Category: Moving to America

Immigration to the United States dates all the way back to the 1500s with the British Colonists, leading to the South American and Mexican waves of immigration that make up most immigration patterns today. Immigration has changed throughout the history of the country most of the same problems occur. Being an immigrant in the United States has many problems. This may be due to how immigrants are seen and the potential effects immigration causes on the American economy. America was made by Immigrants America is what it is because of immigrants. There would be no America if it wasn’t for immigration just because of everyone within the United States. Native Americans migrated from Asia. People come from many places in the world. Countries along with England, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, China, Germany, and lots of others have all contributed to populate America. Each wave of immigrants brings new thoughts and cultures because the people combine with different Americans. Immigration is genuinely a necessity but if uncontrolled it can additionally have devastating outcomes for the United States economic system and population. Therefore immigration is only desirable if it is restrained immigration. The government has tried to somewhat restrict immigration but many believe the laws are still too lenient. Nearly every other advanced country in the world is moving quickly towards a stabilized population or has already achieved it. The United States is moving towards this very slowly. If nothing is done to stabilize the immigration to in the United States many believe the population will continue to grow even faster because of massive immigration to the country.

On the other hand, false information about immigration can also be seen in less extreme cases. Similar to Trump’s thoughts, many American citizens argue that many of the immigrants come from Mexico and that they are causing the most problems. This is incorrect because the last time Mexico was the major source of immigrants was back in 2008, China and India have since then surpassed Mexico (Smith). As stated previously, studies have shown that the Hispanic population does not cause a lot of crimes and statistically, the Chinese or Indian population would be causing more crimes due to population size, proving this argument wrong. Another popular argument about immigrants is that they take jobs away from native-born citizens. While this might be true in some cases, one must also consider the previously stated fact that immigrants actually create job openings by opening up their own businesses. Once that is factored in immigrants taking jobs will be irrelevant because more job openings would be created. While many people tend to have untrue and discriminatory opinions on immigrants valid points have been raised by people who oppose immigration. The biggest argument has been that immigrants are using up the nation’s resources. Many people worry that with the large influx of immigrants coming to countries like America they will be left with no resources as native-born citizens. A government’s job should be to accommodate the citizen’s reasonable needs. Once they realize resources are being consumed more than the production rate implementing new laws to produce more resources can easily be done. Also, legal immigrants pay taxes meaning the government receives more funds for immigrants are coming legally. With more funds, the government can provide for the needs of citizens better eliminating the fear of running out of resources. Another argument is that immigrants who are living in a country illegally wasting the government’s money.

Immigrants influence the aspect of American life by shifting economic, political, and social policies due to their values and beliefs in these areas. This topic of influence raises public issues regarding whether or not the U.S. should limit immigration quotas. On one hand, immigrants enable the U.S. to compete in international competition and are one way to help alleviate labor shortages in certain demographic trends (Liebig, 2011). Immigration has impact economic trends by highly participating in the labor market and benefiting homeowners and landlords. Immigrants also influence diversity which enables people in the U.S. to be open-minded about other cultures. On the other hand, public opinions do not favor the coming of more immigrants due to their effect on the host’s values of freedom, and because housings and resources are limited. Immigrants also tend to connect within their social group which does not easily build a good connection with their new neighbors (Hoyt, 2009). Popular opinions tend to link immigration and crimes in a causal relationship. Immigrants, however, engage in less crime than their native-born counterparts (Reid, Weiss, Adelman, Jaret 2005). Despite the limiting resources and housing, the U.S. should not limit immigration quotas because immigration tends to have more positive influences on labor and housing markets, and diversity.

Many people disagree with allowing more immigrants to enter the U.S. due to economic downturns regarding limited housing and resources willingness to integrate into host societies and crime rates. Immigration creates a demand for housings which causes the prices to rise (Saiz, 2003). Homeowners and landlords raise prices because housing is limited. These price changes seem to not benefit natives who migrate or rent homes in these particular areas that attracted immigrants. Similar to resources, prices increase to meet the demands of people. According to Thomas Liebig (2011), public opinion does not favor acceptance of additional immigration due to the unfavorable outcome of immigrant’s willingness to integrate with host society such as learning their language and history. In some cases, xenophobia occurs when “immigrants have lower-skilled on average than the native-born population”. Immigrants maintain within their social groups which do not usually build good relationships with Americans (Hoyt, 2009). Several immigrants show disaffection towards the American people because of the discrimination that they faced. Public opinion tends to link immigration and crime rates in urban cities as a correlation. However, the crime rates of immigrants are lower than that of their native-born counterparts (Reid, Weiss, Adelman, Jaret 2005). This research also discusses how metropolitan areas that do have a large number of recent immigration populations are likely to promote securities. These impacts of public opinions tend to be convincing towards the government into lowering the immigration quotas. However, the impact of immigration on housing is more beneficial for homeowners and landlords, and immigration influences skills and diversity.

Immigration has numerous positive influences in the U.S through labor and the housing markets. Immigrants influence new skills that are useful to the U.S. For example, their language skills are needed for international commerce in particular and they have a high labor participation rate (Liebig, 2011). Due to their high labor participation rates, labor shortages are alleviated. Several immigrants are also self-made businessmen who own small stores or shops and they created jobs for various people who are searching for a job (Saiz, 2003). In addition, immigrants benefit the housing markets especially the places that attract them because they are willing to pay for the high rent and house prices. Similar to limited resources if demands are high and resources are limited, producers will raise prices for consumers who are willing to buy that resource. Overall immigration has positive influences on the economic shift of the country due to their skills that allow the U.S. to compete in the international market.

Introduction

Immigration is certainly one of the most polarizing issues to face global scrutiny in modern international politics, having significant implications for both domestic and international affairs. The United Nations International Migration Report (2017) estimates a total population of 258 million people globally who are living outside of their country of origin. In the current age of rising nationalism and the challenging of sovereign borders with globalization’s interconnectivity, immigration remains an increasingly important issue in modern society. In recent political discussions, Canada’s immigration policy has been established as a leading approach to international migration in terms of welcoming and accepting immigrant integration. This contrasts recent attitudes within the United States institutionally through government policy, which assigns a negative tone to the discussion of immigration. That being considered, what are the overall strengths and weaknesses of the approach to immigration in both the United States and Canada? Why has Canada come to be considered a global leader in welcoming immigrants through their policies and how does the United States compare?

In order to address these research questions, this analysis will begin by outlining the details of the immigration policies and ideologies of both Canada and the United States. Secondly, this analysis will examine significant strengths and weaknesses within each country’s approach to immigration policy to analyze how it affects their overall welcoming of migrants. Finally, this analysis will comparatively conclude how each country’s approach to immigration compares in the global sphere and will establish Canada’s approach to migration as a leading global example based on the previous investigation of their overall policy. Through a critical analysis of the official immigration policies in both Canada and the United States, strengths and weaknesses within each approach can be identified to understand why Canada’s approach to immigration serves as a global precedent in promoting and welcoming immigrants, and how the system within the United States’ critically compares.

Background: Immigration Policies and Approach

It is important to understand the basic principles of both Canada and the United States’ approach to immigration before each system can be critically analyzed. Canada’s immigration policy allows for legal permanent residency through three different pathways, either as an economic or family class migrant or by obtaining refugee status (Satzewich & Liodakis, 2017). Canada selects migrants based on a points system that assigns merit to conditions such as educational attainment, French and English language proficiency, and skill transferability which account for their overall human capital (Satzewich & Liodakis, 2017). Economic class migrants are those admitted for the purpose of growing Canada’s economy, family class migrants are admitted for the purpose of family reunification, and refugees are admitted based on fears of persecution from their origin country (Satzewich & Liodakis, 2017). Canada also allows for the admission of a temporary foreign worker class in which migrant laborers are admitted on a temporary basis, without permanent residency status, to fulfill specific needs in the workforce (Satzewich & Liodakis, 2017). Perhaps what makes Canada’s immigration approach so unique is its dedication to multiculturalism and the celebration of demographic diversity embedded within society and official policy. In a statement from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the celebration of Canada’s Multiculturalism Act, the Prime Minister praises Canada for “embrace[ing] the differences that make us strong” (Trudeau, 2018).

