Immigrant Bias
In America, the topic of immigration has been deemed controversial due to the stigmas that surround it. For many people, it's a subject that does not worry them in the slightest. But for millions of others, it's something that constantly haunts them as they try to make a living and support their family in America. Whether an individual is affected or not, this Carrd provides insight about the bias against immigrants in many different fields.
political
Many of the common injustices that immigrants face stem from politics and politicians. Many politicians today insight violence against the immigrant community which is backed by correlative hate crime statistics. There are many aspects to the political atmosphere and political bias against immigrants, these consist of: voting, housing, and economic discrimination. These forms of discrimination are seen on a daily basis by many immigrants.
Voting Discrimination:
Voting discrimination is a commonly forgotten form of bias against immigrants. Many immigrants face an issue gaining access to adequate voting locations. The 2016 immigrant voter turn out was only 54% according to federal voting statistics. A rate of 54% is one of the lowest voter turn outs in America. Many minority neighborhoods hold the highest amounts of immigrant voters. There are many instances where these neighborhoods have limited voting booths as well as multiple hour waits for voting access. This drives away many immigrants from voting. The accessibility of voting has been an ongoing battle which started at the beginning of the nation.
Housing Discrimination:
Housing discrimination is a form of discrimination that has minimal research and studies completed. Many of the few studies which are done show significant discrimination in the housing industry, many of these discriminatory practices start from the realtors and candidate approval process. Studies found that there is significant discrimination against immigrants. A study was done which compared Arab candidates to white candidates, this study found that white European candidates were favored at an alarming double the rate of middle eastern immigrants. This holds true over many different nationalities and minority ethnicities when compared to the white European population. Many immigrant families face issues with redlining when they try to move into a better or higher income area.
Economic Discrimination:
Immigrants face economic discrimination in all common aspects of life. From being forced into economically depressed areas to being unlikely to get a loan, they are forced into accepting a lower living standard than the average national born American. The greatest example of economic discrimination is in the African immigrant population. Many African immigrants have degrees and certifications which are ignored by the United States government and professional fields. Many doctors from Africa are unable to transfer any of their certifications to the United States. Immigrants who have done 10 years of schooling in Africa to get a STEM job are forced to work entry level jobs in the United States. If they wish to achieve the same level of qualification again they have to redo a full or large amount of schooling. There are many instances of this being true throughout nearly all fields. Many technical workers in African countries need to become certified again in the United States even though they already have an equivalent qualification.
Links to Studies:
African Contribution to the Workplace:
https://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1016&context=od_theses_mp
Studies on Real Estate Discrimination:
https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S1051137718300457?token=3002DB1D90D86464BE1FD4E88AEC172AFCEFC8D3D4B1BAB48BCDF2AF4FC5FE94735515320295AB5539ECFEBC6B3B412Ahttps://www.hrw.org/news/2011/10/07/us-immigrant-injustice#
social
Prejudice against foreign-born individuals and communities in America is very much prevalent in today’s society. Behind the dangerous propaganda from political figures, misinformed viewpoints from influential personalities, or even just opinions from friends and families, the root of all of these issues comes from the power of ignorance.
Stereotyping:
Many of us have been exposed to stereotypes regarding certain racial populations that are immensely harmful and fictitious, but we as Americans have been hard wired to be indifferent or even acceptant of these assumptions. We’ve heard that latinx/hispanic people are “rapists,” Middle Eastern muslims are “terrorists,” and black people are “violent” yet we are compliant to these things. In fact, we manage to come up with excuses in order to rationalize these beliefs rather than fight against them which strengthens these biases everytime we come across them.
Language:
America is a refuge for immigrants from all around the world; over 350 different languages are spoken here. There isn’t an official language for the U.S., but people of color that speak a language that isn’t English are being told to “Go back to your country.” Americans that are limited to English appear to feel threatened in the presence of another being that speaks a different language. Many people assume those that do not speak English as their primary language are less intelligent and untrustworthy all because of one’s accent.
Bullying:
Children are naturally curious and naive in many different aspects, such as American-born kids in the company of other immigrant children. Bullying occurs in response to differences in culture and language. Many immigrant children are made fun of for little things such as their accents and the “smell” and appearance of food during lunchtime. Parents at home can also negatively impact the judgement of their offspring. A child’s most influential role model is their parents and they are very likely to believe everything they hear as they are not old enough to make their own judgements or challenge their parents.
Sources:
https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/jenniferlerner/files/tan_wei_ming_-_why_we_instinctively_reject_immigrants_and_how_we_can_overcome_such_bias.pdfhttps://horizon-magazine.eu/article/why-do-people-discriminate-against-speakers-foreign-accents.html#
workplace
Workplace discrimination in the United States is a major issue affecting many lower-to-middle-class workers, particularly women and colored people. Immigrants, however, tend to get the worst of this, especially if they are undocumented. They are more likely to go through unequal pay, harassment, unfair hiring practices, and many other disadvantages all due to their citizenship status. It is important that everyone is made aware this treatment so they can make the proper moves to make sure discrimination ceases to exist; not just in the workplace, but everywhere.
Unequal Pay:
No matter the field, unequal pay is common across all workplaces, typically due to one’s gender and race. Undocumented immgrants are usually paid the worst since they are willing to accept any wage to provide for their families, and that makes it easier for higher-ups to take advantage of their vulnerable position. The popular argument that immigrants take away jobs and money from U.S. born citizens is quite unjustified. Statistics have shown that in the majority of states, American born people earn thousands more than immigrant people, and that immigrant men and women are more likely to be unemployed than American born citizens.
