Protecting the nation’s borders from the illegal entry of people, weapons, drugs, and contraband is extremely important to homeland security. The U.S. Border Patrol plays an essential role in securing the border between the United States and Mexico with 90% of their resources defending this one border. The issue of illegal smuggling is not new to the United States-Mexico border, or to law enforcement agencies. The occurrence continues to increase while smugglers adjust to law enforcement tactics. Even after the security efforts of the Bush Administration and the United States Department of Homeland Security, the problem of illegal border crossing activity continues to worsen.…
This involvement can be seen as a way to extend its state power, that is to say, the U.S can influence politics and international law in its favour. Yet, that is not to say that the U.S never expanded its territory in certain ways. In the eighteenth and nineteenth century Americans seized land of the Native Americans, whether these seizures of land were legal is still debated. The question of empires still exist in the twenty first century is hard to answer. The term empire is no longer used to describe countries.…
At the turn of the century, and after gaining our independence, the United States land mass more than doubled through the use of purchasing, annexing, and war. However, the foreign policy of our government took a predominately isolationist stand. This was a national policy of abstaining from political or economic relations with other countries. General Washington shaped these values by upholding and encouraging the use of these principles by warning to avoid alliances in his farewell speech. The reasoning behind these actions was that the Republic was a new nation. We did not have the resources or the means to worry about other countries and foreign affairs; our immediate efforts were internal. Our goals that were of primary importance were setting up a democratic government and jump-starting a nation. The United States foreign policy up to and directly preceding the Civil War was mainly Isolationist. After the war, the government helped bring together a nation torn apart by war, helped improved our industrialization, and helped further populate our continent. We were isolationist in foreign affairs, while expanding domestically into the west and into the north through the purchase of Alaska. However, around 1890 the expansionism that had taken place was a far cry from what was about to happen. Expansionism is the nations practice or policy of territorial or economic expansion. The United States began dealing with territories that were overseas. They proceeded to expand into foreign markets not only for territorial advantages but also for the economic benefit. At the turn of the century, Isolationism took a back seat to expansionism, which had now arrived in full force. Throughout 1865 to 1914, the United States foreign policy was primarily expansionism.…
New immigrants faced several challenges upon moving to America in the 1800’s. These challenges include assimilation, exclusion, and overcrowding. Assimilation is the absorption of immigrants/outsiders into a certain culture. This essay will cover five different documents explaining the aforementioned points with sufficient evidence. Starting off: assimilation.…
Conquest. Control. Rule. That is what defines an empire. How the empire expands to other states, how much surface are they command, and how they govern that land. Societies that fell into this category: Rome, the Inca, the Mongol, the British (when it was an empire), America, etc. Why do I say the U.S, because like an empire, the U.S. exacts political control and influence past it’s own original boundaries, The U.S. meddles in foreign affairs and problems, and like an empire the U.S. has military posts throughout the world and conquests on foreign soil for profit. A great characteristic that has been apparent through every empire’s rule is the fall. I believe that because of division of the people, and economic collapse will be the end of the American Empire.…
Some view it as the American invasion, but without the Mexican-American war, the current Southwestern states might not be a part of the United States today. In the 1840’s, there was much dispute over the border between Texas and Mexico. So, when Mexico refused any attempt of negotiation with the U.S, the U.S resorted to war. The United States had many valid reasons for war such as initially taking peaceful actions, their belief in Manifest Destiny, and trying to defend their own land.…
• Explain America’s expansionist ideals. What were some of the factors that justified American imperialist actions?…
During the late 19th century to the early 20th century, the United States experienced an influx of immigrants, largely increasing the diversity of religious and ethnic groups in the country. When Ellis Island opened in 1892 and Angel Island opened in 1910, many people from Europe and Asia, including the Chinese, Catholics, and Jews, were part of the third wave of immigrants to the United States. These immigrants were not always welcome in the United States. They were financially challenged and found it hard to assimilate with others and white Protestants. Although the United States is a very diverse nation today and the poem at the bottom of the Statue of Liberty welcomed them through a “golden door”, immigrants and new groups coming to the…
Although economic interests were very important to the United States as they enacted tariffs and taxes on, for example, Hawaii and any incoming good from other countries, in fact, political and strategic advantages prevailed in the creation of foreign policies as the US went to wars with Mexico and even Spain in the Mexican War and the Spanish American War to gain land and new allies and annexed new lands such as Alaska and Hawaii, along with the people on those lands to increase the American influence. Being an imperialist country at the time, the United States reached out to these other nations, whether friend or foe and placed themselves firmly in the world as a country that was willing to fight for what it wanted and speak little threats.…
When microbes determine the territory: An affirmative theory of non-human borders is an article by Gitte du Plessis from the Department of Political Science in University of Hawaii. The article examines the theory of how infectious microbes make real borders that don’t depend on human meaning developing or identity. This theory she stated is based on, empirical examples of microbial borders, natural sciences, and interviews with health practitioners, and theoretical support from ethnographic encounters. Microbial bordering should be acknowledging in the human role in ecological patterns that exceed human ability.…
Cited: 1. 1) 30 Days: Season 2. Dir. Michael Sutton . Perf. Morgan Spurlock, Frank George. Bluebush Productions, LLC, 2006. DVD.…
In this paper I will use the ethical theories of utilitarianism and deontology, as well as the perspective of ethical egoism, as they pertain to the issue of immigration. Living in a state bordering Mexico [New Mexico], this is indeed becoming a pressing issue as tens of thousands of illegal immigrants flood my state and neighboring states. This issue brings up many questions such as: 1 – What is our moral obligation to these immigrants? 2- What is our moral obligation to U.S. citizens that are affected by this influx? 3- Is it morally right for smugglers to profit from the pain of those seeking safety, security, and a better life? 4- Is it morally/ethically right for parents to subject their children to the long, lonely, dangerous journey to the United States. By applying the theories and perspective noted above, I will show that if this issue is not handled immediately, the consequences will be detrimental to both U.S. citizens and the immigrants as well. The desire of the immigrants to obtain a better life does not preclude them from following current laws and processes. While they act from a position of self -interest, their actions impact many others in the process.…
American Imperialism has been a part of United States history ever since the American Revolution. Imperialism is the practice by which large, powerful nations seek to expand and maintain control or influence on a weaker nation. Throughout the years, America has had a tendency to take over other people's land. America had its first taste of Imperialistic nature back when Columbus came to America almost five hundred years ago. He fought the inhabitants with no respect for their former way of life, took their land, and proceeded to enslave many of these Native Americans. The impact of the 1820's and 1830's on American Imperialism is undeniable. Although the military power was not fully there during this time period, their ideals and foreign policy were made known by as early as 1823.…
To practice what I am learning in my public health classes and apply it to the community.…
Immigration is an integral part of the U.S. social fabric. As of 2004, a total of 12 percent of the population was foreign born. Immigrants account for a disproportionate share of population growth because they are younger and have higher fertility rates than natives. Because of immigration’s importance, immigration policy has been debated throughout our history. In the past thirty years, the United States has undergone tremendous changes, yet immigration policy has not changed with the times. With immigration needing reform, requiring such careful attention, no two policies have been more examined then that of open immigration or closed borders.…