Introduction
“Pretended not to understand her, or even act as if they did not hear her” excerpt from “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan
Many immigrants could relate to this very quote. race and color discrimination against immigrants is a topic that should be spoken more about in this world. People should feel safe in places like schools, workplaces, and even hospitals could be a dangerous environments when being an immigrant. It is important to understand that immigrants are human too, they migrate to different countries for protection or even to live a better life but are faced with even worse conditions just because of who they are or where they came from. This topic is critical for me to discuss personally because I was an immigrant and live amongst other immigrants, I have lived through the unfairness and discrimination that comes with being an immigrant, and being the daughter of an immigrant, and it all needs to stop.
In this research essay, we will be discussing the unfairness immigrants face in their workplaces, in school, or even having basic necessities from the government. According to the “Migration Policy Institution” “Immigrants and their U.S.-born children number approximately 84.8 million people or 26 percent of the U.S. population in the 2021 CPS, The Pew Research Center has projected that the immigrant-origin share of the population will rise to about 36 percent by 2065” (Adairs). This is important information because people need to be aware that immigrants themselves are a large population in the US and should be treated fairly, they shouldn’t be treated like outsiders.
Immigrants facing racial/color Discrimination at Work
Many immigrants face Race and color discrimination, whether they have a green card, citizenship, or any other form of identification. Today two articles that speak about immigrants facing discrimination in their work life are “Many Immigrants Perceive Racial Discrimination at Work, in Health Care” by Juan Flores, in his article “UMMERCED published Nov,15,2021, found that many immigrants face unfairness and discrimination in work because of where they are from. He supports this claim by using Data/ statistics from places like the Center for Health Policy Research and the second article “Even immigrants with green cards, immigrants face hiring discrimination based on where they were born” by A.Nicole Kreisberg, and some of her interests include immigrant, racial, and gender stratification, labor markets, and educational institutions, and law, organizations, and society. Nicole Kreisberg in her article published on Feb,7,2022, implies that even if immigrants have the legal documentation to be able to work, they are still being treated unfairly and discriminated against by those who are hiring, this affects immigrants with green cards negatively because it leads to having a hard time to find a job. She supports her claim by telling Carlos’s story, a man who was having trouble finding a job even though he has his working paper because he wasn’t born in the US. the author also conducted her own experiments for research. Even though both articles share the different reasons and ways immigrants face discrimination, they take different approaches. Juan Flores supports the claim by adding data/statistics and A.Nicole Kreisberg, In the article, “Even Immigrants With Green Cards, Immigrants Face Hiring Discrimination Based on Where They Were Born,” supports her claim by telling an immigrant’s story about his experience when trying to find a job. Evidence that supports the claim that immigrants face discrimination in their work life is, “Researchers found that 70% of the 2,000 people surveyed perceived that immigrants experienced discrimination in the workplace due to skin color or accent” (Flores). By using these percentages and numbers Juan Flores strongly backs up his claim that many immigrants face unfairness and discrimination in work because of where they are from. To add on it is stated by A.Nicole Kreisberg “Carlos submitted an application to a job at a local public servant’s office. He had majored in political science at a U.S. college, and working in politics was his American Dream. Yet he was turned down for the job. He didn’t know why. Carlos finally had what he needed to work, a college degree, and his green card, but the door was slammed shut anyway. Carlos isn’t alone. (Kreisberg)” By telling someone’s story not only can many immigrants across the world relate to this and not feel alone but this story can also reach other jobs that are also discriminated against by those same immigrants and maybe change their minds on the approach they are taking when hiring. Both of these authors support the claim that Many immigrants face discrimination, whether they have a green card, citizenship, etc., both are writing for the immigrants and companies who are hiring.
