Learning English
Most immigrants insist that learning the English language was very critical for their success. The conviction among the immigrants concerning learning the English language could be attributed to their desire to be understood by the natives in NYC. Most of the immigrants agree to the fact that it is hard for an immigrant to land a good job or prosper in NYC without learning the English language. Only 12 percent of the immigrant population in NYC say that learning the English language is easy (Farkas, 2003). While 65 percent of the immigrant population suggests that the United States natives expect that all the immigrants that do not speak English are obliged to learn it, 31 percent insist that the decision to learn English should be an individual choice (Farkas, 2003). Other immigrants feel that learning English for all the immigrants to the United States is an ethical obligation.
Making the U.S. Home
All the immigrants coming to NYC are expected to appreciate the country and show commitment in making the country their home. However, the immigrants are also expected to maintain a strong connection with their country of origin. 59 percent of the immigrants in NYC communicate with their families abroad while 44 percent send some money back home regularly (Farkas, 2003). Half of the immigrants living in NYC also follow the events in their country. The desire to follow up with the events in their countries of origin, however, does not indicate their lack of commitment to their new home in the United States. Many of the immigrants plan to remain in the U.S. and also say that they would make the same choice over again with no regrets. Immigrants coming to NYC soon understand that the United States is a unique and special country in the world. A majority of the parents who have children under the age of 18 claim that their children would prefer living in the U.S. to their country of origin (Farkas, 2003). Moreover, immigrants to the United States embrace the country as their new home with some of the family members serving in the US Army. Therefore, any immigrants planning to move to NYC should be ready to embrace the country as their home just like other immigrants who have found it comfortable to deserve their patriotism. The immigrants should also consider changing their nationalities to American and be in step with the ongoing world events as well as the ever-changing United States’ policies. Despite the influence of culture from their native countries, the immigrants should be ready to appreciate what it means to be an American and be involved in the smoothing process by policymakers in integrating immigrants into the American societal setup.
Decision-Making Styles
The immigrants to the United States must be aware that the roles played by individuals while making decisions vary from one culture to another (DuPraw & Axner, 1997). In the United States, the immigrants should acknowledge the fact that most of the roles of decision-making are usually delegated. At the workplace, most officials assign responsibilities to particular subordinates. As such, they should carry out delegated tasks with prowess and make the decisions in the same capacity as the supervising manager. Consequently, they will be able to blend well with the American society and be in line with the standard work ethics (DuPraw & Axner, 1997). Otherwise, they will have difficulty in maintaining and growing in the job positions they are allocated when they move to NYC. They should also be aware of the majority rule that Americans use. They also should identify with their roles in shaping decision process and avoid the influence of their previous cultural reference frames.
Attitudes Toward Disclosure and Conflict
Immigrants must not be ignorant of the fact that some cultures do not allow being frank with emotions and the reasons for a misunderstanding or a conflict. As such, if they are from a culture that does not mind being frank about personal information, they should be aware that the population in NYC is from different cultural origins. Some of the cultures in NYC do not entertain unchecked attitudes of disclosure and being mindful of what people are comfortable revealing reduces the conflict with the new community the immigrants seek to get integrated (DuPraw & Axner, 1997).
On the other hand, the immigrants to NYC must appreciate the fact that some cultures view conflict as positive while others view it as negative. In the U.S., conflict is undesirable and citizens are encouraged to deal directly with any arising conflicts. Any problems that could result in a conflict ought to be settled through face-to-face meetings. Such an attitude should especially be adopted by the immigrants from the Eastern countries where open conflict resolution is deemed demeaning and embarrassing.
References
DuPraw, M. E., & Axner, M. (1997). Working on Common Cross-cultural Communication Challenges. Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/ampu/crosscult.html
Farkas, S. (2003, May 1). What Immigrants Say About Life in the United States. Migration Policy Institute. Retrieved from http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/what-immigrants-say-about-life-united-states