The United States has four pathways to achieve legal permanent residency, including family and economic-based migration, refugee status migration, and the diversity visa lottery program (Parsons, 2018). The majority of U.S. immigration comes in the form of family-based migration, in which immediate relatives of American citizens and those who fall into specific preference categories are allowed permanent residency in the United States (Parsons, 2018). The diversity visa lottery program randomly allocates permanent residency visas to migrants who are coming from countries that generally have lower amounts of migration to the United States (Parsons, 2018). The United States selects migrants based on a quota system, in which the number of migrants admitted is based on established annual quotas and the availability of permanent resident visas (Parsons, 2018). With the introduction of strong nationalist ideologies from the election of the Trump administration, legislation to dramatically reduce the number of immigrants admitted into the United States has been introduced for debate (Parsons, 2018). This negative governmental stance on immigration is echoed by public political discourse promoted by the current Trump administration, which views the act of decreasing immigration as positively “bringing crime down by half in the country because so much of it comes through borders” (Trump, 2019). Overall, by examining the basic approaches to immigration in Canada and the United States, it is apparent that both approaches share similarities in terms of selection criteria and classes of migrants, but differ greatly on their overall inclusivity and integration of new immigrants.

Strengths of Canada’s Immigration Policy

Canada’s status as a global leader on immigration is largely due to the many strengths within their immigration policies, which promote multiculturalism and features a selection process based on a theoretically non-discriminatory points system. Canada’s promotion of multiculturalism is both embedded within the overall construction of society, as well as codified in Canadian law with the introduction of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act of 1988 (Uberoi, 2016). This monumental legal act can be seen as an incredible strength of Canada’s approach to immigration, as it establishes Canada’s identity as legally built on the preservation and respect for diversity and multiculturalism, which defines the country’s past, present, and future (Uberoi, 2016). Canada’s stance on protecting its multicultural identity and celebrating diversity sends a message globally that immigrants and their individual cultures are welcomed and accepted within Canadian society. Therefore, this foundation of Canadian society as multicultural and diverse allows for a welcoming and supportive environment for immigrant integration.

Canada’s merit-based points system is intended to provide a process of selection that is not based on religious, racial, or ethnic identity as a determining factor of admittance. Despite this approach’s ultimate flaws, the overall concept and intention behind Canada’s points system can be seen as a strength in promoting inclusivity, as it allows for the opening of Canada’s borders globally and the chance for any individual to seek permanent residency (Anwar, 2014). This system serves as an advantage over the United States’ approach, as it allows migrants to gain permanent residency on their own individual merit, in contrast to American policy which often requires sponsorship from existing relatives or arranged employment (Anwar, 2014). Overall, Canada’s points system favoring human capital and individual merit serve as a significant strength as it welcomes and invites anybody across the globe to apply for permanent residency, giving a theoretically non-discriminatory fair chance to each prospective migrant.

Weaknesses of Canada’s Immigration Policy

Despite the intended multicultural and non-discriminatory policy measures that have been embodied within Canada’s approach to immigration, many flaws are still apparent within the current system that affects the inclusion and integration of Canadian migrants. Despite the intended non-discriminatory nature of Canada’s points system, the structure of this process does in fact suffer from distinct forms of discrimination. The calculation of merit and human capital under Canada’s points system is based on educational attainment, French and English language proficiency, and skill transferability to the Canadian labor market including work experience (Satzewich & Liodakis, 2017). This criterion serves as a form of class and education-based discrimination that favors those of higher socioeconomic status who have the means of achieving educational attainment and transferrable skills, as opposed to those with lower socioeconomic status who lack equal access to education globally (Tannock, 2011). In summary, despite the ideology behind the Canadian points system as being non-discriminatory, it is clear through a further examination that the overall structure of this system does in fact promote forms of discrimination.

Furthermore, Canada’s temporary foreign worker program also serves as a weakness within Canadian immigration policy, as it allows for the exploitation and vulnerability of migrant laborers to Canada (Strauss & McGrath, 2017). Canada’s temporary foreign worker program is a form of precarious employment that admits migrant laborers on a temporary basis in order to fulfill specific labor demands (Satzewich & Liodakis, 2017). This program is a way that Canada is able to achieve satisfaction for certain economic demands while limiting the ability of ‘low-skilled workers to receive the benefits of permanent residency (Strauss & McGrath, 2017). The temporary foreign worker program ties workers to their sponsoring employers and makes them vulnerable to exploitation due to the threat of deportation and the power that employers hold in upholding their legal migrant worker status (Strauss & McGrath, 2017). Therefore, the temporary foreign worker program serves as a weakness in Canadian immigration policy, as it doesn’t support integration for this class of migrants both officially, without a path to permanent residency, and societally, by not protecting migrant workers from exploitative employment practices.

Strengths of the United States Immigration Policy

The United States immigration policy is perhaps most distinct because of its favoring of family-based migration for the purpose of family reunification. According to Gubernskaya and Dreby (2017), supporting and allowing immigrant families to preserve and reunify their family entity may contribute to the health and wellbeing of the new migrants themselves, as well the entire US population by extension. Family-based migrants account for 65% of the total number of immigrants admitted annually to the United States, demonstrating how American values honoring the importance of family reunification, eases the difficult experience of integrating into a new and unfamiliar society (Gubernskaya & Dreby, 2017). Without having multiculturalism defined legally within society as exemplified in Canada, the emphasis on family-based migration is a way for the United States to promote the welcoming of new immigrants through official policy. This preference for family-based migration can be seen as a strength of the U.S. immigration approach to promote and support the successful integration of new immigrants, due to their lack of provisions supporting diversity and multiculturalism.

Weaknesses of the United States Immigration Policy

In light of recent events and the promotion of nationalist policies under the current Trump presidency, recent policies of migrant separation, travel and immigration bans, and the push for a border wall can be seen as weaknesses that promote an unwelcoming society for immigrant integration. In 2018, President Trump and the Republican government introduced a new “zero-tolerance policy” on illegal immigration, in which children who have been found to enter the United States illegally were separated from their parents being held in detention centers, and forced into Refugee Resettlement and Department of Health and Services facilities (Rhodan, 2018). This separation of children from their families has been morally scrutinized for being overly strict and inhumane with almost 2,000 children being separated from their parents at the border (Rhodan, 2018). It can also be argued that this separation policy is racially discriminatory towards Mexican immigrants as it especially targets the U.S. southern border with Mexico. This “zero-tolerance” separation policy sends a message globally that the United States is discriminatory, intolerant, and unwelcoming towards immigrants.

Another recent American immigration policy that discourages the integration and welcoming of migrants, is the Trump administration’s Travel and Immigration ban. The 2018 travel and immigration ban is a policy that specifically prohibits people coming from five Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States, both for travel and immigration purposes (Gladstone & Sugiyama, 2018). While this policy was implemented, it affected a global population exceeding 135 million Muslim-majority residence and specifically targeted and discriminated against people who identified with the Islamic religion (Gladstone & Sugiyama, 2018). This discriminatory policy demonstrated a blatant expression of institutional racism, which is apparent within the current U.S. government under President Trump and within their official policies. This serves as another example of how the United States’ policies on immigration actively discourage immigrant settlement and present the country as generally unwelcoming to global migration.

Lastly, the Trump administration’s key campaign promise to build a wall at the southern border to combat illegal migration from Mexico, serves as a weakness by literally and figuratively closing the U.S. border and promoting an unwelcoming environment for immigrants. As President Trump claims that a physical barrier is necessary to prevent the rapidly growing issue of illegal migration from Mexico, the actual statistics suggest otherwise; having only 400,000 arrests of illegal migrants at the southern border in 2018 as opposed to the 1.6 million arrests in 2000 (Rodgers & Bailey, 2019). This focus on the US-Mexico border can be seen as an enforcement of racially discriminatory values in the form of government policy, that disproportionately targets ethnically Mexican immigrants. According to recent data from the BBC, in reality, the majority of illegal migrants are visa-overstayers in which a large population are Canadian citizens at the opposite northern border (Rodgers & Bailey, 2019). Therefore, the campaign to build a physical wall to stop illegal migration specifically from Mexico is rooted in racist and discriminatory government policy and attitudes, making the United States appear as extremely unwelcoming and unaccepting of immigrants globally.

Conclusion

By examining the strengths and weaknesses of immigration policies in both Canada and the United States, it is clear that Canada’s approach promotes a more welcoming and supportive environment for migrants across the globe. Canada’s approach may not be perfect; however, their multicultural policy and theoretically non-discriminatory points system can be seen as setting a global precedent for welcoming immigration and having open borders to invite prospective migrants. This is in contrast to recent American policies under the Trump administration that promotes immigration to the U.S. as unwelcoming and unaccepting of immigrants; this is through provisions which racially discriminate against and close borders for migrants of specific backgrounds. Canada’s approach to immigration may not be without flaws, but it serves as a positive model globally by showing initiative within the Canadian government and society to support fundamental values of multiculturalism through a non-discriminatory and welcoming policy. The United States critically compares on a global scale to discourage and be unwelcoming towards immigration based on recent policy measures that blatantly discriminate against migrants of specific racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. In conclusion, by analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of immigration policies in both Canada and the United States, it can be understood that Canada’s open border and welcoming approach serves as a global precedent, in strong contrast to the United States’ discriminatory and hostile attitudes towards immigrants.

