In the 1980s and 1990s, Brooklyn College began to assume its role as the hub of ethnicity that it is today.  The diversity of ethnic groups at Brooklyn College thrived as the immigrant population of the United States boomed.  Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, illegal immigration in the United States was a never-ending topic of political debate.  Immigrants were able to come to America in planes, ships, and on land through Canada and Mexico, making it easier than ever for immigrants to enter the country illegally.  In 1986, the U.S. gave amnesty to over 3 million immigrants through the Immigration Reform Act, and during the recession of the early 1990s, there was a resurgence of anti-immigrant sentiment.  Yet as time progresses, the immigrant population at Brooklyn College will only continue to grow in number.

Throughout the 1990s, immigration rates into the U.S. skyrocketed, which left today’s generation with lasting questions:

-Does America have an obligation to keep open the doors to immigration?

-Can immigrants who keep their culture and language be considered Americans?

The debates will definitely continue, as new immigrants arrive in America, bringing their own histories, traditions, and ideas, all of which deepen our sense of what it means to be an American.

Click here to meet immigrant alumni from the time.

Click here to learn more about the historical context of the 1980s and 1990s.

Click here to learn more about Brooklyn College at the time.