Immigration

Intro:

The goal of Trump’s immigration policies is to reduce the number of undocumented immigrants in the country. Almost a quarter of Americans view immigration as the most important problem facing the country. Though people throughout the country remain fiercely divided in their views on immigration, they are united in their growing preoccupation with it. I chose an email as my genre because it’s a more engaging way of communicating with my audience about the issues. It’s an essential part of communication today.

 

To: Asylum Seekers

From: Jevon Williams

Subject: Immigration

Dear: Asylum Seekers/Refugees

Asylum seekers face increasing obstacles, which some see as deliberate. The stakes could hardly be higher for immigrants who seek asylum in the U.S. out of fear of being tortured, killed or otherwise persecuted if they are forced to return to their home countries. Like refugees, people eligible for asylum cannot remain in their home countries due to a well-founded fear of persecution for their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion. But instead of being pre-approved for admission before they travel to the U.S., asylum seekers apply for the status when they are already in the country or seeking admission at a port of entry. Applying for asylum has never been easy. Immigrants aren’t provided with attorneys to represent them during the complicated process and often suffer from trauma-related mental health issues.

There are many challenges faced by refugees and asylum seekers. Some will have spent many years in refugee camps or have spent time in detention. Often they have had little or no healthcare access, either in their country of origin or in the country they subsequently fled to, an experience shown to have negative health outcomes.  Many will have come from low-income countries, with high prevalence of diseases such as TB, HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B. Asylum seekers and refugees have also lost their housing, income and position in society, employment, social support systems, cultural norms, religious customs and language. Many will have suffered psychological trauma through the death or separation of family. They may not know the whereabouts of family or friends, or even if they are alive.

High priority conditions for refugees and immigrants have been found to be abuse and domestic violence, anxiety and adjustment disorder, depression, diabetes, torture and PTSD, intestinal parasites, and dental caries. Some refugees are educated middle-class people, where higher rates of obesity, hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetes and anaemia have been found. Asylum seekers and /or refugees may therefore suffer from both long and short- term health sequelae. This could be in the form of increased risk of mental illness, PTSD, anxiety and depression or complicated grief. Psychological distress may also be increased if their immigration status is uncertain. Those who have been subjected to torture may also have ongoing medical conditions, disabilities and pain.

One reason there are so many undocumented immigrants is that it’s so difficult to immigrate with authorization. There are 150 million people on immigration waiting lists. Almost 4 million people would leave their country if they could and move to the United States. Immigrants have driven two-thirds of U.S. economic growth since 2011. They founded 30% U.S. firms, including more than 50% of startups valued at over $1 billion.

Although they’ve helped the economy overall, the benefit is largely in certain industries. The Trump administration wants to eliminate the appeals process for asylum seekers. Instead, it wants to criminally charge anyone who shows up at the border without documentation. It also briefly separated children from their parents to discourage other undocumented immigrants. Immigrants with advanced degrees gravitate toward scientific and technical jobs that don’t require high communication. Newly arrived immigrants have one thing in common that reduces their ability to compete with native-born workers. They generally don’t speak English as well. That means they are less likely to take jobs that require strong communication skills. For example, natives in management and media don’t face a lot of competition from newly arrived immigrants.

Immigration has a negative effect on workers without a college degree. That’s especially true in agriculture and construction. In 2014, immigrants held 43% of agricultural jobs. 20% were documented, according to the Pew Research Center. In building and grounds maintenance, 35% of the jobs were taken by immigrants. 19% were documented. In construction, 27% of the jobs went to immigrants, and 12% were documented. What hurts some workers helps consumers. Immigrants lower the price of goods and services for everyone. That’s because they provide low-cost labor that allows companies to reduce the prices of consumer goods. In those industries, immigration lowers wages and drive out native-born workers in those areas. That pushes native-born workers into jobs like sales and personal services that require superior communication skills.

 

Best Regards,

Jevon Williams

 

 

 

 

 

To: Refugees

From: Jevon Williams

Subject: Immigration

 

Dear Refugees,

 

Refugees have a lawful right to enter a country for the purposes of seeking asylum, regardless of how they arrive or whether they hold valid travel or identity documents. Asylum seekers and refugees will differ in their country of origin, their reasons for leaving, their socio-economic status and healthcare needs. There are many reasons why people flee their home country. Some will have been exposed to violence, threats, conflict, natural disasters, war or political instability. They may have been subject to human rights violations such as torture (physical or psychological), rape or persecution.

Some of the issues refugees face are difficulty speaking and learning English, raising children and helping them succeed in school, securing work, securing housing, accessing services, transportation, and cultural barriers. Many refugees and immigrants take ESL classes, but finding the time between jobs and caring for kids can be difficult. Especially difficult if you weren’t literate in your native tongue to begin with. One of the biggest obstacles refugees and immigrant parents report is raising their children in a new, unfamiliar culture. Parents often find that their children are quickly “Americanized,” which may be at odds with their own culture. Additionally, kids tend to pick up English much faster than their parents. This throws off the parent-child dynamic, and you know that kids, especially teens, are going to use this to their advantage.

With regards to school, parents often feel disappointed to see their children struggling to keep up in class, and many parents report bullying and discrimination as a result of cultural differences. Kids are often placed by their age rather than by their ability, and for those who are unable to speak English, it’s virtually impossible to keep up. To add further insult to injury, parents may not have the education or language skills to assist their children, and they may not be able to communicate with faculty to address the problem.

While most refugees and immigrants are happy to take whatever job is available when they first enter the country, finding a job, and slowly moving up the ladder, is incredibly difficult. Even if you ignore undocumented immigrants who face additional challenges securing work, trouble speaking English is a major problem in positions you might not expect like labor. Refugees and immigrants who are educated and who formerly had strong jobs back home, find it frustrating that they can’t obtain the same jobs here. Employers typically prefer work experience within the US, and certifications outside of the US usually don’t transfer. That’s why it’s not uncommon for your taxi driver to have formerly worked as an educator or engineer.

Additionally, refugees and immigrants are easy victims for discrimination and exploitation in the workplace. Some employers recognize the sense of urgency and desperation among these groups to keep their jobs, so they will have them take the less desirable and even dangerous roles. Undocumented immigrants, particularly, assume they have no rights, and workers who can’t speak English are easy targets.

Many will find it difficult to adjust to life in a new country after a prolonged period as a refugee. They may also face hostility when trying to re-settle into new communities.  Loneliness and grief are often key issues. Safe Third Country agreements were created to make it possible for countries to share the responsibility of aiding asylum seekers. In 1991, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees invited such agreements to foster international cooperation.

 

Best Regards,

Jevon Williams

 

References:

Nunez, Christiana. “The 7 biggest challenges facing refugees and immigrants in the US”. Globalcitizen , https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/the-7-biggest-challenges-facing-refugees-and-immig/

Connolly, Daniel. Montes, Aaron. Villagran, Lauren. “Asylum seekers in US face years of waiting, little chance of winning their cases”. USA TODAY. https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/nation/2019/09/23/immigration-court-asylum-seekers-what-to-expect/2026541001/ Sep. 25, 2019

“Refugees and Asylum Seekers”. Caresearch. https://www.caresearch.com.au/caresearch/tabid/2385/Default.aspx

Benevento, Maria. “Asylum seekers face increasing obstacles, which some see as deliberate”. Ncronline. https://www.ncronline.org/news/justice/asylum-seekers-face-increasing-obstacles-which-some-see-deliberate Apr 26, 2018

Amaded, Kimberly. “Immigration’s Effect on the Economy and You”. Thebalance. https://www.thebalance.com/how-immigration-impacts-the-economy-4125413

October 16, 2019