America is extraordinarily affected and improved by the numerous ethnicities and societies which possess it. Reasons ranging from politics, economy, natural disasters, the wish to change ones surroundings and poverty are in the list of the major causes of immigration in both the past and today. In many states and countries, immigration comes with complexities in its demographic nature. A lot of cultural and population growth changes have been witnessed as a result of immigration. In the following paper, the changes that different ethnicities have done once they immigrated to America and how it helps United States as compared to how it harms the United States.

Social assorted variety has added to our economy so that it brings improved thoughts and contact structures all through the world. America is based on assorted variety. This decent variety is a ‘blending pot’ of imagination and efficiency. America was based upon a grouping of races and ethnic foundations. The populace in America is constantly developing and as this is occurring the amount of non-American English talking workers is developing as well. Student of history John Rosenberg and president and general direction of the Center for Equal Opportunity Roger Clegg creators of ‘Against Diversity’ contend that assorted variety itself is separation dependent on race and ethnicity. Regardless of whether in confirmations or employing, its motivation and impact is the choice of people who might not have been chosen however for their race or ethnicity. Implying that an equivalent number of others were not chosen due to their race or ethnicity. Rosenberg and Clegg make a valid statement that in attempting to make an assorted America, what is really happening is victimization societies that as of now overwhelm in specific regions.

Worldwide cooking styles have come to America through subcultures, have extended the nourishment business, and have enabled Americans to attempt new nourishments and flavors. Foreigners have carried with them qualities that greatly differ and vary from those at which were normal in the typical or primary American culture. The instructive advancement through various ethnic foundations coming to America has driven it, as a country, to exceed expectations and be considered one of the most intellectual countries in the world. Various ethnicities carry with them the preferences and pleasures from their very own nation. Directly, Americans have such a wide determination of nourishments to browse including yet not constrained to Mexican, Chinese, Italian, Greek, Thai, Japanese and etcetera. In the farming business, specialists have taken local plants and reared them with universal plants to make an increasingly alluring early stage plant which develops to have simply the best qualities of the two plants. This hopeful innovation wouldn’t have ever been conceivable, likely not thought of in the event that it wasn’t dependent upon the social assorted variety to challenge the standard attributes of local vegetations.

Alongside any other country on the planet, comes an assortment of religions. The English established this country, America, on Christianity. Various individuals that live in America today don’t believe in this monotheistic religion and rather they have placed their beliefs in religions brought to this nation by individuals and other ethnicities from various countries. The assortment of religions in America enables people to pick a religion which better suits their beliefs and practices, which gives individuals a choice on spiritual fulfillment in their lives. This would not have been possible without various ethnicities and cultures coming to America.

A variety of ethnic groups reside and prolong in America. There are numerous societies, history, social relations, strict conventions, and etymological viewpoints in our nation due to our abundant diversity. A pivotal inquiry concerns not just the nature and greatness of ethnoracial inclines in America, yet in addition the impacts of migration on American culture. “American culture encompasses the customs and traditions of the United States. Culture encompasses religion, food, what we wear, how we wear it, our language, marriage, music, what we believe is right or wrong, how we sit at the table, how we greet visitors, how we behave with loved ones, and a million other things’ (Rossi). An immediate evaluation of the effect of migration on society factors, similar to social union and social solidarity would show the amount we advantage in light of the fact that the greater part of the development in minority bunches in the US results from movement. Migrants carry with them new assets, thoughts, and methods for doing things that contribute extraordinarily to social and financial life in America.

Despite the fact that migration has been a characterizing highlight of American history, the effect of movement on American culture is not so often tended to in the literature. The disregard may be somewhat because of the predominance of assimilation theory, which emphasizes the adjustments in the way of life of immigrants, not the changes in American foundations and culture in response to immigration. Information on the commitments of immigrants to American culture may help recover the first meaning of the American way of life as established in the metro beliefs of the Revolutionary era.

Since settlers need to work to gain proficiency with the framework, they are seriously inquisitive about American culture. For the most skilled, this inclination prompts a rich and extensive imagination that has left its engraving on American music, theater, move, film, and numerous different domains of art. At long last, American foundations schools, colleges, organizations, sports groups, and even ensemble symphonies are meritocratic and look for ability any place they can discover it. The United States is a focused society that qualities progress and achievement. This dynamic trademark has been made somewhat through the nearness of settlers, who drive the nation toward esteeming aptitudes and capacity over social family.

In conclusion…America does not always contribute from immigrants but it also is not always harmed either. America is a mixing pot of all different cultures and ethnicities. “The history of the U.S. people contains an infinite variety of experiences that sociologist understand follow patterns. From the indigenous people who first inhabited these lands to the waves of immigrants over the past 500 years, migration is an experience with many shared characteristics. Most groups have experienced various degrees of prejudice and discrimination as they have gone through the process of assimilation.”. America is full of different ethnicities that have migrated from all different parts of the world. All of which think different things, eat different foods, and have different viewpoints.

“Religion is like a pair of shoes… Find one that fits you, but don’t make me wear your shoes.” (George Carlin, Good Reads). America is known for the First Amendment, which guarantees everyone their freedom of religion. Since the ratification of the Constitution, immigrants have flocked to the United States to escape discrimination from their home country, and to practice their religion without fear of punishment or retaliation. A large population of these immigrants have been, and still are, Muslims. The practicing life of an American Muslim is defined by their religion’s history, their flight to America, how they have assimilated, the conflicts they have had with the United States, and their great achievements that have effected the country.

Islam is the second largest religion of the world, followed by Christianity. It is also the youngest of the major world religions, dating back to around 700 Common Era. The whole religion revolves around the city of Mecca, a city in Saudi Arabia. Muslims believe that there is one God, known as Allah, making it a monothesitic religion. A muslim has one life goal, which is to live in the name of God. The religion all began when the supposed angel of Gabrielle visited the Prophet Muhammad, exposing him to the word of Allah. Muhammad lived the rest of hisl life spreading the word of his God which eventually evolved into the Qur’an. (History.com Editors, Greg.”Origins of Religion”,Armstrong, Karren).

Many people believed that Thomas Jefferson owned a copy of the Qur’an, so he could have a better understanding of the influence that the religion has had on prospects of the legal system. He bought his copy while he was still in law school, studying the Ottoman Empire. The Empire’s government was greatly influenced by the Islamic faith, inspiring his curiosity. Jefersson has not been the only person in politics to have relations to the sacred words of Allah. Keith Ellison, who was the first proud Muslims to ever be elected as a Congressman, was sworn into office in 2007 using the Qur’an instead of the traditional Holy Bible. In 2019, Rashida Tlaib, one of the first women of the Islmaic faith to be elected to congress, was also sworn in using the Qur’an. (Manseau, Peter, Little, Becky).

The exact time that Muslims made their first trip to America is often debated, but the best guess is around the 14th century. The first population is suspected to have been slaves, originating from Senegambia, a region that was to the West of the great continent of Africa. Out of the total population of slaves during that time period, around 10-15% were Muslims. Often times, Muslim could be recognized based on their unique names and restrictive diets. Their diets oftentimes prohibited them from consuming any type of pork and also specifically dictated how an animal had to be slaughtered in order to be consumed. Many slaves during this time period were forced to convert to Christianity in order to meet America’s social and political norms. At the end of the 19th century, Islam was slowly dwiddling from communities of former slaves. Luckily, around that same time, millions of new immigrants were flooding into the United States, and out of those immigrants, thousands were Muslims. From 1878 to 1923, numerous immigrants from many of the Middle Eastern countries, like Syria and Lebanon, made their way to America. Many of these immigrants worked in factories and as manual laborers. They filled the jobs that no other Americans wanted to fill, due to the poor working conditions. (“Islam in America|Hisotry Detectives)”

In the 1930s and 1940s, many Muslim immigrants began to establish small communities within many major metropolitan areas all across the United States. Mosques, places for Muslims to worship and practice their faith, were being built within these communities that were slowly developing, representing the great diversity of America. New groups of Muslim immigrants continued to flood into the United States, coming in waves. In 1952 immigrants came from Iraq, Egypt and Palestine. The next groups came in the 1960s. After the Nationality Act was passed in 1965, changing the premise of the immigration policy, around 1.1 million new Muslim immigrants came to America. Since then, Islam has been a religion accepted and embraced by many Americans. In a Pew Research Center’s most recent data, from 2017, there are around 3.45 million practicing Muslims in the United States. In the Supreme Court, there is even a a sculpture of the Prophet Muhammad that was put there in 1935 and has remained there ever since. (“Tour Egypt”, Williams, Jenifer, “Naturalization Act of 1906”, ).

