Author of The Leavers, Lisa Ko, grew up in a suburb right outside of New York City. She was raised by her parents who immigrated to America from the Philippines. The novel The Leavers outlined the struggle of a young, Asian-American boy whose mother suddenly disappears. Later it is made know that she was captured by immigration authorities. There are many different factors that involve immigration and deportation that are outlined in this story but are not directed stated.
This novel aligns with deportation rules that were in America before 2014. When parents were separated from their children, they often end up in the foster care system or they were cared for by other family members. It is known that 1 in 5 children who are being raised by extended family members live in an immigration household (Wiltz 1). In 2014, Obama issued the DAPA and DACA Programs which delays deportation of immigrants whose children were born in the U.S in hopes to put off separation of families (1).
Since 2000, Asian immigration has increased steadily as Hispanic immigration has decreased. As of 2008, Asian-Americans represented the largest percent of immigrants in the U.S (Malik 1). The most used migration pathway for an Asian-American is through family-sponsored visas (Malik 1). Due to the demand for visas, Asian immigrants have to wait a the longest time for visa compared to other immigrant groups due to backlog. Other Avenues include work permits or student visas. Family-sponsored visas (like that sponsored by a sibling) take a much shorter time compared to a regular visa. For example, it can take 25 years for a green card, but only 14 for a family-sponsored visa. It is estimated that 4.2 million individuals are waiting for a family visa due to backlog (Malik 1).
Despite the considerably amount of time it may take an Asian immigrant to get to American, their impact on the U.S economy has been very positive. Its estimated that Asian-American’s own 1.5 million American businesses and hold the fasted growing buying power share (Malik 1). Even though they represent the largest percent of immigrants in the U.S and their impact on America has been very positive, Asian-American immigrants face many different challenges. They do not receive the due amount of respect from political parties due to language barriers and also are at risk for the model minority stereotype. This stereotype assumes that Asian-American immigrants have already achieved the “American Dream” therefore those that face normal challenges like unemployment or poverty get ignored by an unaccepting America. It is important that America recognizes the needs of all immigrant groups, and acknowledges the cracks that are present in the foundation of our immigration policies.
Works Cited
- “Deferred Action for Parents (DAPA).” National Immigration Law Center, 17 June 2016, www.nilc.org/issues/immigration-reform-and-executive-actions/dapasummary/.
Malik, Sanam. “Asian Immigrants in the United States Today.” Center for American Progress, 5 Feb. 2016, www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/news/2015/05/21/113690/asian-immigrants-in-the-unites-states-today/.
Wiltz, Teresa. “If Parents Get Deported, Who Gets Their Children?” If Parents Get Deported Who Gets Their Children | The Pew Charitable Trusts, www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2018/10/25/if-parents-get-deported-who-gets-their-children.
Thanks for this post! I liked how you made connections and comparisons between Asian American Immigrants vs other immigrants who come to the Unites States. I think this background helps the reader understand everything that is at play before they form an opinion about a certain race or ethic group who has immigrated to the United States. I also think that highlighting an immigrants impact on the population is very helpful when justifying why they are important to us. Oftentimes, people write off immigrants as a burden to the country and the economy. By highlighting the positive effects Asian Immigrants bring to the country, we can show those people that the immigrants are doing more harm than good.
Hi Cambria, I really enjoyed the information you provided in your blog post. It is very interesting to understand the struggles of immigration into the United States and recognize that it is a long, grueling process. I was unaware that so many Asian immigrants have currently been entering the United states.
Thank you for this informative post! I really appreciated all the details you included and felt that they really helped me to see just how long it can take to become an American citizen. I also found the statistics about Asian immigrants to be interesting and informative. I didn’t realize that Asian immigrants are currently the largest percentage of US immigrants! It’s unfortunate to hear how our government often fails to assist them and many other immigrants.
This is a great post. I knew that obtaining a green card or a visa was no quick process, but I had no clue that it could take well over 10 years until I read your post. I’m guessing the the current global epidemic has only slowed down the process even more. This is very unfortunate for everyone who has already waited many years. I also thought your point about there being an assumption that Asian-Americans have already achieved the “American Dream” was really insightful. I’m sure we will see this when doing the readings this week.
I love your post and the insight you brought out. I wonder about the whole DACA program and how it really works to keep families together. It is one of those things that constantly brings questions to my head because all I see is families being separated and though as if they are racist and a burden.
Hi Cambria!
Thank you for providing Lisa Ko’s background in your presentation. Due to her background, I think it allows her to connect better with the story she is creating. I also did not know that Asian-Americans were the largest group immigrating to America. It is inspiring to see the big, positive impact they have made on the US economy. Although, that does not mean they should be paid any less attention than any other group. The tribulations immigrants face is greatly depicted in The Leavers.
This post is very informational and it helps me to understand the whole aspect of the situation with the backlog is the long decider for what an immigrant needs to fully live in the United States. As well for the impact of immigrants is one of the most vital things here in America because they do a lot of work that keeps the wheels turning within each company and without them, it can cause devastation, but through the act that would be delaying their departure, it helps tremendously many families to keep their lives and survive within the economy. This is very important information to understand the situation of families and the process that they have to go through just to live in the United States.
Hi Cambria! Your context presentation included great background information about Lisa Ko and the pressing issues many Asian-American immigrants are facing today. I think your information regarding the “American Dream” and Asian-American immigrants highlights one of the largest problems in society. It is so easy for America to somewhat “take credit” for the successes of these Asian-American immigrants, but will ignore them in their struggles. Many of these issues and immigration policies need reforming and you did a great job at bringing attention to this. Good work!
Great post Cambria! Your presentation was very informative and provided a lot of facts I had no clue about. For example, I did not know Asian-Americans were the number one immigrates in the United States. I think it is always important to know the authors background and where they are from. It helps us readers visualize what they mean.