Immigration Project Overview - Sophia Henninger

Before the project started, I knew a lot of people immigrated to the US but when I actually saw the numbers, I was very surprised. I never realized exactly how many people came to the US and all the different places they came from. Another thing I was unaware of is how Congress used to restrict the number of immigrants from certain places and how they forced different  laws upon them once they arrived, depending on their origin. Other bits of information didn't strike me quite as much like what had caused some of the low points in immigration. It makes a lot of sense that no one would want to come to the US during the Great Depression. 

Looking at the overall trend and incorporating what you know about the US presently, predict and defend the immigration trend for the next two decades.

There are many different ways to predict the rise or fall of immigration through the next twenty years. If history were to repeat itself then one could assume that the rates would continue to rise, but some things are going on in our country that may negatively affect the amount of immigration. Right now, the United States is in a recession and if it were to worsen then I would predict a significant drop in immigration rates. On the same spectrum, many countries in Europe are in a similar situation and if we held our ground, that might encourage immigration. There are many different ways that immigration could go and it is certainly difficult to predict how it will go. 

Describe how you made a decision on how to visually represent the information.

We chose to do a color coded timeline because we felt it was a good balance between information and vibrance. It is very organized and easily understood. 

What parts of group work were challenging?

Overall, the group worked well together though one thing that could have been improved was the division of work. Though we all provided and filled in our own information, when it came to color coding it was difficult to separate it equally. We tried to divide it but it just became complicated. 

What would you do differently if you had this project to do over?

Honestly, I am very pleased with the outcome of the project. The only reason I would change anything is if we had more and more technical skill. Even though I am very pleased with our current project.