In 2016, Trump made a statement to Fox News regarding the assimilation of Muslims in America. He said, “Assimilation has been very hard. It’s almost — I won’t say nonexistent, but it gets to be pretty close. And I’m talking about second and third generation. They come — they don’t — for some reason, there’s no real assimilation,” (Donald Trump, Political Facts 2016). In recent research it is easy to see that this statement was a bit uneducated. In a 2011 Pew Research Survey, 1,033 Mulsims living in the United States had phone interviews to share how they personally felt they had assimilated. 56% of the Muslims said that they were eager to learn and experience the American lifestyle when they first arrived to the United States, while only 20% said they they wanted to keep their own life habits and did not want to meld into American society. 16% of muslims said they wanted to both blend in and be American, but at the same time wanted to maintain their distinct ethnic qualities. (Trump, Donald et al., Gamache, Martins and Manuel Canales).

In a more recent Pew Research Survey, which was taken in 2017, four in five Muslims were content with how they were living their lives in America. Many of the interviewed Muslims said that most of their closest friends were not people of the Islamic faith, but were Americans whose religious beliefs varied. Only four in ten of Muslims in America felt like they were distinctive among Americans, that their voice or clothing made them stick out. Only one in four musim women continuously wear their hijab or Islamic headdress. All in all, 80% of Muslims living in America said that they could still feel a deep connection to their Islamic community. (“U.S. Muslims Concerned about their Place in Society”).

Ayan Hirsi Ali shares her persoanly story in her autobiography, Nomad from Islam to America a Personal Journey through the Clash of Civilizations. Ayan Hirsi Ali is a Muslim American activist and pround feminist who came to America to work at the American Enterprise Institute in 2013. Before she arrived in the United States, she had lived in many Middle Eastern countries, including Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, and Kenya, along with the Netherlands. In her novel, she describes how different America was from all the other places she has experienced. She found the ethnic diversity to be quite unique, “Everywhere I went I saw Africans, Asians, Hispanics, and more ethniv blends than I could ever dream of identifying,” (Hirsi Ali, 109). Ayan found that even with all the terrible things that had been done in the name of the Islamic faith, as appalled as America was, they were more focused on finding a solution than any other country she had seen. (Ali, Ayaan Hirsi).

In recent years, there has been a lot of built up tension between America and Muslims. President Donald Trump even wanted to put a ban on Muslims entering the United States after the horrific event that took place in Orlando, Florida. Omar Mateen, the American terrorist, openly pledged allegiance to ISIS on a 911 call and killed 43 people in a 2016 shooting. The first major problem the United States has had with the Islamic religion dates back to the 1980s, during the Iranian Revolution and the United States hostage crisis. On November 4, 1979, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomenin led a group of Iranian students to the United States embassy in Tehran, the capital of Iran. There were over 60 American hostages who were taken and not released until January 21, 1981, 444 days since they were first taken hostage. (Haley Tsukayma, Mark Bermin, History.com Editors).

Tensions between America and the Islamic faith escalated after September 11, 2001. Al Qaeda, an Islamic terrorist group, launched the biggest attack on American Soil since the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. In days following the attack, Islamic religious leaders made many statements clarifying that the attack was not in any way related to their sacred faith, but belonged to the extremist group, attempting to distance the religion from the terrorist group. In 2001, there was a 1,600 percent increase in antimuslim hate crimes. Since then, President Trump has put travel bans on Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen. (Williams, Jennifer).

Despite the tension between America and Muslims, many Muslims have really grown into their own skin while living in the United States, and have even created things that have greatly impacted the country. A man named Fazkur Rahman Khan created a new structural system to build skyscrapers, where the amount of steel needed for construction was greatly reduced. This system was used on famous buildings like the Sears Tower and John Hancock Tower. Another muslim, Shahid Kahn, made a great life for himself in America and become a billionare. After he graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he started a small auto parts business which has now grown to be a 4.9 billion company, Flex-N-Gate. (Jeffries, Stuart).

The medical field has had great advances due to the help of talented and proud Muslims. Ayub Ommaya is the inventor of a system of intraventricular catheters, which is often used for chemotherapy and makes the delivery of drugs to the brain much easier. Ommaya also created the first coma score, which is used to classify major injuries to the brain. Lastly, if it were not for Ernest Hamwi, Americans would not have the luxury of enjoying an ice cream cone. (Jeffries, Stuart).

Since coming to America, Muslims have embraced their history, successfully assimilated into the American culture, fought religous discrimination, and accomplished great achievements that have had lasting impacts on the country. The Islamic faith has been able to flourish and grow within the United States thanks to the first amendment.

Work Cited

1. Ali, Ayaan Hirsi. Nomad from Islam to America a Personal Journey through the Clash of Civilizations. Free Press, 2010.
2. Armstrong, Karen. Islam: a Short History. Modern Library, 2002.
3. Gamache, Martin, and Manuel Canales. “How Muslims, Often Misunderstood, Are Thriving in America.” National Geographic, 12 Apr. 2018, www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/05/being-muslim-in-america/.
4. Hayley Tsukayama, Mark Berman. “Gunman Who Killed 49 in Orlando Nightclub Had Pledged Allegiance to ISIS.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 13 June 2016, www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/06/12/orlando-nightclub-shooting-about-20-dead-in-domestic-terror-incident-at-gay-club/.
5. History.com Editors. “Iran Hostage Crisis.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 1 June 2010, www.history.com/topics/middle-east/iran-hostage-crisis.
6. History.com Editors. “Islam.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 5 Jan. 2018, www.history.com/topics/religion/islam#section_2.
7. “Islam In America | History Detectives.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/islam-in-america/.
8. “Freedom Of Religion Quotes (52 Quotes).” Goodreads, Goodreads, www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/freedom-of-religion.
9. Greg. “Origin Of Islam.” AllAboutReligion.org, All About Religion, 19 Nov. 2019, www.allaboutreligion.org/origin-of-islam.htm.
10. Jeffries, Stuart. “The Muslims Who Shaped America – from Brain Surgeons to Rappers.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 8 Dec. 2015, www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/08/donald-trump-famous-muslims-us-history.
11. Little, Becky. “Why the Quran Was a Bestseller Among Christians in 18th Century America.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 3 Jan. 2019, www.history.com/news/thomas-jefferson-quran-rashida-tlaib-keith-ellison.
12. Manseau, Peter. “Why Thomas Jefferson Owned a Qur’an.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 31 Jan. 2018, www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/why-thomas-jefferson-owned-qur-1-180967997/.
13. “Naturalization Act of 1906.” The American Experience in the Classroom, americanexperience.si.edu/glossary/naturalization-act-of-1906/.
14. “Tour Egypt.” The Funerary Complex of Sultan Al-Ashraf Qaytbay (Qaitbay, Qaitbey, Qaytbey): In the Northern Cemetery of Cairo, www.touregypt.net/featurestories/qaytbayfunerary.htm.
15. Trump, Donald, et al. “PolitiFact – Donald Trump Wrong That ‘There’s No Real Assimilation’ by U.S. Muslims.” @Politifact, www.politifact.com/factchecks/2016/jun/18/donald-trump/donald-trump-wrong-theres-no-real-assimilation-us-/.
16. “U.S. Muslims Concerned About Their Place in Society, but Continue to Believe in the American Dream.” Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project, 31 Dec. 2019, www.pewforum.org/2017/07/26/findings-from-pew-research-centers-2017-survey-of-us-muslims/.
17. Williams, Jennifer. “A Brief History of Islam in America.” Vox, Vox, 29 Jan. 2017, www.vox.com/2015/12/22/10645956/islam-in-america.

Over the years, it has become a common misconception in the United States that there is an over-population of illegal immigrants, and it is an issue that must be addressed. Many believe it is not in the country’s best interest to create a process that is simpler for people coming into the United States. Immigrants are drawn to America to seek asylum from harsh conditions in their home country, hence immigrants feel that the United States is fit to provide the American dream and an improved standard of living. Although there are illegal immigrants and contraband, there is no evidence stating that an increased amount of South American immigrants has any correlation to increased illegal activity.

