People from all over the world immigrate to the U.S. to experience the American Dream, but when they arrive many face considerable challenges. Approximately 44.8 million immigrants live in the United States as of 2018 with 25% coming from Mexico, 6% from China, 6% from India, 4% from the Philippines, 3% from El Salvador, and the remaining from various other countries (Budiman 2020). Each group has a different experience and a different cultural background.
My project attempts to depict some of the typical obstacles immigrants face making it in this country. Like a board game, each path is unique. The ladders represent the privilege that natives experience by not having to overcome certain obstacles. The chutes depict how immigrants may fall behind natives in trying to fight these obstacles.
Anti-Immigration Sentiment
Americans are divided on how they perceive immigrants and their contributions. A quarter of Americans see immigrants as a burden that takes away jobs, houses, and health care resources. Another quarter wish to see the level of immigration decreased (Budiman 2020). As recently as 2008, about 51% of Americans espoused anti-immigration sentiment. All these factors suggest this country is not a forgiving place to those who move here (Butz and Kehrberg 613).
English as a Second Language
One common challenge for immigrants who do not speak English as a native language is trying to learn English and navigate this country. The 2000 census found that there are 46.9 million people in the U.S. that speak a language other than English at home. Of this 46.9 million, 3.3 million indicated that they spoke no English (Bruno and Shin 5). Also, teachers are more likely to see immigrant students as “lazy, incompetent, and less knowledgeable” compared to natives, because the former are behind in language or cultural skills (Bottia 10).
Job Discrimination
Immigrants also may face job discrimination. They face higher rates of unemployment and limited access to certain career markets than native born Americans, even among the college educated. 1 in every 5 highly skilled immigrant workers is unemployed or underemployed meaning they are working below their credential level (Batalova and Fix 1). To avoid unemployment many choose to work below their expertise level because their credentials aren’t recognized by employers here (Batalova and Fix 1).
The Burden
These are just some of the challenges that immigrants face. Each immigrant has a different individual path. It is important to humanize these people and acknowledge additional daily obstacles they may face.
Bibliography
Batalova, J. and Fix, M. (2008). Uneven Progress: The Employment Pathways of Skilled Immigrants in the United States. With Peter A. Creticos. Washington, D.C.: Migration Policy Institute.
Bottia, Martha Cecilia. School Segregation and Immigrants’ Outcomes. Poverty & RaceResearch Action Council, 2019, pp. 9–15, Immigrant Integration and Immigrant Segregation: The Relationship Between School and Housing Segregation and Immigrants’ Futures in the U.S., www.jstor.org/stable/resrep27199.9. Accessed 31 Mar. 2021.
Budiman, Abby. “Key Findings about U.S. Immigrants.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 22 Sept. 2020, www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/08/20/key-findings-about-u-s-immigrants/.
Butz, A.M. and Kehrberg, J.E. (2019), Anti‐Immigrant Sentiment and the Adoption of State Immigration Policy. Policy Stud J, 47: 605-623. https://doi.org/10.1111/psj.12326
Shin, Bruno, Hyon B., Rosalind. “Language Use and English-Speaking Ability: 2000.Census 2000 Brief.” ERIC, U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC 20233. Tel: 301-457-4100; e-Mail: Webmaster@Census.gov; Web Site: Http://Www.census.gov., 30 Sept. 2003, eric.ed.gov/?id=ED482418.
