Problems of Chinese Immigrants in the US - Research Paper Example

? Problems of Chinese Immigrants in the U.S Table of contents Introduction 2. The present-day presence of theChinese in the U.S and their socio-economic status 3. A look into the various problems faced by the Chinese immigrants 3. 1. The language barrier 3. 2. Education of children-another hurdle 3. 3. Low level jobs – another menace 3. 4. Lack of proper housing 3. 5. Inability to access government services 3. 6. Physical isolation 3. 7. Identity problems as a result of cultural issues and family issues 3. 8. Negative interactions with the law enforcement 4. Is migration beneficial? 5. Steps to be successful in the United States 5. 1. Improve communication skills 5. 2. Think about qualification 5. 3. Be ready to live in the American society; not in Chinatowns 5. 4. Get knowledge about legal rights and social rights 5. 5. Do not hesitate to seek help 5. 6. Do it the legal way 6. Conclusion Abstract Asians consider the U.S as the dream country where they can make some quick bucks for becoming rich overnight. However, a look into the available data shows that the life there is not so good for everyone who migrates. People face issues ranging from racial discrimination, language issues, cultural issues, isolation, and various other problems which make life miserable. One gets a bright future in the U.S only when one reaches there in a legal way, and only when one manages to get a well paid job. Some important factors to lead a successful life in the U.S are good English skills, good education qualification, and enough knowledge about the various services available to immigrants and the legal rights of immigrants in employment and education. These factors can make life easy and comfortable in America. I. Introduction The Chinese immigration to the U.S is broadly categorized into three waves. The first one took place in 19th century when a large number of Chinese came to work as laborers in various fields like mining, rail projects, fisheries and agriculture. Though employers were exhilarated to have this cheap labor, the common white people rallied against this “cheap labor”. The Chinese workers faced discrimination from all areas ranging from media, church, and politicians. As a result of this stringent opposition, the Chinese Exclusion Act took birth in 1882. By the year 1924, the Chinese were barred from entering the U.S territory and those who were in the U.S were denied citizenship1. As Suryadinata points out, the period after 1940s World War II witnessed considerable change in the attitude as U.S and China were allies. After the war, the Magnuson Act came into force which put an end to discrimination against Chinese (126). As a result of this change, the second major wave occurred between 1949 and 1980s. The third wave started after 1980. In this wave, there were students, professionals, and illegal aliens. 2. The present-day presence of the Chinese in the U.S and their socio-economic status According to statistics noted by McCabe, between 1850 and 2010, the percentage of Chinese immigrants in the U.S population rose from 0.02% to 1.23%. That means the total number of Chinese born people residing in the U.S is about 1.8 million. Thus, the Chinese make nearly 4.5 % of the total foreign born in the U.S, thus making the second largest immigrant group after Mexicans (McCabe, “Chinese Immigrants in the United States”). For more details see Figure 1. The data for foreign born population by country of origin-2010 is given below Figure 1 Source: United States Census Bureau. “The Foreign-Born Population in the United States”. n.d. 9. Web. 18 Nov 2013. Another important point includes is their higher concentration in states like California and New York. More than half of the total Chinese immigrants reside in these two states. According to the same data, a nagging trend available is that out of every five Chinese immigrants, three are with limited English proficiency, and this lack of English proficiency is much higher in the Chinese as compared other immigrants. Regarding education, Chinese immigrants are more likely to have a bachelor’s degree than the native born. As McCabe reports, while 45.5 % of the former manages to attain a bachelor degree or higher, only 28.5% of the latter achieves the same. Also, the presence of Chinese immigrant men in the civilian labor force is much less as compared to the foreign-born men overall. They are 69.4% and 78.9% respectively. However, they perform better than the native born (67.8%)2. An interesting point to note at this juncture is that nearly 25% of the employed Chinese born work in areas like information technology, science and engineering. In addition, nearly 15 % work in management, business and financial positions and 20% work in a service industry. Regarding financial status, it can be observed that nearly 16 % of the Chinese immigrants live in poverty while the percentage of the total foreign born is 18.7%. In addition, this percentage is only slightly more than the percentage of the native born in poverty (14.7%) (McCabe, “Chinese Immigrants in the United States”). 3. A look into the various problems faced by the Chinese immigrants 3. 