Immigration and Discrimination in the Workplace

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Table of Contents

Creation of Policies
Conclusion
Works Cited

In the 21^st century, Americans have experienced the impact of a globalized economy. It can be seen in relatively easy movement of people from one country to another. In the past, immigration was seen as a positive force for nation building. However, nowadays, immigration has become a problematic issue, especially when viewed from the perspective of limited resources and job places. Another aspect of immigration that needs to be discussed is discrimination in the workplace.

Discrimination exists due to the stereotypes that employers and co-workers associate with a particular ethnic group. It is, therefore, important to appreciate the importance of immigrants in nation building, especially when it comes to the United States of America. The ability to see a big picture and the need to appreciate the contribution of immigrants to U.S. economy will reduce the incidences of discrimination in the workplace.

There are two main issues when it comes to discrimination of immigrants in the workplace. First, there is the issue of competition and limited resources. The argument is that immigrants will compete with few jobs available to the unemployed. In other words, if the number of immigrants increases, there will be less jobs be available to the U.S. citizens. The source of discrimination was made even more problematic after the financial crisis that severely affected the job market in the United States.

There was also the added challenge of outsourcing wherein American companies established businesses outside the country, especially in the countries with low wages. Therefore, many argued that it would not be wise to increase the number of immigrants because they would increase the competition in the jobs available in the market.

As a consequence of this belief, the U.S. Federal government created laws that significantly reduced the number of immigrants allowed to enter the country. At the same time, these laws gave the power to search for, apprehend and deport illegal immigrants. There is the need to find out if these fears are based on real facts.

Those who oppose immigration base their argument on the following statement that “a surge of low-skilled immigrants should increase the supply of such workers, driving down wages at the expense of working-class Americans” (Parker, p.1).

It is easy to understand why many Americans are anxious when it comes to the presence of immigrants that can be viewed as competitors, when it comes to the job market. However, it is much more important to see the whole picture and realize that immigrant workers are indispensable to the U.S. economy.

According to analysts, immigrant workers are important because “they do jobs most Americans wouldn’t take, for wages they wouldn’t want” (Quintanilla, p.1). A restaurant may not be able to operate without a chef, but it will also go out of business without a dishwasher. Furthermore, “lower-wage labor helps create more work for higher-skilled, higher-paid workers who are generally native born” (Isidore, p.1).

The report from the U.S. Department of Labor gives another proof because it says that “at least half of the nearly 2 million crop workers in the United States are illegal aliens … the cheap labor they provide is crucial to the $30 billion U.S. farm industry” (Parker, p.1). It is, therefore, critical to have immigrant workers.

The second issue raised when it comes to stereotypes and how they can affect the employment is discrimination in the workplace. According to the study by Paludi & DeSouza, the problem is widespread, “Discrimination based on ethnic stereotyping is normative for many employees in workplaces in the United States (p.88). Therefore, at this level, discrimination can negatively affect the chances an employer will hire an immigrant.

It is possible that employers can be compelled to hire immigrants because of immigration laws, but this does not mean that discrimination in the workplace is non-existent. There is a different type of discrimination that an immigrant may experience at the workplace.

Consider the following statement by a victim of this type of discrimination, “When a stereotype about your group is relevant to performance in a particular domain, you are likely to experience anxiety – from feeling threatened by the perceived likelihood that others think you will not succeed and fearing that you will confirm these beliefs” (Deaux, p.84). In other words, an immigrant is less likely to be promoted if there is discrimination in the workplace.

There is a need to eradicate discrimination because immigrants are also people that are simply driven by a common human desire and the need to pursue happiness. Therefore, if there is a political or economic problem in their homeland, it is their right to seek a better place to live in. If there is a famine in their homeland, it is natural that they go to other countries in search for better opportunities and future for their family. It is also understandable that they are eager to bring the whole family to a new country in order to build a better life.

The right to immigrate can be availed during times of war, famine, and political persecution (Clark, p.26). However, the United States limits the number of immigrants that can enter and settle in this country.

Furthermore, U.S. laws granted certain law enforcement agencies to track down and apprehend those who do not have the necessary documents to stay in the country. However, the worst thing is that immigrants are treated as if they are not humans. Therefore, the locals and authorities do not respect them in the same way that they respect their friends and relatives.

