This book is a comprehensive collection of writings on the politics of immigration, edited by David M. Reimers. It includes a wide range of perspectives on the subject, from both sides of the political spectrum. The reader includes essays, articles, and other writings from a
Throughout United States history, the country experienced successive waves of immigration, particularly from Europe and later on from Asia and from Latin America. Colonial era immigrants often repaid the cost of transoceanic transportation by becoming indentured servants where the employer paid the ship's captain. In the late 19th century, immigration from China and Japan was restricted. In the 1920s, restrictive immigration quotas were imposed, but political refugees had special status. Numerical restrictions ended in 1965. In recent years, the largest numbers of immigrants to the United States have come from Asia and Central America.