Desperation and hope have always sent people from their homelands in search of a better life. The massive immigrations of the past two centuries have had large areas of thinly populated land to settle, but many such escape valves are being sealed, while population pressures mount throughout the world. A rising tide of newcomers and their concentration in a few areas has renewed debate about the value of immigration to America. This discussion for young people considers the implications of immigration and immigration policy and discusses the challenges faced by immigrants of the past and current immigrants. Political organizations take positions that range from a complete ban on all immigration to opening the borders to all newcomers. This book relies on the best available government and private sources of information about immigrants to present the arguments on all sides. Of particular interest is a discussion of educating the immigrant. The obligation of a jurisdiction to provide education and the debates about the language in which education should be provided are outlined. There are no simple answers to questions about immigration, but finding some solutions must start with defining the nation's values and hopes. (Contains 3 graphs and 31 references.) (SLD)