Many people came to America for a better life and to escape all the problems in their home country. These immigrants, like those throughout U.S. history, are generally hard-working and make significant contributions to the economy through their productive labor and purchasing power. America is considered a melting pot of many different ethnic groups. Immigrants should be able to enter America with little or no resistance from border patrols. Immigrants in the United States work hard, low-paying jobs that, unfortunately, some Americans don't want. Most immigrants tend to fill jobs in essential services of the economy, which are vacant. Unfortunately, like new immigrants throughout U.S. history, “they live in generally disadvantaged, oppressive, and exploitative conditions” (Conover, 2000). They receive low wages with few opportunities for advancement, are subjected to unsafe working conditions, and are threatened with job loss and even deportation if they express dissatisfaction with how they are treated. Many work multiple jobs to make ends meet. Many also live in substandard housing with abusive landlords, have few health care options, and are victims of fraud and other crimes. Modern immigration policies have received less and less publicity as tolerance becomes more widespread, even though each person is entitled to his or her own opinion on the matter” (Conover 342). Immigrant problems are linked to trade deals designed to allow big companies to capture both consumer markets and cheap labor. These agreements protect wealthy investors from the middle of paper. It is a tribute to the courage and anger of immigrant workers that thousands have braved these risks to successfully organize unions, choosing the same path to economic progress that previous generations chose. of Modern America » Publisher: Princeton University Press. Martinez, Ruben. 2002 “Crossing Over: A Mexican family on the migrant trail” Publisher: Picador.Conover, Ted. 2000 “Coyotes: A Journey Through the Secret World of America’s Illegal Aliens” Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group. Dougherty, Jon E. 2004 “Illegal: The Looming Threat Posed by Our Insecure U.S.-Mexico Border” Editor: Thomas Nelson. Kwong, Peter. 1999 “Prohibited Workers: Illegal Chinese Immigrants and American Workers” Publisher: The New Press.