Harassment:
Many immigrant workers, especially women, are more prone to harassment in the workplace, not just from their bosses, but even customers, depending on the job. This includes bullying, maniuplation, exclusion, and even sexual harassment. Immigrant women who have been sexually harassed in the workplace often hear racist, stereotypical names. Immigrants who experience this tend to keep quiet about it since the job may be the only thing helping their family survive, so this treatment is often unreported. Others may not be aware of the laws in place to help protect them from this as well.
Unfair Hiring Practices:
Present on almost every job application there is the question of race and citizenship. U.S. federal law allows for workplaces to hire a citizen over a non citizen, rather than meeting the other qualifications of a job. This makes it harder for immigrants who, alongside trying to support a family, are trying to obtain citizenship in the states since it costs hundreds of dollars to become a citizen. It can cause them to turn to illegal ways to make money or to accept low end jobs that barely help make ends meet.
Sources:
https://www.epi.org/publication/the-hispanic-white-wage-gap-has-remained-wide-and-relatively-steady-examining-hispanic-white-gaps-in-wages-unemployment-labor-force-participation-and-education-by-gender-immigrant/https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2017/03/07/the-massive-wage-gap-between-u-s-citizens-and-immigrants-infographic/#2b837ad03e65https://www.workplacesexualharassmentlaw.com/2018/04/immigrant-women-vulnerable-sexual-harassment-workplace/https://www.boundless.com/immigration-resources/how-much-does-it-cost-to-apply-for-us-citizenship/https://norrismclaughlin.com/njelb/2019/10/08/5-workplace-discrimination-examples-based-on-immigration-status-and-national-origin/
suffolk university viewpoints
Professor Perspective:
Amy Marks
When speaking to Professor Amy Marks, a psychology professor a Suffolk University, our group was able to obtain answers and opinions on difficult questions which many experts are currently trying to answer. Professor Marks gave us insight into the instillation of racist values on children and how they form life long biases. One of the most discussed issues with immigration is the separation of children at the southern boarder. This issue became a campaign promise and an idea which President Donald Trump championed. The separation of children from their parents creates a traumatic experience at such a young age. This possibly creates a long-term separation anxiety as well as other attachment based issues. Anxiety and PTSD are becoming common psychological disorders which immigrants face. These disorders are being seen by professionals at alarming rates due to the threats of deportation under the new administration. A suggested response to the increased trauma and rise in hate crimes are to raise children to be advocates, not bystanders. Many people fall victim to the bystander effect in scenarios where a hate crime is being committed or simply where discrimination is present. This is something which experts recommend challenging, and instead becoming advocates for immigrants. Lastly, Professor Marks recommended a starting point for helping as voting for those who support immigrants not only on the presidential level, but on local levels. This is one of the most effective ways to catalyst change, electing those who support immigrants.
Attached below are PDFs of Marks' work on immigration as well as supporting documents:
Student Perspectives:
Christine Wanjiru
My name is Christine Wanjiru and I am an incoming freshman at Suffolk University. Though I was born in the United States, I was raised knowing firsthand how hard it is to move here and make a successful life, especially when almost all the odds are against you. My mother was born in Kenya in a small village where there was barely any running water or enough food to have three meals a day. Coming to the United States was her only chance to change things, not just for herself, but for her family. For her, it definitely wasn’t easy, and she tells me a lot of stories about her internal and external battles, and she also left behind her younger sister and mother, whom she had to send money back to daily to support them. My mother eventually pushed through the tough times and became an American citizen, graduated with a degree in Rehabilitation Counseling and now works at Umass Medical School, and has been for over 10 years. My aunt also took after my mom and worked hard to move here and is now a nurse living in Kansas with her three children and husband. Their stories, along with many others, demonstrate why people leave their home countries in search of the United States; they want to work hard and succeed so that their children and even the family back home don't suffer the way they did. Over the years, the country has been built on the backs of immigrants who are willing to work hard only to create a better life than they previously had. It is particularly bad that the government is now ripping people away from their homes and families and into detention camps, rather than coming together to find a good way to help everyone in a fair and ethical way. It has taken much sacrifice from my mother to raise me by herself and make sure I was properly educated and to save up enough money to send me to Suffolk. Attending college will give me the chance to show my abilities and do something positive with my life that will prove to my mom that everything she did for me wasn't for nothing.
Elaine Lam
My name is Elaine Lam and I will be a first generation college student at Suffolk this year. As a child of two Asian immigrant parents, I am very familiar with the prejudice and bias that comes with being descended from immigrants. My parents and their own families went through a tedious journey, immigrating from South Vietnam to America during the midst of the Vietnam War. Their experiences in America haven’t always gone smoothly and with the pandemic going on, everyone in my family had taken extra precautions due to our status as Asians. My parents were unable to obtain secondary education due to financial reasons. They also worked low-salary jobs for decades, my dad's loyalty to his old job taken for granted as he lost his job to an American woman who made false claims about him.
Being raised by my immigrant parents gave me exclusive insight about the many sacrifices and risks my parents made for my sake. Like many others, they both accepted at a young age that life America will be immensely difficult but would go through it all just to provide a better life for their children. Every choice they make is influenced by the future and what's to come. By immigrating to America, my parents made it possible for me to able to receive higher education and work at a higher paying job. Personally, I have never really faced any direct racism or bigotry but I’ve heard of the usual name calling and stereotypical comments that unfortunately comes with being Asian. I believe change will be very difficult for America, especially with the current events of our country. Despite the complications, if the efforts were made to eradicate the deep-rooted systemic racism in our country, America can become a safe and rewarding utopia for everyone to coexist in.
places to donate to
In order to fight against all of these biases against immigrants, we must contribute in all ways possible. Similar to many causes, linked below are some ways you can help out.
Donate
Volunteer