fear that parents, grandparents, or other relatives could be
deported and the children would not be.
● One parent who is illegal stated during this case study “[My oldest child] was born here. The two younger ones were born
in Mexico. [My wife] has a brother who is a citizen and said that he could apply for our residency when he is old enough.
So with time, maybe. But, we only care about the children. Whatever happens to us doesn’t matter” (Chavez, Lopez,
Englebrecht, Viramontez Anguiano, 2012) .
● Children born in families of undocumented status are more likely to grow up in poverty and with a low paying job.
● Another impact on children in the lack of healthcare coverage. Many times they may go without treatment due to the
families lack of identification.

9. Impact on Teachers & Schools
● The topic of immigration is not always in the curriculum (Bersh, 2013).
● Teachers are not always equipped with enough resources for multicultural teaching
(Bersh, 2013).
● Having a more diverse classroom and limited resources makes differentiation more
difficult (Bersh, 2013).
● Teachers have a difficult time communicating with the students and parents because
many of them do not speak English when they come to the United States (Bersh, 2013).
● A growing population of immigrants in the classroom shows a need for more bilingual
teachers (Eng, 2013).
Links to lessons: The link below includes a lesson plan can be used to teach students about
immigration.
http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/immigration-to-the-united-states.cfm

10. Immigration:
Positive & Negative Impacts on Education
Positive
● The influx of culturally diverse
persons into the U.S. provides
Americans with more exposure to the
global community.
● Culturally diverse schools prepare
youth for the 21st century world.
● Child immigrants are given ample
opportunity to get an appropriate
education leading to a successful
future.
Negative
● Many immigrant families have high
educational aspirations for their
children. Due to the lack of
documentation and new laws they are
frequently prevented from achieving
higher levels of education. (Chavez,
Lopez, Englebrecht, Viramontez Anguiano,
2012)
● Immigration laws are breaking families
apart. This makes learning a greater
challenge for immigrant children who are
struggling with familial issues.
● The increase in students leads to more
cost.

11. Teaching Practices
● Positive teacher dispositions
● A range of teaching styles that meet the needs of individual students (e.g., individualized
teaching, collaborative learning activities, technology based activities with language and audio
options, and peer mentoring)
● A language-rich environment where language is taught and practiced across the curriculum
(reading, writing, listening, and speaking)
● A curriculum that relates to students’ lives
(Davies, 2008)

12. Teaching Practices Cont.
● An after-school tutoring program run by teachers, volunteers, and student mentors
● Strong school–parent partnership and interpreters to facilitate communication
● Access to counseling, including trauma counseling, to facilitate student adjustment for
immigrants and refugees who had to move suddenly and or leave family members
● Time set aside to collaboratively solve personal problems with peers and teachers
● Enriching activities and fieldtrips or other opportunities to participate in creative out-of-school
programs
(Davies, 2008)

13. References
American Immigration Council. (March, 26, 2014). What’s on the menu? Immigration bills pending in the House of
Representatives in 2014. Retrieved from: http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/what%E2%80%99s-menu-immigration-
bills-pending-house-representatives-2014
Bersh, L. (2013). The curricular value of teaching about immigration through picture book thematic text sets. Social
studies, 104(2), 47-56.
Davies, A. Z. (2008). Characteristics of adolescent Sierra Leonean refugees in public schools in New York City. Education and
Urban Society, 40, 361–376.
Chavez, J. M., Lopez, A., Englebrecht, C. M., & Viramontez Anguiano, R. P. (2012). Sufren Los Niños: Exploring the
Impact of Unauthorized Immigration Status on Children's Well-Being Sufren Los Niños: Exploring the Impact of
Unauthorized Immigration Status on Children's Well-Being. Family Court Review, 50(4), 638-649. doi:10.1111/j.1744-
1617.2012.01482.x
Eng, N. (2013). The impact of demographics on 21st century education. Society, 50(3), 272-282.
Rowen, B. (2007). Immigration Legislation A detailed look at immigration legislation from the Colonial Period to the
present assed in the U.S.: History and Timeline | Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/us/immigration/legislation-timeline.
html#ixzz3Dc5K5rOD. Retrieved September 15, 2014, from
http://www.infoplease.com/us/immigration/legislation-timeline.html

14. References
White, K., Yeager, V. A., Menachemi, N., & Scarinci, I. C. (2014). Impact of Alabama's Immigration Law on Access to
Health Care Among Latina Immigrants and Children: Implications for National Reform. American Journal Of Public
Health, 104(3), 397-405.
List of United States immigration laws. (2014, April 23). Retrieved from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_immigration_laws September 16, 2014.