The excursion of numerous foreigners is portrayed by injury before, during, and after the relocation. These families might be fleeing hunger, war, destitution, or torment in their local nation. In fact, the choice to move to a nation is not a simple one for most migrants. Individuals must leave their relatives and regularly place their lives in danger to cross a border with the intention of creating an improved life. (Nevins, “The Problem with Border Security”). Outsiders suffer prejudice while exploring the complexities of assimilating to a new language and culture unfamiliar to their own. These individuals enter the nation without appropriate archives. They live in consistent dread of being confined and expelled. Undocumented outsiders may need to acknowledge employments far beneath their aptitude level and persevere through conspicuous separation. (Flagg, “The Myth of the Criminal Immigrant”).

Border security was a definitive factor in the demise of seven-year-old Jakelin Caal Maquín. She and her father were left with no choice but to embrace a strenuous journey due to US policies supporting Guatemalan regimes that have displaced and murdered the Mayan population, leaving her family devastated. Jakelin was suffering from sepsis, which was increasingly worsening during the two days she spent detained by US Customs and Border Protection. (Vera, “Autopsy Determines 7-Year-Old Guatemalan Girl Died from Sepsis While in US Custody.”). A minimum of seven children are known to have died in immigration custody in the past few years. As a result, this continues to raise questions surrounding the conditions in which migrant children are being held under. (Acevedo, “Why Are Migrant Children Dying in U.S. Custody?”).

The previously mentioned insufficiencies and the degraded brutality have added to a developing sense among some policymakers. Just as numerous in the ace migrant backing network, it shows that the whole requirement of mechanical assembly should be unwound. (Fitler, “The U.S. Immigration Debate.”). It is certain, implementation changes are important, as the accompanying areas of this report clarify. Be that as it may, the transition to dismiss authorization totally—even in principle—just fills stronger calls for most extreme requirement, which at that point reinforcement calls for nullification, ceaselessly. The time has come to break this pattern of limits and fabricate a migration framework that is useful to others and make the general society comprehensively accept can—and should—be implemented through guidelines that are reasonable and just (Fitler, “The U.S. Immigration Debate.”).

A 2019 Gallup survey found that seventy-six percent of Americans thought about immigration as something beneficial for the United States. Upwards of eighty-one percent upheld a way to citizenship for undocumented foreigners if they meet certain prerequisites (Meissner and Gelatt, Eight Key U.S. Immigration Policy Issues: State of Play and Unanswered Questions.). A 2016 Gallup survey found that among Republicans, seventy-six percent support for a way to citizenship, which is higher than the sixty-two percent supporting for a proposed border divider.

Countless outside nationals work while abiding by the law of the United States under different sorts of nonimmigrant visas. In 2017, the United States allowed near one hundred eighty thousand Visas for high-talented specialists, known as H1B visas, and in abundance two hundred eighty thousand Visas for transitory laborers in horticulture and different ventures. H1B visas are topped at eighty-five thousand every year, with special cases made for specific fields. (Meissner and Gelatt, Eight Key U.S. Immigration Policy Issues: State of Play and Unanswered Questions.)

Congress has discussed various movement changes during the most recent two decades, some thought to be extensive, others gradually. Making a working lawful movement framework would maintain the standard of law both by directing future migration through a powerful administrative framework and by permitting authorization assets at the country’s fringes and in the inside to be utilized to keep up the honesty of that framework and U.S. fringes. (Jawetz, “Restoring the Rule of Law Through a Fair, Humane, and Workable Immigration System.”)

To conclude, the United States must embrace a migration framework that serves an international interest. To secure American laborers, President Trump underpins putting an end to chain movement, wiping out the Visa Lottery, and moving the nation to a legitimacy-based passage structure. Thus, these changes are believed to propel the security and thriving of equality, while helping new residents prosper. Although there are illicit outsiders, there is no proof expressing that an expanded measure of South American foreigners has any relationship to expanded criminal behavior.

Giridhar Dayaneni had to make a choice. He had to immigrate to America for a job or he could have stayed back in India and continued his life there. But he decided to leave his family and friends so that he could begin a new life in the United States. Migrating to a new country can be a difficult process, as people and cultures are very different, but with the help of friends and family, hardships can be overcome.

One of the most important parts of immigration, are the countries’ policies. Without following them, you would be unable to migrate as is. For example, according to “americanimmigrationcouncil.org”, “adult children (married and unmarried) and brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens (petitioner must be at least 21-years-old to petition for a sibling), and spouses and unmarried children (minor and adult)…” can come to the U.S. under a program known as the family preference system. (“How the United States Immigration System Works”).

A reader is meant to understand that an American immigration regulation states that there are conditions for certain relatives of a U.S. citizen to come to the U.S. under a program called the family preference system. The shows the importance if immigration policies, as if you are immigrating, this would be important to know if you are eligible for the family preference system. Moreover, “americanimmigrationcouncil.org” states, “Refugees are admitted to the United States based upon an inability to return to their home countries because of a “well-founded fear of persecution” due to their race, membership in a particular social group, political opinion, religion, or national origin”. (“How the United States Immigration System Works”). This quote explains that refugees can immigrate to the U.S. if they are unable to return to their homeland due to specific reasons. Furthermore, this is important, as if refugees have nowhere else to go, they can take notice of this and act on it so that they can immigrate and find themselves a home. According to “usa.gov”, “When you arrive in the United States, you must show valid travel documents as part of the entry process.” (“How to Enter the United States”). The information presented shows some of the policies that need to be followed when entering the U.S.. There are many others, such as applying for an immigrant visa or a green card, and these are important, as without following the procedures, you cannot enter the U.S..

Therefore, the immigration policy is important when coming to a new country.

Another very important part of the immigration process is getting used to the new country. As there can be many differences between your homeland and the new country, this process can be difficult. According to “justapack.com”, “In the USA (and the U.K.) the day is divided into two sets of 12 hours, AM and PM. Many other countries are on what we in the States call Military Time, a 24 hour cycle that starts at 0 and ends at 23:59.” (Georgie, et al). A reader is meant to understand that the U.S. uses a different way of telling time than other countries. This is important, as when reading time, an immigrant can be completely thrown off, as the system of telling time itself is different. This shows an example of an important difference that has to be accustomed to when immigrating. Moreover, “justapack.com” states, “Meters vs yards. 100 centimeters vs 36 inches. Kilograms vs Pounds. 100 grams vs 16 ounces. Kilometer vs mile. 1000 meters vs 5280 feet.” (Georgie, et al). There are different means of measuring that the U.S. uses from the rest of the world. While in the U.S., the customary system in used, throughout the rest of the world, the metric system is used. This shows a difference that can lead to be very important, as measuring is used everywhere from measuring height to buying groceries. According to “The Denver Post”, “Learning how to speak and write English helps us not only to survive, but to advance as well.” (Denver Post). The word “us” used in the example given refers to immigrants. Furthermore, the quote explains that for immigrants in the U.S., learning English is very important. This is because as English is the most commonly spoken language in the U.S., it can be hard to communicate with others while not having an understanding of the language. This is one of the main differences when traveling to the U.S.. Consequently, the differences between the country that you are immigrating to and your country of origin are very important.

Friends are crucial in the lives of people, but when immigrating, sometimes you have to leave your old friends behind. The process of making new friends can be difficult, but there are several ways to do so. “Bbc.com” describes how social media has helped many immigrants make new friends when they needed it. A particular site that was used often was Meetup. (“How Do You Make Friends in a New Country? – BBC Worklife”). This is important because it shows one of the ways that many immigrants are making new friends in their new countries. It can be hard for people, especially if they are coming alone and without knowing anyone, and so social media can make it a little easier for them. “Bbc.com” also describes how friends and family from their homeland often help immigrants, as nowadays there are many means of contacting them such as Skype, Facetime… etc. (“How Do You Make Friends in a New Country? – BBC Worklife”). The information presented explains that when immigrants are having trouble finding people that they can relate to and trust, it is always a big help knowing that there are people back home who you can rely on. Furthermore, reaching them would not be that hard, as modern technology makes it easy. As a result, it can be concluded that making friends in your new country is important, and there are several ways that you can do so.

