An alien refers to an individual who is neither a United States national nor citizen. United States citizen refers to people born in the United States or whose parents are its citizens, or an individual who has been naturalized. Citizenship is also granted for Virgin Islanders, Puerto Ricans, and Guam residents. United States national refers to people living in the states that have decided to be treated as U.S nationals but not citizens.
The Immigration and Nationality Act allows legal permanent residents the opportunity to live in the U.S. permanently. Refugee refers to an individual who escapes his or her country because of political, religious, or racial prosecution. On the other hand, a migrant refers to a person who leaves his or her country in pursuit of better living conditions in terms of education or work. Individuals who become refugees within their own country are considered to be internally displaced. Returnee refers to an individual who returns to their home country when they are assured of their safety. Some people may decide not to have a nationality and are called stateless people as they choose to forgo a right to have a nationality.
Koppelman states that the majority of immigrants were poor laborers with minimum education and skills from Europe. The quotas were introduced to make sure that the country received more immigrants from Northern Europe. Xenophobia was experienced among white people who discriminated against other white people. Myths about immigrants state that all immigrants are poor and do not have formal education and skills.
Teachers should select books which analyze immigration issues. Teachers should allow children to interact to find out more about their history and culture. Most immigration books contain inaccurate information about immigrants. Gonzales urges teachers to create libraries in their classroom using books that represent each race and ethnicity.