1. The language barrier As already observed, nearly two-third of the Chinese immigrants cannot speak English very well. As a result, they are unable to make useful and constructive relations in the communities where they live. Even the everyday tasks like shopping and travelling become exhausting. the following example will illustrate how this situation worsens their lives. A Chinese immigrant living in the U.S says he was unable to describe his role in a car accident to the investigating police officer (Garrett 5). Lee Chew, a Chinese immigrant explains in his autobiography; “When I went to work for that American family, I could not speak a word of English, and I did not know anything about housework…I did not understand what the lady said to me, but she showed me how to cook, wash, iron, sweep, dust, make beds…” (417-423). Admittedly, this language barrier leads to extreme social isolation, which, in turn, results in the creation of places like Chinatown3. Leong observes in his book “Chinese America” that a large number of people prefer to live in Chinatown because it saves them from speaking English. The scholar observes that nearly two-thirds of the population in Chinatown only speak Chinese. While a quarter manages to speak both English and Chinese, just 10% is monolingual English-speaking (113). However, after migrating to the U.S, such an escape is meaningless as the sole purpose of migration, that is economic success, is defeated. View figure 2 for knowing ‘percentage of the foreign-born population by language spoken at home and English-speaking ability by country of birth: 2010 (Population 5 years and over)’. Source: United States Census Bureau. “The Foreign-Born Population in the United States”. n.d. 13. Web. 18 Nov 2013. Studies show that immigrants highly value English as a Second Language (ESL) program, and many of them consider ESL classes important for getting a good job. However, a Chinese immigrant laments, “A lot of times I am not able to follow the lesson, so I self-study” (Garrett 6). In addition, observations show that most of the immigrants are forced to meet their financial needs immediately on reaching the U.S, and hence they are tied up with long work hours and busy lives. This is the reason why they give more attention to earning than attending English programs (Garrett 7). A scholar points out that learning English is a time-consuming process. In addition, there are very few schools at present offering English classes, and the timings they offer are not so convenient for the immigrant laborers. It is observed that this lack of ESL programs is partially a result of lack of government funding. Lack of proper identification also affects the English learning of Chinese immigrants. A research participant reports that as she did not have a Social Security Number, she was unable to take her GED after learning English (Garrett 8). 3. 2. Education of children-another hurdle Education of children is a very important issue for the Chinese immigrants. To illustrate, in Orange County, some Chinese immigrants live in three family houses so that children get better school districts. Still, the first problem in education is that many schools do not have bilingual teachers and aids. As a result, the children of immigrant parents are made to lag behind in school performance4. The second important problem is that such schools often present excessive levels of racial discrimination, often more than what is seen in real society; and all these factors make the immigrant children fall behind academically (“Immigrant Children and Their Families ..”). A connector working with the Chinese immigrants in Orange County says, “The schools ask the kids to translate to counsel the kids. That is a problem…They cannot translate the problem to the kids…There is no proactive plan for moving them from like getting an F in chemistry to a B” (Garrett 10). As a result of all these frustrations, the children wait eagerly to turn 16, and they leave schools to join gangs. Yet another problem to be pointed out is the inability of the parents to help their children in education because of their lack of English knowledge. All these issues collectively make the education of immigrant children a very difficult task. 3. 3. Low level jobs – another menace A problem with Chinese immigrants is the difficulty getting good jobs. On reaching America, the first priority for an immigrant is to get any job to start making income. However, after a while, they find it extremely difficult to get into a better job. The first barrier, according to scholars like Rohter is language. It is observed by a connector that the jobs which traditionally demanded less English are now demanding more language skills. In fact, traditionally, there were many entry level jobs like moving and packing. However, these days, even these jobs require that the person must be able to speak and follow the instructions of the supervisor (Garrett 10). That means the ability to read and write English. Another reason behind this inability is the absence of American education. These days, employers are concerned about the education background in the United States. A Chinese immigrant says, even if “you are an accountant in China, they will choose somebody with a U.S diploma.” As a result, most of the immigrants end up doing “jobs that Americans do not want” (Garrett 10). Yet another important issue is the absence of Social Security Number for many people. If they were legal immigrants, they would be able to find better jobs. Additionally, there are issues like lack of knowledge about job training programs. According to many of them, the way to seek progress is ESL. In addition, some people do GED. However, for most of the immigrants, the easiest way is to depend on the network of friends to know about new job vacancies (Bernstein, “Chinese Immigrants”). Things become severe when the immigration is illegal. In the article “Chinese Immigrants Chase Opportunity in America”, Lu narrates the story of an illegal Chinese immigrant. Firstly, he had to pay huge amounts to the agents who managed to send him to America illegally. On reaching there, the immigrant says, “I am never certain about work. Sometimes I work a year, sometimes a few days, sometimes one day, sometimes half a day” (Liu). The picture becomes even clearer when one reads the article “Making It Ashore, but Still Chasing U.S Dream”. The article presents a girl who works for 10 hours a day at a Chinese restaurant for $ 5. She has to pay off her smuggling debt of $65,000 (Bernstein). And, for illegal immigrants, things are even worse. 