Immigrants facing racial/color Discrimination in school
Many immigrants travel to countries for a new start and better opportunities. While legal guardians of immigrants send their children to school hoping that they will be treated like any other kid, that’s not the case. Two sources that provide evidence that children of immigrants face Race and color discrimination and have a harder time in schools are, in the article “,indian-American teen bullied in texas school,” brought by Gravity News, “WION’s prime-time show which brings viewers news and discussions on concurrent issues from India and abroad.”(Wikipedia), and the article, “The Impact of Discrimination on the Early Schooling Experiences of Children from Immigrant Families,” by Jennifer Keys Adairs, Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction and the Director of the Agency and Young Children Research Collective at The University of Texas at Austin. Both sources support the claim that many immigrants are facing discrimination in schools, a place where they are supposed to feel safe. For example, it states in the video “, Indian-American teen bullied in texas school, “a teen in a chokehold faced 3 days of punishment. His parents are outraged. Other teens faced 1 day of punishment” (gravitas 2:12). This piece of evidence supports that immigrants face discrimination because an immigrant Indian boy is being bullied not verbally but physically, and there is video proof to support this, yet he faces more consequences than the white non-immigrant boy causing the physical abuse. By posting this video Gravity News isn’t only highlighting the discrimination that immigrants face but also highlighting how awful the schooling system is in the United States. Another piece of evidence that supports the claim from “The Impact of Discrimination on the Early Schooling Experiences of Children from Immigrant Families,” is when it states “children who receive negative messages about themselves in school may be less likely to achieve academic success, graduate from school and ultimately, surpass their parents’ economic position.” this evidence shows how discrimination in school affected children in the long term and can then be the reason they are facing difficult obstacles in their future. Because of both sources, we can tell that the audience is school immigrants and we can also say that the audience isn’t just immigrants but everyone who has the internet, since it’s a news channel it can reach many people worldwide.
Immigrants facing racial/color Discrimination in healthcare
Health care is one of those things that should be provided to everyone despite where they are from or who they are/ used to be. There are many problems in the healthcare system in the United States and one of those problems is discrimination against immigrants. Many immigrants, visa or no visa, have faced Race and color discrimination from many health companies because of where they came from, their social class, and the color of their skin. Two sources that support this claim are “MANY IMMIGRANTS ARE DENIED ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, LEAVING MOMS AND BABIES AT RISK”, by Asees Bhasin, Senior Research Fellow at Yale Law School, and the second source “Early Chinese Americans were blamed for diseases and denied health care. So they built their own hospital” by Harmeet Kau, a culture writer for CNN. Evidence from “MANY IMMIGRANTS ARE DENIED ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, LEAVING MOMS AND BABIES AT RISK” that support the claim states “ICE detained more than 4,600 pregnant women between 2016 and 2018,14 and 28 of those women reported miscarriages between 2017 and 2018.15 Many miscarriages were attributed to inadequate and delayed medical attention, the denial of prenatal care, and being subjected to practices such as shackling around the abdomen.16 There were also news reports of immigrant women being forcibly sterilized in 2020.(Bhasin)” another piece of evidence from “ Early Chinese Americans were blamed for diseases and denied health care. So they built their own hospital” which supports this claim “There were few services in or around their own neighborhood, and traveling to hospitals elsewhere meant potentially risking harassment and violence. They often faced discrimination in the hospitals that agreed to admit them, such as higher taxes and fees than White residents “(Kau). By sharing Data and personal stories of immigrants facing unfairness because of who they are, these sources bring to support the claim of, Many immigrants, visa or no visa, have faced discrimination from many health companies because of where they came from, their social class, and the color of there skin.