Another major reason why it is wrong to prevent the immigration of people can be seen in the economic and cultural benefits that diversity can bring (Hall, p.54). Consider, for instance, the contribution of the first wave of immigrants to the United States; these were Italians, Irish, Scots and others. According to the study by Hall who examined the contribution of Italian immigrants, “These people were, on the whole, peaceable and industrious, and improved the trades in which they engaged” ( p.55).

A review of American history reveals that there were many immigrants who were instrumental in revolutionizing different sectors of society. Their contributions had a considerable impact on sports, film, food, telecommunications, Information Technology, engineering, and other spheres. Without their contribution, it would be impossible to imagine how the United States would have gained its status.

Creation of Policies

The first step in the journey towards the reduction of discrimination in the workplace is to have a clear understanding of the contribution of immigrants to the economy. The second step is to create appropriate laws and be aware of existing laws that were created to protect the rights of immigrant workers. For example, employers must realize that there exists an Immigration Act and in the said law, which states that it is illegal for an employer with three or more employees to:

discriminate in hiring and firing workers, except for illegal aliens;
discriminate on the basis of the person’s citizenship;
retaliate against employees because they made a complaint based on immigration laws (Repa, p.478).

After studying immigration laws, the next thing to do is to develop policies with regard to diversity in the workplace. The creation of such a policy is only possible if the employers and the co-workers understand the value of diversity in the workplace within a particular organization.

Consider, for example, a scenario where there was an automotive dealership in the city where there were many Spanish and Chinese speaking people. In the said scenario, the corporate leaders of the said automotive dealership did not create a diversified team of sales representatives and supervisors.

The corporate leaders did not probably realize the existence of potential customers that could not properly communicate using the English language. As a result, the potential customers are unable to express what they want.

At the same time, the businesses in the area could not communicate what they were offering to their clients because of the language barrier. The solution to this problem would be the creation of a diversified team. A creation of a diversified team is only possible if there is a policy that allows the employers to hire Spanish and Chinese speaking sales representatives.

It is not an easy task to create and develop a diversified workforce. The employers and the workers have to deal with discrimination as well as conflicts that may arise due to differences in culture. However, managers of organizations are aware of the potential of a diversified workforce to increase their revenue. It is, therefore, important to study the benefits of diversity and appreciate the contribution of immigrant workers to the society.

Conclusion

As mentioned earlier, discrimination is a normal reaction because people tend to have a negative perception of other individuals who came from a different country and have different culture. In other words, it is easy to judge something that a person cannot understand. Discrimination is also rooted in misunderstanding and fears. For example, many Americans are anxious that the migrant workers are taking away their jobs.

However, it has been made clear that many of the immigrants in America are low-skilled workers able to do only the jobs that many Americans would not handle anyway, such as dishwashing, gardening, fruit picking. On the other hand, some immigrant workers are highly skilled and contribute to the growth of the economy. In fact, the United States achieved its progress because of the contribution of immigrants. It is, therefore, important to be aware of the importance of immigrant workers.

At the same time, it is also important to be aware of current immigration laws. Furthermore, there is also the need to develop a policy with regard to diversity in the workplace. The creation of a diversified team will create a competitive advantage for the employers. For example, if a business unit does not have a Chinese-speaking representative, it will be impossible to communicate to Chinese-speaking customers.

Works Cited

Clark, William. Immigrants and the American Dream: Remaking the Middle Class. New York: The Guilford Press, 2003. Print.

Deaux, Kaye. To be an Immigrant. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 2006. Print.

Hall, Prescott. Immigration and Its Effects Upon the United States. New York: Adamant Media Corporation, 2005. Print.

Isidore, Chris. 2006. Illegal Workers: Good for U.S. Economy. Web.

Parker, Serena. 2005. Immigrants: US Economic Savior or Social and Economic Burden. Web.

Paludi, Michele, and Eros DeSouza. Praeger Handbook of Understanding and Preventing Workplace Discrimination. CA: ABC-CLIO, 2010. Print.

Quintanilla, Carl. 2006. The Economic Impact of Immigration: Do Illegal Workers Help or Hurt the Economy? Web.

Repa, Barbara. Your Rights in the Workplace. CA: NOLO Publishing, 2010. Print.

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Immigration and Discrimination in the Workplace

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