Since long before this country became a nation, people were migrating here. In fact the oldest human fossil ever found in the United States, known as Del Mar Man, was dated at 50,000 years old (Soto). The people who made the trek across the Bering land bridge are thought to be the first inhabitants of North America. They belonged to hunting and gathering societies who surely came here in search of food and a better climate. Fifty thousand years ago if people wanted to pack their bags and move to another part of the world the only thing that could stop them was geography, or perhaps weather. There were no political borders, no official checkpoints. There were no customs officials at cold counters waiting to inspect passports or visas.
             Today, of course, things are a little different. Political borders are commonplace. Even borders that were once invisible are now more than just arbitrary lines on a map. More often now these borders are taking the shape of huge concrete or steel fences, lined with razor wire or guards. The United States occupies just part of North America, a piece that the country has, through various means, carved out for itself. Back in the eighteenth century, following the fight for independence with Britain, it was a relatively small country. There were thirteen states and a relatively small population. By 1995, the United States had grown to fifty states and over 250 million people (U.S. Statistics 830). It is arguably the greatest nation in the world; the rest of the world often looks to the U.S. for leadership. It has the world's largest economy and the highest standard of living.
             This economic growth was not achieved merely by the proliferation of the original colonists though. It was in part with immigration that this nation was able to rise to such a position in the world. Many of the nation's greatest inventors were foreign-born immigrants to America. Albert Einstein, whose t...