>>Ironic when you think that some of the greatest prejudices in US immigration policy would have tried to exclude some of our most productive communities ( Chinese, Jews, Italians, Irish, Poles etc etc )
>
>You can take "would have" out of that sentence. US immigration policy absolutely tried to exclude Chinese, Jews and Poles. Not sure about Italians and Irish.
>
>Tamar

It was disgraceful. Especially leading up to 1944 and 1945. They should have just come up through Mexico illegal - hard to believe we only admitted 22,950 or so between 1945 and 1947 and yet thousands cross the border from the south every day illegally.
http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007094

(Updated: added the link I forgot to put in before and fixed typo)

Same things I've mentioned before:

1) shut down the borders and allow only authorized visitors/immigrants in
2) expand immigration to realistic numbers from all countries - Mexicans have an unfair advantage right now
3) implement guest worker program where every immigrant is determined not a criminal or terrorist and pays taxes under their own identity or isn't allowed in and is immediately deported when found inside our borders if not here legally
4) allow companies to go out and recruit as long as the immigrants/guest workers meet security requirements #3
5) enforce real fines for employers who hire illegals and prosecute and those who assist them
6) Take a LARGE portion of the drug fighting money in other countries and move it to implementing guest worker program
7) Allow all those here illegally to start the step towards becoming citizens (or be guest workers) the legal way - require basic English and standard new citizenship requirements and background checks (use drug money to increase those programs)
8) deport immediately when serious crimes are committed (and a plan to pay back taxes if owed)
9) allow all of those here illegally now to obtain guest workers visas if gainfully employed and they must meet the same requirements to work here - real identities, pass driving tests, pay taxes under their own identity, etc.
10) (added) if you are here illegally and you don't sign up for the guest worker program then deportation.
I could go on but that is a start.