Introduction
Asian Americans are considered as the fastest-growing immigrant population the US currently, having recently overtaken Hispanics (Kieu, 2013). Kieu (2013 continues to state that according to the census data of 2011, 18.2 , almost half the total number of immigrants in America originated from Asia. The White House (2014) also provides that nearly a third of the one million annual legal immigrants to the US constitute of Asians. Another demographical statistics is afforded by Vuong (2013), who states that of the 4.3 million immigrants documented within the family immigration system, about 40 per cent are Asians. From these statistics, it is therefore possible to deduce that the number of Asian Americans residing in the US is substantial enough. In recent years, and especially beginning from 2007, there has been a prolonged debate on how to handle the growing number of undocumented immigrants who might be considered to illegally residing in the US. The purpose of this paper is to analyze how the current immigration debate facilitated by the growing number of undocumented immigrants, illuminates on health, education and employment inequalities faced by Asian Americans.
In trying to present a concise analysis of how the immigrant status of Asian Americans proliferates health and education inequalities, it is imperative to first and foremost comprehend the extent as to which the term Asian American applies in regards to ethnicity. Taking a look at the 2011 Census questionnaire, it would be established that Asian is not necessarily a category; rather, it is the collective specification of Asian national origins by way of defining one’s ethnicity. Therefore, Asian Americans, simply put, would imply ethnicities such as Chine...
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...mericans” Pew Research Center. Accessed on 26th June, 2014 from http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2012/06/19/the-rise-of-asian-americans/
Tablante, M. (2014). “Asian American Advocates Continue Fighting for Immigration Reform” Asian Fortune News. Accessed on 26th June, 2014 from http://www.asianfortunenews.com/2014/01/asian-american-advocates-continue-fighting-for-immigration-reform/
The White House. (2014). “Critical Issues Facing Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders” The White House. Accessed on 26th June, 2014 from http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/aapi/data/critical-issues
Vuong, Z. (2013). Asian-Americans need to be part of the immigration reform debate, Chu says. Pasadena Star-News. Accessed on 26th June, 2013 from http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/government-and-politics/20131126/asian-americans-need-to-be-part-of-the-immigration-reform-debate-chu-says
The article by Min Zhou titled "Are Asian Americans becoming "white"? was relatively interesting as it provides a look at a different perspective of Asian Americans regarding immigration. I found it particularly interesting to learn that Asian Americans are considered to be white in equal opportunity programs; however, the race is still seen as different from Americans of European ancestry. Furthermore, I was not shocked to read that Zhou described the Asian American race as the "model minority." When first looking at the reading, I was shocked by the title because I thought it was a little exaggerated. I believe the author could have chosen a more suitable phrase rather than "Asian Americans are becoming white"; however, it does provide significant
America is a land filled with immigrants coming from different corners of the worlds, all in hopes of finding a better life in the country. However, No one had an easy transition from his or her home country to this foreign land. Not every race thrived the same way—some were luckier than others, while some have faced enormous obstacles in settling down and being part of the American society. Many people have suffered
Nayan Shah is a leading expert in Asian American studies and serves as professor at the University of California. His work, Contagious Divides: Epidemics and Race in San Francisco’s Chinatown explores how race, citizenship, and public health combined to illustrate the differences between the culture of Chinese immigrants and white norms in public-health knowledge and policy in San Francisco. Shah discusses how this knowledge impacted social lives, politics, and cultural expression. Contagious Divides investigates what it meant to be a citizen of Chinese race in nineteenth and twentieth-century San Francisco.
America is undergoing significant social change. While in 1960, white people made up 85 percent of the population, in the latest census it was projected that by 2043, the United States would “be the first post-industrial society in the world where minorities will be the majority” (Deasy, 2012). The 1965 Immigration Act is said to have opened the door to waves of new immigration from Mexico, Latin America and Asia, and the cumulative social impacts have been far reaching. The purpose of this annotated bibliography is to critically review a handful of research papers that explore some of the impacts that immigration has had on the United States, with a particular focus on the research methodologies adopted. It finds that while many papers focus on the use of quantitative research methodologies to measure
Immigration has existed around the world for centuries, decades, and included hundreds of cultures. Tired of poverty, a lack of opportunities, unequal treatment, political corruption, and lacking any choice, many decided to emigrate from their country of birth to seek new opportunities and a new and better life in another country, to settle a future for their families, to work hard and earn a place in life. As the nation of the opportunities, land of the dreams, and because of its foundation of a better, more equal world for all, the United States of America has been a point of hope for many of those people. A lot of nationals around the world have ended their research for a place to call home in the United States of America. By analyzing primary sources and the secondary sources to back up the information, one could find out about what Chinese, Italians, Swedish, and Vietnamese immigrants have experienced in the United States in different time periods from 1865 to 1990.
My grandmother sent me a letter from home, telling the success story of her old Chinese tenants who, through hard work, had become very wealthy in the 9 short years they lived in America. My grandmother embraces the belief that "with hard work, patience and a little help from the model minority stereotype, someday Asians will gain full approval of white America". She believes that Asian Americans are inherently smarter, more diligent and thrifty than other racial minorities of our time. I, on the other hand, am skeptical towards this assumed advantage that other minorities have perceived as "elevators to the ladder of success" in American society. While Asian Americans are able to achieve acculturation by gaining material success, despite this economic advancement, they are unable to assimilate socially into mainstream America because of prejudice and discrimination.
