While the pundits, politicians, and even our own VivirLatino readers are quick to point out the difference between so-called illegal vs. legal immigration, a blog, Ally Work, looks at the history of immigration in the United States and when those labels began to be put into place.

Until 1918, the United States did not require passports; the term “illegal immigrant” had no meaning. New arrivals were required only to prove their identity and find a relative or friend who could vouch for them.

The first time major immigration restrictions were put into place, they targeted people of color, specifically the Chinese. Later it was the Eastern Europeans that were targeted. The biggest excuse for the tightning of immigration laws? Fear that these specific immigrant groups were threatening the jobs of “native” people (sound familiar?).

Ally Work is making an ongoing series about the history of immigration in the United States. I know I will keep reading the series and I urge all Vl readers to do the same.

Via / Ally Work