Almost 15% of America’s population are immigrants. This makes it very important for new immigrants to know the process and policies of immigration to the U.S.. New immigrants can be faced with a lot of problems that they did not have to face before, such as major differences between countries’ culture and language. Without people that you can rely on, these problems can be very influential when leading your new life. However, with the help of family and friends, hardships can be overcome, and the immigration process can be made a lot easier.

Works Cited

1. Denver Post. “Learning English Can Help Immigrants Survive.” The Denver Post, The Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2016, www.denverpost.com/2013/03/08/learning-english-can-help-immigrants-survive/.
2. Georgie, et al. “Top Differences Between the USA and the Rest of the World.” Just a Pack, 6 Oct. 2018, www.justapack.com/ten-differences-between-the-usa-and-the-rest-of-the-world/.
3. “How Do You Make Friends in a New Country? – BBC Worklife.” BBC News, BBC, www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20170111-how-do-you-make-friends-in-a-new-country.
4. “How the United States Immigration System Works.” American Immigration Council, 20 Aug. 2019, www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/how-united-states-immigration-system-works.
5. “How to Enter the United States.” USAGov, www.usa.gov/enter-us.

Immigration is one of the biggest issues the United States suffers the most with. Some people may not care much about these issues, only because they are affected by it very minimally, or even not at all. Most Americans believe that immigration does not apply to them at all, but the truth is, it has everything to do with them. Immigration is a huge topic that controls plenty of things along with it. The truth of the matter is that immigration has many possible crucial effects on the average American. Economically, the average American might have a harder time finding a job due to too many immigrants taking jobs that could have been available to the American person. Another common economic effect that occurs is when there are too many immigrants wages will go down because, commonly, foreign people are willing to do harder jobs for cheaper costs which enables them to get the job more easily. These are just a few examples of the negative effects of too much immigration on the local population. On the other hand, there are also plenty of positive outcomes a lot of immigration has on the United States, such as lower prices of goods and a larger workforce, which is beneficial in plenty of ways. A very common example of these immigration disagreements getting in the way of a causal relationship is the relationship between a child born in the United States with a parent that gave birth to them in the United States with no American citizenship.

One of the largest problems that have a huge effect on the relationship between a parent and child attempting to have a decent life in the United States is a dilemma that has been very prevalent and frequent among the current immigrants that are fleeing the dangerous and scary situations that are being presented in their home countries. They attempt to flee these situations to come to a safer place that gives them a better chance at succeeding or even surviving in the life they have been given. The number of problems that are occurring in South America has been at a steady increase in the last couple of decades and is nowhere close to ending. The main types of issues that have been occurring have to do with the citizens of these countries being unhappy with the methods that their leaders are taking to better their country or the handling of the country’s primary resources. This tends to cause plenty of civil wars; these civil wars create a scary, dangerous, and life-threatening environment for children. Unfortunately, the main outcome of these civil wars has been poverty, death, and destruction. When these families have children they need to raise, or want children, it causes an enormous amount of South American families to attempt to flee their countries in search of a better life. These families do not have much for themselves and when they see their countries beginning to self-destruct, their human instinct is to flee and search for a better life for their children (Giano, et al. 2019). According to a research study done by Zachary Giano, children born in the U.S. to immigrant parents that ended up getting arrested were more than 50% in 2007, which was a major increase compared to years prior. This study proves the fact that the effect of all these people fleeing is the arrest of many undocumented South Americans in the United States (Giano, et al. 2019).

The arrest of all these families, mainly parents, causes plenty of distress upon both the children and the parents of the family. After these families flee their country and attempt to make a life for themselves, if they even ended up making it, they usually have to put up with reliving the ways they got to the U.S. in the form of PTSD. The way they had to scurry off and hideaway in order to sneak is insanely traumatic. Some are children and some are adults, but no matter the age, the trauma is present. If these families end up making it without seeing their loved ones die, get arrested, or get left behind, they have to find a way to cope and move on (Kaltman, et al. 2019). The methods that are used to get into the United States illegally are plentiful, but not simple at all. They all take a lot of money or a lot of pain. Even with a lot of money, the travel for them is a pain. Most of these people mean no ill will but are only looking for a safer place to take care of their loved ones. This occurs in many casual relationships between a child and their undocumented parent. According to a study done by Stacey Kattman, most of these Latino low-income families do not receive the mental health treatment they need. The study is done based upon PTSD and how well people recovered. Throughout the results, it can be seen that these Latino people with low income generally receive worse treatment and do not heal as much and as easily as others do. ‘’It is noteworthy that 80 participants (58.0%) reported experiencing an extreme situation not covered by the specific exposures surveyed. Fifty-three participants (81.5%) at the collaborative care clinic and 62 participants (84.9%) at the on-site therapist clinic reported exposure to trauma. Forty-four participants (67.7%) at the collaborative care clinic and 47 participants (64.4%) at the on-site therapist clinic met the cutoff for presumptive PTSD in civilian primary care clinics’’(Kaltman, et al. 2019). According to Kaltman’s data, these people are suffering immensely and are not receiving nearly enough care as they should be (Kaltman, et al. 2019).

Finally, these causal relationships between parents and children suffer the most when they are caught. Due to so many people fleeing at once, some are bound to get caught and held accountable for their actions. This is one of the worst ways these people’s adventures can end. They end up getting captured and placed in a holding area until a decision has been chosen by the authorities. These decisions can vary from imprisonment to release. This process can take weeks, and even months; the worst thing of all is throughout the entire process of them being held, they are being treated like animals. They are being treated like criminals who have committed a heinous crimes. Only a few are, or have been able to share their experiences and pass on their stories of how it happened and how they were treated. ‘’A handful of adults sit quietly in the lobby, hands folded in laps, gazes cast toward the floor. More than three dozen children from the shelter vans fill the room, radiating heat and nervous chatter. One by one they step through the metal detector and snatch seats along the rows of orange plastic chairs’’ (Markham & Markham, Pg XX 2019). This is just one of many examples shown from a book based on a real-life story. This book attempts to describe in detail how everything occurred and how they were treated (Giano, et al. 2019). Constantly throughout the book, the author explains in detail all the horrific situations they are put in throughout their journey. This is just one example of the way these journeys affect relationships between the people fleeing such as parents, children, and siblings. The study of Zachary Giano gives a good summary of all the abuse they go through. In his results, it was determined that “levels of trauma exposure were high, with 83.3% of participants (n = 115) reporting one or more exposures. The most frequently reported trauma exposure was physical violence (51.5%), followed by emotional abuse (42.8%), sexual violence (34.8%), and witnessed violence (33.3%).’’(Giano, et al. 2019) These numbers are an estimate of all the terrible violence they go through just by being held in these waiting stations (Markham & Markham, Pg XX 2019).

It can be concluded that as a result of these South American migrants fleeing their countries for a better life for themselves and their children, they end up in situations that cause the parents to get detained and removed from the family for an abnormal amount of time. Sometimes it causes them to get into situations that will forever scar them with trauma and PTSD. Other times they get stuck in situations that are torturous and only bring pain to them with multiple types of abuse including emotional, physical, and sometimes, even sexual. These adventures that South American families are choosing to take on will forever alter and have a huge effect on their relationships with their children due to the immigration laws, citizenship, and legalities. These results will forever leave a mark on the descendants of these immigrants in a positive and/or negative way. This is just an example of how these immigration laws and citizenship fiascos have an effect on a certain relationship; when it comes to other relationships, these immigration laws and ways will hurt these people in different ways as well. It is important to understand what it’s causing and why it’s happening.

The United States has widely been regarded as a land of opportunity. It becomes the desired destination for many people to pursue their “American dreams.” There are continuously massive waves of immigration from most parts of the world to America. Since the1600s to the 21st century, the United States, which has absorbed a vast number of immigrants, has been well-known as the nation of immigration. Particularly, in her article “Key Findings Of U.S. Immigrants”, Jinnah Radford informs us that “The U.S. foreign-born population reached a record 44.4 million in 2017.”

Immigration, literally, is defined as the international movement of people from place to place, occurring across the globe throughout time. Immigration is harsh, but there are varying causes for it. With hope for better lives, immigrants choose to leave their native lands were there experienced severe unemployment, failing crops, rising taxes, complicated politics, unstable economy, wars, or religious persecution to immigrate to new countries to seek more opportunities and freedoms. According to “Land of the Free,” there was a mass wave of emigration worldwide taking place from the early 1800s to the 1930s, the decade of the Great Depression. At that time, almost 60 million people from Europe came across the United States, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. More than half of them landed in America (Caughey, Franklin, and May). Until now, the immigration flow keeps coming and accounts for large portions of the Americans. As a result, the young generation, or named Millennials, are the most diverse generation in ethics and races. Immigration is an important issue and has drawn significant attention to not only the government but also the young adults who are increasingly impacted in different ways. Obviously, that great number of immigrants cause wide-ranging effects on the American millennials, in terms of living attitudes, cultural assimilation, and the competitive job market.