Eleanor Roosevelt said, “the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” That statement holds strong for immigrants in America. Equal access to opportunities allows immigrants to achieve the American dream. Their success correlates with America’s success because of the contributions immigrants provide to America. Unfortunately, the current immigration policy in America denies many immigrants the American dream. It is crucial to understand the historical context of immigration in America. Initially, most immigrants were from Europe and were not restricted by any immigration laws. Now, most immigrants come from Latin America but are restricted to severe immigration laws. The Latino/a community is one of the most severely affected groups because the current immigration system disproportionally affects Latino/as. Recognizing how the experience of Latino/a immigrants have been both similar and different in the past from other immigrant groups and dispelling common misconceptions about Latino/as today bring an awareness how Latino/as are affected.
-Despite the already severe legal and social restrictions on Asian immigration, some European Americans felt that immigration should be forbidden altogether with a specific Asian Exclusion Act. In arguments which seem familiar to modern followers of the immigration debate, Asians were accused of taking white jobs and causing social
In this paper I will be sharing information I had gathered involving two students that were interviewed regarding education and their racial status of being an Asian-American. I will examine these subjects’ experiences as an Asian-American through the education they had experienced throughout their entire lives. I will also be relating and analyzing their experiences through the various concepts we had learned and discussed in class so far. Both of these individuals have experiences regarding their education that have similarities and differences.
This book serves as the best source of answers to those interested in questions about the origin of ethnicity and race in America. Impossible subjects is divided into seven chapters, and the first two talk about the action and practices that led to restriction, exclusion and deportation. It majorly traces back experiences of four immigrant groups which included the Filipino, Japanese, Chinese and Mexican. Ngai talks of the exclusion practices which prevented Asian entry into America and full expression of their citizenship in America. Although the American sought means of educating the Asians, they still faced the exclusion policies (Mae Ngai 18). All Asians were viewed as aliens and even those who were citizens of the USA by birth were seen as foreign due to the dominant American culture (Mae Ngai 8). Unlike the Asians, Mexicans were racially eligible to citizenship in the USA because of their language and religion. However, she argues that Mexicans still faced discrimination in the fact that entry requirements such as visa fee, tax and hygiene inspection were made so difficult for them, which prompted many Mexicans to enter into the USA illegally. Tens and thousands of Mexicans later entered into America legally and illegally to seek for employment but were seen as seasonal labor and were never encouraged to pursue American
The United States has often been referred to as a global “melting pot” due to its assimilation of diverse cultures, nationalities, and ethnicities. In today’s society, this metaphor may be an understatement. Between 1990 and 2010, the number of foreign born United States residents nearly doubled from 20 million to 40 million, increasing the U.S. population from almost 250 million to 350 million people. With U.S. born children and grandchildren of immigrants, immigration contributed to half of this population growth. These immigrants, consisting of mostly Asian and Hispanic backgrounds, have drastically changed the composition of the U.S. population. In 2010, Asians and Hispanics made up 20 percent of the U.S. population, in contrast to a 6 percent share of Asians and Hispanics in 1970. It is predicted that by 2050, the share of immigrants in the United States will increase to one half of the entire population. With this rapid increase in diversity, many citizens have opposing views on its impact on the United States. In my opinion, an increase in immigration does contain both positive and negatives effects, but in general it provides an overriding positive influence on America’s society (“Population”).
To say that immigrants in America have experienced discrimination would be an understatement. Ever since the country formed, they have been seen as inferior, such as African-Americans that were unwillingly brought to the 13 colonies in the 17th century with the intention to be used as slaves. However, post-1965, immigrants, mainly from Central and South America, came here by choice. Many came with their families, fleeing from their native land’s poverty; these immigrants were in search of new opportunities, and more importantly, a new life. They faced abuse and Cesar Chavez fought to help bring equality to minorities.
Millions of immigrants over the previous centuries have shaped the United States of America into what it is today. America is known as a “melting pot”, a multicultural country that welcomes and is home to an array of every ethnic and cultural background imaginable. We are a place of opportunity, offering homes and jobs and new economic gains to anyone who should want it. However, America was not always such a “come one, come all” kind of country. The large numbers of immigrants that came during the nineteenth century angered many of the American natives and lead to them to blame the lack of jobs and low wages on the immigrants, especially the Asian communities. This resentment lead to the discrimination and legal exclusion of immigrants, with the first and most important law passed being the Chinese Exclusion Act. However, the discrimination the Chinese immigrants so harshly received was not rightly justified or deserved. With all of their contributions and accomplishments in opening up the West, they were not so much harming our country but rather helping it.
The United States of America and its large diversity of cultures has been a melting pot of the early 20th century . This Country has constantly been rebuilt by immigrants making it the world 's leading destination country . Descendants from various countries such as southern and eastern Europe , Asia , Central and South America , including the Caribbean fully integrate the U.S. today . However , within the last several years there has been a long unsolved issue on behalf of millions of undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. , and the question on behalf of whether they should be allowed to live in the U.S. without fear of deportation . Immigration in America has been one of the most controversial aspects of society and law . The demand for a change is high and the people 's voice in / to show this yet little , or no change has occurred .
“In 2009, the U.S. admitted over 1.1 million legal immigrants, just 6.5 percent of whom possessed employment skills that in demand in the United States” (Report by Immigration Progress). American is a nesting ground for immigrants from all around the world. An important issue in the United States is the problem of illegal immigration. An illegal immigrant is someone who migrates to another country, and breaks the immigration laws of a destined nation. The United States has by far the most immigrants than any other country and this is a catalyst to many of the problem that America is facing today. Due to the increase in Immigration, there is an increase in poverty and economic downfall in the United States. Factors like education, job conflicts, welfare, and unemployment all play a vital role in proving the theory.