Migrating from another country to the United States for a better life can be very rewarding. However there are many unforeseen challenges in moving to the United States, the biggest one being employment. More often than not immigrants have a very hard time finding a job in the United States, even if they had good jobs in their respective countries. Not only are the hours bad, they pay is very minimal, and according to the Quinn Law Firm, a few of the common struggles for immigrant workers are working long hours without being paid overtime and oftentimes paid below minimum wage. These struggles make it very difficult for someone to assimilate in the United States.
I bring up this topic because it seemed relevant in The Leavers when Polly first moved to America and got a very bad job in some factory that worked long hours and did not pay well. Along with horrible pay and grueling hours, immigrants have to overcome language and obstacle barriers according to Washington Technology. When someone moves into a large city in big country like the United States, not being able to communicate with co workers and employers is a major obstacle to career success and will likely lead to getting a very poor job instead of one they might be qualified for.
These struggle make me think of the self versus the other theory we have been talking about throughout the semester. Immigrants are often thought of as the other in the workforce. The Chicago Tribune had a really interesting article that talked about how highly skilled immigrants face many obstacles when finding a job in the United States and often have to settle for lower level jobs than what they are used to. They are thought of as the “other” since it is assumed they don’t know anything, even if they are qualified. Given the language and cultural barriers, lack of significant job opportunities, low pay and long hours are just some of the reasons it is hard for an immigrant to live a successful life in the United States.
Works Cited
Alison Bowen, Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz. Skilled Immigrants Often Struggle to Put Degrees, Credentials to Use in U.S. 27 Mar. 2017, www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-merit-immigration-brain-waste-20170326-story.html.
Bouglai, Katherine. “WTIA Blog: 5 Biggest Challenges Immigrants Face When Job-Hunting.” WTIA, 12 Mar. 2019, www.washingtontechnology.org/5-biggest-challenges-immigrants-face-looking-job-us-overcome/.
“How Serious Are Employment Challenges for Immigrants?” The Quinn Law Firm, www.thequinnlawfirm.com/articles/how-serious-are-employment-challenges-for-immigrants/.
I appreciate how you went about this topic. Many countries wish they could have the same standard of living that the United States has. Many people leave their home countries to experience the United States and the freedoms that we have. However, the people that migrate here do not always receive the best jobs. I believe that the book, The Leavers, even references this when Deming’s mother talks about moving to Florida. She mentions that she would leave her job at the nail salon and have to become a maid in Flordia to make money for her family. The context that this is said in the book, it demonstrates the struggles that are faced by someone who has migrated to the United States.
Mitchell Bachman I really do agree with your comment and also the approach that was taken during this presentation, I defiantly believe coming from a country outside of the United States is always hard not only culturally but also just adjusting to how to gain income and also obtain a standard that every American receives for living here.