3. 4. Lack of proper housing The mere fact is that as they are getting low-paid jobs, the immigrants find it difficult to get a good accommodation. Other reasons are language and racial barriers. As a result of all these reasons, there are areas like the Chinatown in Philadelphia. The book “Chinese America” by Leong shows the picture of the Chinatown. The streets are filthy and narrow, and one can see teenagers smoking in restaurants. In addition, the scholar describes two families living in a “five-by-eight room” (87). This crowded and congested situation leads to lawlessness like drugs and gangs. Admittedly, the Chinatown, since its beginning, has been viewed as the center of all sorts of crimes and violence, and that observation is correct to a great extent. The illegal immigrants who cannot make both ends meet and the school dropouts who are fed up with the discrimination resort to crime for a living. For the new immigrants, keeping their children away from such gangs and localities is a high priority but very difficult task. 3. 5. Inability to access government services Lack of legal status is the problem faced by many Chinese immigrants. Hence, these immigrants and refugees are unable to seek help. First of all, these people prefer to be invisible because they do not want to be caught by the immigration authorities. Firstly, this isolation makes them unaware about various services available. Secondly, sometimes authorities ask them to show identification. The situation worsens in the case of medical care because most immigrants remain uninsured. As a result, these people depend on home remedies like ‘Tai Chi’ (Zhou 341-342). 3. 6. Physical isolation The families often face serious levels of social isolation and the situation is rather serious in the case of housewives and children. Females of most of these immigrant families are unable to drive a car and even if they are able, the laws do not allow them to drive one. Even if the family has a car, most of the time, husbands drive the same to their workplace and wives remain at home in dangerous neighborhoods with no one to approach in case of an emergency. When both parents are working, children are left alone at home in such dangerous situations. 3. 7. Identity problems as a result of cultural issues and family issues The American born Chinese are called a large number of names, the most common being “banana” and “ABC”. Though the Chinese born manage to hold on to their own culture, the American born are in constant touch with the American culture and values. Therefore, they prefer to adopt the new culture as it is necessary for their wellbeing in their immediate peer group and the mainstream society. This often creates conflicts in families. To illustrate, Tung is a “banana” who depicts the problems created by this confused identity in his own life in his book named “Chinese Americans and Their Immigrant Parents” (65). 3. 8. Negative interactions with the law enforcement The immigrants often report harassment in the hands of law enforcement. A Chinese immigrant says that a Huntington Beach white kid who wears baggy clothes is never picked up by the police while a Chinese student sitting at the mall wearing the same dress and waiting for his mother is likely to be picked up by the police and typecast as a gang member (Garrett 24). 4. Is migration beneficial? Admittedly, the elaborate list of problems will normally perplex even the toughest ones. However, it is seen that in 'all socioeconomic factors', Chinese immigrants perform better than the national average. To illustrate, according to one Forbes report “One significant difference between Chinese and American households: debt” by Weagley, the median household income of the Chinese Americans is $41,583 while the national average is 30% less than this. When one compares this with the Chinese annual income, that is just $10,220, one can see there is a high difference in income (“One big difference..”). However, before reaching the conclusion that migration is gainful, one has to think about the living expenses too. It is pointed out by the Bureau of Labor Statistics that the average family budget for a two parents-three children family is $51,442 (“Consumer expenditure 2012”). That means the average yearly income of the Chinese Americans is below what is needed for a standard living. This finding is supported by “Success of Asian Americans: Fact or Fiction” issued by United States Commission on Civil Rights in 1980. According to the report, nearly one-third of the Chinese American males and 16.1% of the Chinese American females were employed in the lowest paying occupational categories. Admittedly, the percentage of Chinese males in technical and science professions is higher than the native average, but their presence in the lowest paying jobs also is much higher. Thus, though some Chinese Americans are exceptionally successful, the others live a miserable life. Hence, one reaches the conclusion that one's future in the U.S depends on one's education, linguistic skills, and whether one uses legal ways to reach there. 5. Steps to be successful in the United States 5. 1. Improve communication skills As already seen, language barrier is the biggest hurdle everywhere. One who is planning to immigrate to the U.S for work should start improving English well in advance. As already seen in the analysis, a person reaching the U.S without the ability to communicate in English is likely to face a number of problems. To do shopping, to travel, to seek job, and to communicate while on the job one needs English. After reaching the U.S, one should find time to attend ESL classes until one is nearly as good as a native speaker. 