A History was the first large-scale survey covering the history, politics, and culture of all major Hispanic groups in this country. Authors Peter Duignan and the late Lewis H. Gann provide an updated epilogue covering the period from 1986 to 1998, including the impact of the 1986 law legalizing 1.3 million illegal immigrants. The authors concede that the 1996 immigration bills have strengthened border enforcement measures, but conclude that more authority is needed in the workplace and to stop entry at airports, document fraud, and smuggling.
Bilingual education is judged a failure.
They suggest reforms to help the INS stem the flow of illegal immigrants, and propose that the number of legal immigrants be cut to roughly 500,000 a year. The authors argue that immigration is a positive experience for both the newcomers and the local communities into which they immigrate. They favor an immigration policy designed to attract skilled newcomers with technical qualifications and capital, rather than those who might place a burden on the welfare system. The book also examines the Spanish legacy of the Southwest, the beginnings of extensive Mexican immigration after the turn of the century, socioeconomic changes brought about by World War I, and changes in the demographic composition of the nation as a result of later immigration. At the time of his death, Gann was a senior fellow emeritus at the Hoover Institution.