When people feel that their mother country does not offer them what they desire in life, they decide to seek it in other countries. The immigrant issue is an issue that many countries have to deal with human. Immigration is an issue that has been there for many years; there are, however, nations which have a high number of immigrants than others with the US being one of the nations with a high number of immigrants.
Immigrants who have moved to the US have given various reasons for their migration and why they preferred to move to the US and not any other county. America is one of the leading developed nations and many people view it to be a land of opportunity, those who migrate to the US have high hopes that their lives would change, and standards of living would improve. One main reason why people move to the US is to search for employment or better employment opportunities than the ones available in their native countries. There are immigrants who are money oriented, and they have a perception that America is the best country for anyone to make money. Apart from money and employment, there are those who move to the US since it is nation that offers it people freedom and liberty. Even in the modern world where the freedom of the people should be given priority by any government, there are nations which do not respect the freedom of the people; however, America is one of the highest ranked in terms of respect for the freedom of the people. There are political immigrants who have moved to the US because they get a chance to express their political freedom, others have feel that there is economic freedom in America than other nations such as France and Germany. Many young people have migrated to the US in search of better education; there are many institutions which offer quality education and are globally recognized, and it is the dream of any young person seeking for college or university education to enroll in such institutions. Many parents have sent their children to the US as they want them to receive quality education, once the children complete their education they do not go back to their country; they seek for employment in the US and end up becoming US citizens. Once people move and settle on the US, their family members back in their native countries also move to join them, and they gradually become US citizens.
Once people move to the US, there are those who are able to find the opportunities they were looking for while others are faced by frustration, some even end up deported back to their countries. One of the first challenges that immigrants face once they land in the US is culture shock, people, find themselves in a new country whose cultures are different from theirs. Immigrants find themselves in a situation where they have to change their diet, their mode of dressing; they have to find new friends are even faced with a language challenge. Before one adapts to the new culture, it takes a period whereby some people go through a period of depression. Financial challenges also face many immigrants especially those who move to the cities where the cost of living is very high. Some young guys end up committing crimes such as drug trafficking due to the need for money to sustain their survival in a new country. Immigrants of Asian and African origin face discrimination from the White American, there are others who are even suspected to be criminals; such experiences can be quite depressing to an extent where some people even commit suicide. Immigrants also face discriminations from various institutions in the US such as residential schools whereby the large population is made of white Americans. Employees are also reluctant to employ immigrants which is a challenge brought about by racial discrimination. Those who manage to get employed receive low wages and salaries compared to what employees of American origin receive. Immigrants from nations associated with terrorism such as Somali, Iraq and Afghanistan are even sometimes arrested and harassed by authorities who think that they are terrorist planning attacks on the American soil. Immigrants who have the H4 visa face numerous financial challenges since they are not allowed to work or seek employment, this is a challenge especially for an immigrant who has moved to the US in search of employment opportunities and has bills to pay. Immigrants moving to the US as students are given the F1 visa which allows them to work in companies gain employment in areas that are only related to their courses. Many students are not able to find part time employment opportunities in areas that are relevant to their courses and therefore they face financial challenges, some of them are even forced to drop out of school. Coping with the environment change is a challenge to many immigrants and some of them suffer from home sick especially during the first days as they try to cope to the new system of life.
As much as there are many challenges facing immigrants, there are those who are able to cope well with the new cultures. Many immigrants have been assimilated to the US culture, and many of them never return to their native country. There are immigrants who have built business empires in the US while others have been able to join the political class and attained leadership positions. Immigrants who move in as students have been able to finish their education and secure employment in the US.
The government has to ensure that immigrants have a smooth transition. The government needs to come with laws that allow immigrants to compete equally with other American citizens in the job market. Immigrants should not be treated like refugees or criminals; they are people who move the US for legitimate reason and some of them end becoming US citizens. Immigrants should be able to receive US nationality after a number of years of residing in the US especially students and those in business and have expressed interest in being legally recognized as US citizens. The government needs to introduce orientation programs for immigrant moving to the US; this will make the transition process easy and less stressing; it also helps the immigrant in dealing with culture shock in a different country. Many of the who are able to secure employment do not have medical insurance cover, and this is a challenge to many of them, this does not only apply in the health sector, many young immigrants find challenges when enrolling for college programs. The government and institutions involved in the welfare of immigrants need to develop policies and strategies that will ensure that all immigrants get access to their basic rights(Andrew 2014).
The reference articles present similar opinions on the challenges faced by immigrants. They are also solutions provided which mainly focus on the government and other organs which are involved in the welfare of immigrants.
Work Cited
Lyden, Jacki. "Iraqi Refugees Struggle For Peace In America." NPR. Version .. NPR, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. <http://www.npr.org/2011/12/31/144489695/iraqi-refugees>.
Stiles, Andrew. "Immigrants and the Welfare State | National Review Online." National Review Online. Version 1. National Review Online, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. <http://www.nationalreview.com/article/362976/immigrants-and-welfare-state-andrew-stiles>.
