Immigration of Hispanics to Virginia
Introduction
Virginia is one of the states that are characterized by a growing economy. The growth of the economy is because of the excellent quality of life that the state offers as well as the availability of the natural amenities. As a result, there has been a rapid influx of people not only from other states within America but also from abroad. In recent years, there has been a rapid influx of the population of Hispanics in Virginia; both the social and the economic status of the Virginia State have been affected (Abernethy, 2012).
Patterns for immigrations to Virginia since 19th century
The first foreign immigrants to invade the state of Virginia were the Africans. They moved to Virginia as slaves from the transatlantic trade. The second immigrants to Virginia during the early 20th century were from Europe. Most of these individuals were from countries, such as Hungary, Spain, Germany, Poland, and Scotland. The main reason for these immigrants accessing Virginia was that they were looking for employment in the mining companies. The beginning of the 21st century marked the influx of the Asians immigrants into Virginia and the Latin America (Yans-Mclaughlin & Whaples, 2013).
At this time, most of the immigrants to the Virginia come from countries, such as India, El Salvador, Korea, Philippines, and Mexico. Currently, the Virginia immigrants are a mixture of different groups of individuals. The Asians constitute forty-two percent; Latin America constitutes 35 percent while immigrants from Africa constitute 10 percent. Moreover, immigrants from Europe constitute 10 percent of the total Virginia immigrants.
Hispanic Immigrants
The statistics that was conducted in the year 1970 revealed that most of the residents of Virginia were born in either Virginia or the Virginia indigenous. The same statistics also showed that by that year, only one out of every one hundred of the residents of Virginia was not born in the United States of America. However, the recent statistics that was conducted in the year 2012 revealed that among the 8.26 of the total population of the Virginia, there are one million foreign-born Virginians (Abernethy, 2012).
Moreover, out of the one million foreign-born Virginians, Hispania’s constitute a staggering four hundred thousand. In addition, two-thirds of them age between 25 to 44 years. It is important to note that these are the most productive years of an individual that are characterized by childbearing and prime years of working. The immigration of the Hispanics to Virginia has not only improved the economy of the state but also put pressure on the social amenities (Kay & Mayer, 2012).
The Historical Reasons for the Migration of the Hispanics to the Virginia
According to history, African slaves were the first forced immigrants to the United States of America. As a result, there are many African Americans not only in the Virginia state but also in all of the states in the America. Therefore, one of the reasons that can explain the significant existence of the African Americans in the United States of America is the transatlantic slave trade. Apart from the Africans immigrants to the Virginia, there was emergence of the coal companies during the late 19th century and the early 20th centuries. Consequently, immigrants from Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Hispania, and Poland accessed Virginia (Yans-Mclaughlin & Whaples, 2013).
These foreign-born Virginia worked in the companies that were based in the Philadelphia and New York. However, it is documented that the first Hispanic immigrants to Virginia used to work in the mines that were located south West Virginia and the Central Appalachia. Currently, the descendants of these first Hispanic immigrants still live in these parts of the Virginia. Therefore, it can be concluded that greener pastures were the main reason for the immigration of the first Hispanics to the state of Virginia (Yans-Mclaughlin & Whaples, 2013).
In modern times, most of the Hispanic immigrants move to the Virginia to seek for education. The majority of the Hispanic students who migrate to the Virginia are the students of higher learning, primarily the college and the university students. This is because Virginia as a state is endowed with very many higher learning institutions that attract not only the Hispanics but also different groups all over the world (Abernethy, 2012).
Impacts of the Hispanic immigrants to the state of Virginia
The recent invasion of the Hispanics, especially the Mexicans to the state of the Virginia has significantly influenced the states in very many dimensions. Some of the aspects that this immigration has affected include culture, economy, and social amenities. In regards to culture, Hispanic has contributed to the cultural diversity that is characterized by the modern Virginia. This diversity is both a blessing and a curse. It terms of blessing, Virginia is currently a hub for various cultures making it have the face of the world. On the other side, cultural diversity leads to derailment of the original cultures of the indigenous people resulting in the identity loss of the Virginia (Kay & Mayer, 2012).
In terms of economy, Hispanics immigrants have improved the overall economy of Virginia. This is because Hispanics have provided a workforce that drives the economy of Virginia. In addition, the Hispanic immigrants have provided a market for the Virginia products. In regards to the impact on the social amenities, the Hispanic immigrants have put pressure on the basic social amenities that have resulted in declining of the living standards in the state of Virginia (Kay & Mayer, 2012)
References
Abernethy, V. (2012). The demographic transition revisited Lessons for foreign aid and U.S.
immigration policy. Ecological Economics, 5(2), 235-252.
Kay, W., & Mayer, J. (2012). Hispanic Immigration to Virginia: A cultural issue remains
puissant despite an economic crisis. The Social Science Journal, 2(3), 646-658.
Yans-Mclaughlin, V., & Whaples, R. (2013). Immigration Reconsidered: History, Sociology,
and Politics. History: Reviews of New Books, 2(4), 130-131.