Woodrow-Lafield, Karen A. 1999. “Labor Migration, Family Integration, and the New America During the Twentieth Century,” Chapter 2 (pp. 13-26), Illegal Immigration in America: A Reference Handbook, David W. Haines and Karen E. Rosenblum, Greenwood Press.

This chapter confronts four issues surrounding the twin topics of authorized and unauthorized immigration. First, the recent debate about immigration and its impacts is paired with rather unconvincing data. Second, current general theories of immigration revolve in part about typologies of immigrants framed according to the immigration system. Third, an unauthorized resident population persists despite immigration policies. Fourth, in general, the magnitude and momentum of current immigration is affected by the interplay of net unauthorized immigration, legalization, naturalization, and net authorized immigration. Post-1960 net authorized immigration as of 1996 is likely to range from 18.2 to more than 19 million, having increased by 20 to 40 percent since 1990 with increasing lawful immigration and the amnesty programs. For Mexico, net authorized immigration is likely to range from 4.7 to 4.9 million and may be as much as 5.5 million, considerably more than in 1990 (3.8 to 4.0 million) or in 1980 (1.4 million). With greater uncertainty about net authorized immigration, uncertainty about net unauthorized immigration is also greater.