Being raised in differing races and ethics environments since their childhoods, the American millennials own open living attitudes, particularly in conceptualizing American identity. As a part of integrating the progress of immigration, millennials successfully absorb and widening the ideas of national identity, not being narrowed just by specific things like color. According to the report “Who Belongs? Millennial Attitudes on Immigration,” the data reveals that “white Millennials stand out as the racial group that is most supportive of restrictive policy measures.” While many non-millennials believe immigration has negative impacts on U.S. society as well as immigrants are singled out as causes of rising crime, heavy loads on social infrastructure, ethnocultural conflicts, and a competitive labor market. However, the fact is immigrants have a far lower crime rate than US-born citizens; the majority of citizens on welfare and food stamps are U.S. Caucasians. Overall, compared to previous generations, millennials are more accepting of immigration that they are not much influenced by social stereotypes.

Because immigration has enriched American culture rather than undermining it, millennials gain more chances to approach new things around the world. All American culture, except for the Native American, is immigrant culture. Immigrants flow coming from different places in the world have contributed their own distinct characteristics to a collective culture with a new language, cuisine, customs, practices, holidays, expertise, and art. Every aspect in life has been opened than ever that millennials can enhance their living experiences. By sharing culture and developing the friendship between those with various backgrounds, millennials can help the country gradually becomes more interconnected. Various ethnic groups live in harmony, build connection networks, and make the world more open, connected and united. Living in a diverse community helps millennials to earn more skills to be flexible and adaptive which is useful for them to live anywhere else.

Immigrants have made significant contributions to the competitive job market for millennials in short term and long term. In short term, immigrants create more jobs for millennials, contrary to the common misconception that immigrants take jobs from native US workers. Compared to the early waves of emigration, the new generations of immigrants who have practical knowledge, skills, experiences are likely to become entrepreneurs or work for themselves. They explore more opportunities that bring them more capital, add more innovative ideas, and aspire to the entrepreneurial spirit of America. According to “Facts About Immigration and the U.S. Economy,” 18 percent of US small businesses are owned by immigrants and they are about 30 percent are likely to start their own businesses than native residents (Costa, Cooper, and Shierholz). Undoubtedly, the successive waves of immigration play a critical role in boosting wages, strengthening the economy, and earning more funds for the government.

Apparently, the number of immigrants arriving has enlarged the U.S. working labor which will improve and increase the working skills for millennials in the long run. For decades, waves of newcomers have kept the U.S demography young, an advantage that expands the U.S. labor force. More working labor means more working skills displaying. It, hence, is a great chance for millennials to elaborate and improve themselves over time. Moreover, there are specific industries, like science and technology, that immigrants are capable of making advantage of with advanced degrees. In the article “Ten Ways Immigrants Help Build and Strengthen Our Economy,” Jason Furman and Danielle Gray claim that, “According to the Census Bureau, despite making up only 16 percent of the resident population holding a bachelor’s degree or higher, immigrants represent 33 percent of engineers, 27 percent of mathematicians, statisticians, and computer scientist, and 24 percent of physical scientists”. Generally, the workforce labor from immigration can bring more benefits for developing millennials’ career paths.

In conclusion, immigration has a combination of impacts on the American millennials from specific perspectives. Immigration is an integral part of the United States’ historical development and makes the U.S. strong today. Immigration waves have kept the U.S constantly changing perspectives -making it more flexible and adaptive. To gain more advantages of immigration in the long term, and not result in high social costs, there are practical immigration policies needed.

Introduction

The overall world population in present time is 7.7 billion. This population is not uniformly distributed over the geographical area of the world. For instance, China and India cover 8.1% land area from the whole world, whereas it has 2.7 billion population which is 35% of total population. So, people migrate from these countries to different countries in search of more opportunities, better lifestyle and better environment to live in. Canada and U.S.A are two countries which cover the land mass of 12.2% altogether with population of 0.35 billion. Hence the migration towards these countries is comparatively more. Both countries are similar to each other in financial status, geography, currency value, living standard, purchasing power and many more to an extent but still the immigration acceptance ratio varies between these countries.

Immigration rules for employees to United states of America

The company must attain the labor certification approval issued by department of labor. There are different categories in that too like permanent labor certification, H1-B Specialty workers (professionals), H2-A temporary labor certification (seasonal agriculture), H2-B temporary labor certification (non-agriculture), D1 crew members certification.

Permanent Employee VISA for Labor:

If the company is planning to take most of the experienced labor employees to Canada, they have to get “the certified labor certification application from the DOL’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA). The DOL must certify to the USCIS that there are not enough U.S. workers able, willing, qualified and available to accept the job opportunity in the area of intended employment. In general, the DOL works to ensure that the admission of foreign workers to work in the U.S. will not adversely affect the job opportunities, wages and working conditions of U.S. workers. Once a permanent labor certification application has been approved by the DOL, the employer will need to seek the immigration authorization from USCIS.” (labor, 2019).

Temporary Employee VISA for skilled employees (H1-B).

“The H-1B program allows employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in the U.S. on a non-immigrant basis in specialty occupations or as fashion models of distinguished merit and ability. A specialty occupation requires the theoretical and practical application of a body of specialized knowledge and a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent in the specific specialty (e.g. sciences, medicine, health care, education, biotechnology, and business specialties, etc.).” (LABOR, 2019).

Chargeable services for application of Employment-based VISA:

There are certain fees that will have to be paid by the company for the VISA application services like filing immigrant petition (form-I40), processing application (form DS-260), medical examination and required vaccinations, and other miscellaneous charges for approval of documents such as police certificate, passport, birth certificates, passports and many more. (AFFAIRS, 2019)

Required documents for application for Employment-bases VISA:

The employee applicant will require a valid passport, 2*2 photograph according to require format by US government, Civil documents of applicant Birth, marriage, graduation, residential certificate proofs, upon this the applicant will have to show that he/she is financially supported by the company and at last the medical certificate that will prove that that the person has taken the required vaccinations has passed through certain medical requirements.

VISA interview by the employee applicant:

As soon as all the documents of our employees get approved, we will be informed by the US government. They will schedule interview of our employee and let us know the date, time and place via letter.

Our employee will have to be present there with all the legal documents and valid passport. He/she will be interviewed by the member of United states’ embassy and they will decide that whether the person is eligible to receive immigrant VISA or not.

Canada remains open to immigration

Amid a looming demographic crisis (rapidly ageing population and a shrinking labour force), Canada is expanding its managed legal immigration. However, the selection process is increasingly failing to match migrants with the country’s evolving labour needs. This has prompted calls for reform of the current system, particularly from the private business sector.

Key points

• Canada is facing a looming demographic crisis – it suffers from a falling birth rate and a rapidly ageing population. This has major implications for future economic growth;
• Canada’s fertility rate of 1.5 (number of children born per female) in 2006 was much lower than the USA (2.0) and only just above Japan (1.3);
• By 2031, a quarter of the population will be over the age of 65;
• As a result, Canada requires a continuous flow of immigration to sustain its labour force and economic growth;
• Official policy aims to boost annual immigration to 1% of the total population in the next decade, the equivalent of 320,000 new arrivals every year. Two thirds of these will be economic migrants; (Euromonitor, n.d.)

Business Immigration Visa

The Canadian Government provides a wealth of opportunities for potential immigrants with the skills needed to develop businesses in Canada. There exist several unique immigration Visa offering accelerated permanent residence to entrepreneurs willing to bring their business management skills to Canada, financial investors willing to commit support for Canadian ventures, and self-employed persons able to put their unique skills to work in Canada. Learn more about Canada’s business immigration Visa below! (Citizenship and Immigration Canada, n.d.)

Investor Visa

To be eligible for Canada’s investor immigration Visa, individuals must have a net worth in the millions of dollars and the willingness to invest significant funds in the Canadian economy. Presently, there are two such Visa in Canada.

Entrepreneur Visa

Canada offers entrepreneur immigration options for foreign nationals with significant experience as entrepreneurs with a proven track record of success. There are a variety of Visa available for those with business management experience as well as those with experience starting new businesses.