Counterclaim
Many who have or haven’t participated in Race and color discrimination against immigrants believe that immigrants should be treated unfairly and “should “go back to their country” because they are taking resources from those people who are citizens and are also taking their jobs. For example evidence from the Pew research center, a nonpartisan American think tank based in Washington, D.C. It provides information on social issues, public opinion, and demographic trends shaping the United States and the world, provided the article, Most Say Illegal Immigrants Should Be Allowed to Stay, But Citizenship Is More Divisive” states “while 41% say they are a burden because they take jobs, health care and housing. In a June 2010 poll, 39% said immigrants strengthened the country while 50% said they were a burden.” An article that challenges this evidence and understands that immigrants actually provide and strengthen this country is, “Immigrants Contribute Greatly to U.S. Economy, Despite Administration’s “Public Charge” Rule Rationale” provided by the Center on budget and policy priority, a progressive American think tank that analyzes the impact of federal and state government budget policies. It states that “In 2018, the labor force participation rate of foreign-born adults was 65.7 percent, higher than the 62.3 percent rate for the native-born, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some 27.2 million foreign-born adults, 63.4 percent of all foreign-born adults, were employed that year, compared to 59.8 percent of native-born adults.” what this evidence shows is that people who weren’t born in the US work in harder jobs that are important to our economy that those who are actually born in the US.
Conclusion
Many immigrants could relate to this very quote. Race and color Discrimination against immigrants is a topic that should be spoken about more in this world. Places that people should feel safe in, For example, schools, workplaces, and even hospitals could be a dangerous environments when being an immigrant. In addition, many people believe that immigrants should be treated unfairly and “should “go back to their country” because they are taking resources from those people who are citizens and are also taking their jobs. but evidence has shown us that immigrants work in harder and more important jobs than those who were actually born in this country. By seeing immigrants as equals not only will this country be a better place, but it will also cause future children, that have our country in their hands, to feel safer and feel equal which would give them the courage to reach for the stars and improve our country as a whole.
Works Cited
Adairs, Jennifer K. “Migration Policy Institute | migrationpolicy.org.” https://www.migrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/publications/FCD-Adair.pdf. Accessed 08 November 2022.
Bhasin, Asses. “National Partnership for Women & Families.” https://www.nationalpartnership.org/our-work/resources/health-care/immigrant-moms-and-babies-denied.pdf. Accessed 08 November 2022.
Center on budget and policy priorities. “Immigrants Contribute Greatly to U.S. Economy, Despite Administration’s “Public Charge” Rule Rationale.” Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 15 August 2022, https://www.cbpp.org/research/poverty-and-inequality/immigrants-contribute-greatly-to-us-economy-despite-administrations. Accessed 08 November 2022.
Gravitas news. “Gravitas: Indian-American teen bullied in Texas school.” Youtube, 18 May 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWQZca-Rkxg. Accessed 08 November 2022.
Kreisberg, Nicole A. “A. Nicole Kreisberg: Even with green cards, immigrants face hiring discrimination based on where they were born.” Chicago Tribune, 07 February 2022, https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/commentary/ct-opinion-latinos-green-cards-hiring-discrimination-20220207-hixwjn7hrra3deptqqktfk4dz4-story.html. Accessed 08 November 2022.
pew research center. “Most Say Illegal Immigrants Should Be Allowed to Stay, But Citizenship Is More Divisive.” Pew Research Center – U.S. Politics & Policy, 30 May 2020, https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2013/03/28/most-say-illegal-immigrants-should-be-allowed-to-stay-but-citizenship-is-more-divisive/. Accessed 08 November 2022.
Twitter. “Chinese immigrants in San Francisco were historically depicted as harbingers of infection, placed under quarantines, and denied health care. So they built their own hospital – just one of many examples of Asian American resistance in the face of racism. htt.” Twitter, 12 April 2022, https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1381574178319519747?s=20&t=6uj1-zv1Y2Tme-4xf0hQ2w. Accessed 08 November 2022.UC MERCED. “Study: Many Immigrants Perceive Racial Discrimination at Work, in Health Care.” Study: Many Immigrants Perceive Racial Discrimination at Work, in Health Care | Newsroom, 15 November 2021, https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/2021/study-many-immigrants-perceive-racial-discrimination-work-health-care. Accessed 8 November 2022.