5. 2. Think about qualification As the analysis proves, employers are getting more and more careful about educational qualification. Also, it is observed that the lowest paying jobs will not be able to offer a reasonable income enough for survival. Thirdly, it is also noticed that Chinese immigrants find more employment opportunities in technical and scientific areas. Moreover, one can also think about improving ones qualifications by getting some American education. This will help one seek better job opportunities in the future. 5. 3. Be ready to live in the American society; not in Chinatowns Analysis shows that most of the Chinese Americans prefer to live in Chinatowns because they are worried about the discrimination and profiling they are likely to face in the white community. However, this effort to live invisible does not benefit them in the long-term. The more they stay away, the more difficult it will be to join the mainstream society thereafter. What is required is proper preparation before entering the country. Proper understanding about the culture there and proper knowledge about their language will give enough confidence to live in areas away from Chinatowns. 5. 4. Get knowledge about legal rights and social rights As it became evident, most immigrants are unaware about their legal rights for equal employment and protection against profiling and harassment by law enforcement officers. Before reaching the U.S, it would be wise for immigrants to gather as much information as possible about the laws related to immigrants. 5. 5. Do not hesitate to seek help As is seen, most of the time, lack of knowledge and fear of deportation force immigrants to avoid seeking help and advice. It is highly advisable for immigrants to have clear knowledge about the various agencies and people who can be approached for help. In addition, enough time should be spent on understanding the various aspects of approaching such agencies for help. 5. 6. Do it the legal way In total, it becomes evident that things become worse for those who resort to illegal ways of immigration. First of all, those who reach the U.S always live in constant fear of deportation as they can be caught any time. Secondly, such people do not have any chances of getting citizenship even if they manage to live there for many years. In addition, it becomes difficult for them to get a job as most employers will fear to employ people without identification. Even if they manage to get a job, it will be the lowest paying one and will not be able to seek legal help in case of exploitation or accidents in the workplace. 6. Conclusion To sum up, one can say that one gets a bright future in the U.S only when one reaches there in a legal way and only when one manages to get a well paid job. For a successful life there, firstly, one should collect enough knowledge about the various services available to immigrants and the legal rights of immigrants in employment and education. In addition, one should make sure that one has enough linguistic skills to survive in the workplace as otherwise one is in danger of getting a low paying job or no job at all. Moreover, it is highly necessary to try ones best to get some American qualification as this will not only boost confidence but also increase the chances of getting a job. One can make a good future in America by taking all the above factors into consideration. Works Cited Bureau of Labor Statistics. Consumer expenditure 2012. September 10, 2013. Web 18 Nov 2013 http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cesan.nr0.htm Bernstein, Nina. "Making It Ashore, but Still Chasing U.S. Dream." New York Times 9 Apr. 2006: A1(L). Academic OneFile. Web. 18 Nov. 2013. Chew, Lee. “The Biography of a Chinaman”. The Independent, 15(February 19, 1903), 417-423. Garrett, Katherine E. (Ed.). “Living in America: Challenges Facing New Immigrants and Refugees”. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Web 18 Nov 2013. “Immigrant Children and Their Families: Issues for Research and policy”. Board on Children and Families. Web 18 Nov 2013 http://www.princeton.edu/futureofchildren/publications/docs/05_02_06.pdf Leong, Frederick T. L, ed. Chinese America. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, 1998. Print. Lu, Irene Jay. Chinese Immigrants Chase Opportunity in America. NPR. Org. November 19, 2007. Web. 18 Nov. 2013. McCabe, Kristen. Chinese Immigrants in the United States. Migration Information Source. Web 18 Nov 2013 http://www.migrationinformation.org/usfocus/display.cfm?ID=876 Rohter, Larry. "New home for Chinese experience in America." New York Times 9 July 2009: C1(L). Academic OneFile. Web. 18 Nov. 2013. Suryadinata, Leo. Migration, Indigenization and Interaction: Chinese Overseas and Globalization. Singapore: World Scientific, 2011. Print. “Success of Asian Americans”: Fact or Fiction. Web 18 Nov 2013 http://www.law.umaryland.edu/marshall/usccr/documents/cr11064.pdf Tung, Chu Nei., and shih-Tsin. Tung. Chinese Americans and their Immigrant parents. Binghamton: The Haworth Clinical Practice Press, 2000. Print. Weagley, Robert O. “One big difference between Chinese and American households: debt”. Forbes, June 24, 2010. Web 18 Nov 2013 http://www.forbes.com/sites/moneybuilder/2010/06/24/one-big-difference-between-chinese-and-american-households-debt/ Zhou, Min. “Contemporary Chinese America: Immigration, Ethnicity, and Community Transformation.” City & Community. 9 (2010): 341-342. Print. Read More