Federal Business Immigration Visa

Whether you are self-employed, are looking to grow or start a business in Canada, or simply would like to leverage your personal net worth to help drive the Canadian economy, there are several Federal Business Immigration Visa designed to fit the skills and experience of successful business persons who want to settle in any province except Quebec.

Business Immigration Visa are a great option for potential newcomers searching for entrepreneurial diversity.

Federal Venture Capital

The Immigrant Investor Venture Capital Pilot Visa (IIVC) seeks international investors with proven business skills and abilities who will contribute to the Canadian economy while effectively integrating into society. Qualified individuals are given the opportunity to apply for an investor visa that will grant eligible applicants and their families permanent resident status in Canada.

Federal Venture Capital Visa Requirements

To qualify for this Visa, applicants must have a minimum personal net worth of $10 million CAD obtained through legal private sector businesses or investments. Inheritance and property value do not count toward the net worth requirement. A due diligence report detailing your past and present businesses and investments, validation of the source of your funds and personal net worth will be required of qualifying investor visa applicants. In addition to the personal net worth requirement of $10 million, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Demonstrated proficiency in English or French (reading, writing, speaking, listening) via a language competency test taken within the last 24 months with an approved agency;
• Make a non-guaranteed investment of $2 million CAD of your own funds in the Federal Venture Capital Fund;
• Intend to reside in any Canadian province or territory except Quebec;
• Possess a post-secondary degree, diploma, or certificate from a Canadian institution, or:
• Validation from an Educational Credential Assessment report of a foreign equivalent. Applicants with a personal net worth of $50 million CAD or more can request to be exempt from the educational requirement.
• Non-Guaranteed Investment

Unlike the Federal Investor Visa that requires a guaranteed investment, the Immigrant Investor Venture Capital Visa requires a $2 million, non-guaranteed investment over 15 years. Depending on the performance of the IIVC Fund, applicants or may lose some or all their investment or may receive proceeds over time or at the end of their term.

Who can apply?

To be eligible for the Start-up Visa Program, you must have a qualifying business get a letter of support from a designated organization, meet the language requirements and bring enough money to settle.

• Have a qualifying business
• A qualifying business means you created a business that meets the following conditions. At the time you get a commitment from a designated organization, each applicant must hold 10% or more of the voting rights attached to all shares of the corporation outstanding at that time (up to 5 people can apply as owners). Applicants and the designated organization jointly hold more than 50% of the total voting rights attached to all shares of the corporation outstanding at that time. When you receive your permanent residence, you must provide active and ongoing management of this business from within Canada, an essential part of the operations of the business happens in Canada and the business must be incorporated in Canada.
• Get a letter of support from a designated organization
• You must get a letter of support from a designated organization (a business group that has been approved to invest in or support possible start-ups).

You’ll have to contact the designated organization to find out how to get its support, convince the organization that you have a business idea that is worth supporting and get a letter of support from the designated organization. If you reach an agreement with a designated organization, it will send you a letter of support. You must include this letter when you submit your application. This is the proof you need to show that the venture capital fund, angel investor group, or business incubator is supporting your business idea. The organization will also send a commitment certificate.

Requirements for a business visa in Canada:

Applying for an eTA online should be quick and straightforward. However, even with your eTA arranged, you may be asked to show some documents to the immigration officers when you arrive in Canada. Following are the documents required:

Your valid passport, which should be the same one as you used for your eTA application, letters from both your employer and the Canadian company you’re visiting confirming the purpose of your business trip, contact details of your host in Canada,

proof of your financial status, showing you can afford your stay in Canada and the return trip home, depending on the reason for your visit you may need to show other documents, such as: service agreements, contracts, etc.

Conclusion

Canada or USA?

Immigration has been such a controversial and debated topic, whether talking about USA or Canada. But the immigration entry to Canada is way easier than USA.

It is much easier to immigrate to Canada than to USA. In general, USA immigration is employment based which means the easiest and fastest way to enter the USA is via a work permit. After that, an applicant can “adjust their status” for permanent residence. Unless a person is sponsored by a close relative, rarely do people immigrate to USA directly and must enter first on a work permit (which means a person must have an employer first).

Canada is more or less the opposite. It is not so easy to enter as a worker (unless you have an employer with a validated offer of employment from Human Resources Canada) but much easier to immigrate if you qualify. A relative or a job offer would help but is not required. Therefore, if you are educated and have work experience in a skilled occupation you will likely qualify for permanent residence. The fact that you overstayed in USA is usually not a problem. The key differences between the two is stated as under:

• USA has a priority date system that lets applicants know where their application is in the system. Canada does not.
• Canada does not have a quota of the number of immigrants entering or for work permits. USA does, so if you are applying for example an H1B visa and the quota has been filled, you must wait until the next year.
• Canada permits its visitors to renew their visitor status while in Canada much easier. After 9/11 USA has restricted the time a visitor can remain in the country and much more difficult to extend.
• USA keeps a tracking system of who come in and out. Canada has no record of who / when a person leaves.
• USA permits the sponsorship of siblings. While the application can take a decade to be processed, Canada has eliminated the sponsorship of siblings altogether.

Thus, looking at all the key major differences we can easily make out as to Canada is an easier country to immigrate to than USA.

References

1. (n.d.). Retrieved from Euromonitor.
2. (n.d.). Retrieved from Citizenship and Immigration Canada: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/index-a-z-can.asp
3. AFFAIRS, T. D.—B. (2019). Employment-Based Immigrant Visas. Retrieved from Travel.State.GovU.S. DEPARTMENT of STATE — BUREAU of CONSULAR AFFAIRS: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/employment-based-immigrant-visas.html#overview
4. LABOR, U. S. (2019). H-1B, H-1B1 and E-3 Specialty (Professional) Workers. Retrieved from UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR : https://www.foreignlaborcert.doleta.gov/h-1b.cfm labor, U. S. (2019). permenent labor certification. Retrieved from United states department of labor: https://www.foreignlaborcert.doleta.gov/perm.cfm

Introduction

Reyna Grande’s memoir, ‘The Distance Between Us,’ is a poignant exploration of her personal journey from a poverty-stricken childhood in Mexico to a new life in the United States. Through her powerful storytelling, Grande delves into the themes of identity, belonging, and the pursuit of the American dream. This essay will critically analyze the literary aspects of ‘The Distance Between Us’ and examine how Grande skillfully depicts her struggles and triumphs as she navigates the complex landscapes of family, culture, and immigration.

The Struggle for Identity

In ‘The Distance Between Us,’ Reyna Grande grapples with her sense of self and identity as she straddles two distinct worlds: her Mexican heritage and her experiences as an immigrant in the United States. Grande vividly portrays the conflicts she faces in reconciling her roots with the challenges of assimilation and cultural adaptation. Through her introspective narration, readers witness her internal battle as she grapples with questions of belonging and acceptance.

The Impact of Family Dynamics

Family plays a central role in Grande’s memoir, and she skillfully depicts the complexities of familial relationships. From her tumultuous relationship with her parents to her yearning for love and acceptance, Grande provides a raw and honest portrayal of the impact of family dynamics on her personal growth. The author’s exploration of the sacrifices, resilience, and sometimes painful choices made within the context of family contributes to the emotional depth of the narrative.

Immigration and the Pursuit of the American Dream

Grande’s memoir sheds light on the challenges faced by immigrants pursuing the American dream. She vividly describes the arduous journey across the border, the hardships faced by undocumented immigrants, and the relentless pursuit of better opportunities. By sharing her personal experiences, Grande humanizes the immigration narrative and invites readers to empathize with the struggles and aspirations of those who seek a better life in a new country.

Cultural Assimilation and Loss

As Grande adapts to life in the United States, she grapples with the loss of her cultural heritage and the pressure to assimilate. Through her narrative, she explores the consequences of sacrificing parts of her identity in order to fit into a new society. The tension between preserving one’s cultural roots and assimilating into a different culture is a recurring theme in the memoir, allowing readers to reflect on the complexities of cultural identity and the cost of assimilation.

Resilience and Empowerment

Despite the adversities she faces, Grande’s memoir is also a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Through her determination, she finds strength in education, literacy, and storytelling. Grande’s journey from a disadvantaged childhood to becoming a successful writer underscores the transformative power of education and the ability to rewrite one’s own narrative.

Conclusion

Reyna Grande’s ‘The Distance Between Us’ is a compelling memoir that delves into themes of identity, belonging, and the pursuit of the American dream. Through her powerful storytelling and candid introspection, Grande invites readers to navigate the complex landscapes of immigration, family dynamics, and cultural assimilation. Her memoir serves as a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring pursuit of self-discovery and empowerment.