A Real Solution to the Immigration Problem - Term Paper Example

Duy Do (Tony) Sabeen Sandhu SOCI 33 14 July Immigration Part Extended Introduction to the Social Problem My research concentrates on the subject of immigration and it will develop the study with the attempt to explain how immigration is a social problem. The paradigm of symbolic interactionism would be the best theory for this topic. Immigration is an issue of great interest world over conceivably because of its perceived effects on society. In essence, there is no region in the world where immigration does not influence social and political discourse. America is a perfect illustration of the extent of immigration as a social issue and how it influences society in a significant way (Fairchild 48-50). America is a country whose growth and development was greatly derived from immigrant communities most of which later became Americans. Immigration has equally been a source of social, cultural and political confrontations that have shaped America. Immigration is of great interest to me because of the immense role it plays in society both negatively and positively. In America, for instance, immigration has been incidental to the development of the country in several ways. Immigrants provided cheap labor during the industrial evolution and early development stages of the country. Furthermore, the assimilation of immigrant communities into the American society advanced the country’s diversity profile. Conflicts created by immigration often revolve around the perceived threat to a country’s culture by the immigrants who are torn between two cultures. Such a concern leads to strife between resident communities and immigrants though most of the conflicts are merely based on perceptions. According to Carl (45-52) immigration is a social problem because of how it creates tensions and misunderstandings in society. Basically, immigration is a source of social strife pitting resident communities and immigrant communities most of which are based on culture and economic factors. Culturally, immigrants are perceived as a threat to a nation’s culture owing to the fact that immigrants belong to a different cultural heritage that is seen as a huge threat to the already existing culture of their new home. Also, immigrants present a threat of cultural erosion in the sense that future generations of a country will not have anything in common. Though this problem is more attributed to the failure of immigrants to assimilate and become part of the resident culture than their presence in the country. Carl (79-81) further suggests that immigration has immense economic implications in society. Economically, immigrants are perceived as a challenge to materials and opportunities, therefore, creating competition for resources and jobs with local communities. Other considerations include crime whereby immigration is often linked to increased levels of crime in the society or sometimes the society may resort to crime as a way of articulating the immigration problem. However, there are some researches that show the opposite. For instance, Sampson’s research indicates that areas with many immigrants are significantly safer areas. Immigration has been subject to literary dialogue since time immemorial and many thinkers and scholars share their diverse opinion on the vast subject. Numerous scholars examine immigration in detail evaluating the nature of a problem it presents to society. In essence, immigration as a social problem has attracted the attention of numerous researchers, authors and scholars who examine the issue from different theoretical perspectives. Robert Sampson tackles the subject from a practical perspective by unearthing the recent conflicts and issues emanating from immigration in the United States through which he presents the prevailing conflicts regarding immigration (Sampson 28-33). In his article, Rethinking Crime and Immigration, Robert Sampson reveals that immigration is indeed a social problem, and it greatly influences the society. The role played by immigration in the political discourse particularly in the political contests has been captured by the author in a very explicit manner capturing the real essence of immigration in America. Though the author specifically focuses on immigration as a social problem in the United States, it is evident that the predicament affects all countries without discrimination. Robert Sampson (29) asserts that cultural and social issues associated with immigration easily become subjects of political arguments in the run up to elections. This is typical to all countries and regions having immigrant communities. Robert Sampson exemplifies how each presidential candidate spells out the vision for the immigration issue indicating the magnitude in the America society. The real storm was set by the incidences of the crime involving immigrant communities that led to a national outcry against illegal immigration that has prevailed in America for a lengthy period of time. Similarly, Pamela Paxton and Anthony Mughan, examine immigration as a social problem from a perspective of assimilation where they assert that the conflicts associated with immigration are centered on their failure to fully assimilate into the culture of their new country. Therefore, they think that if immigrants assimilate into the culture of the new country such conflicts could be reduced significantly. In their article titled Whats to Fear from Immigrants? Creating an Assimilationist Threat Scale, the two authors describe threat to culture as a huge factor behind conflicts with immigrant communities (Paxton and Mughan 549-550). Immigrants are perceived as people trapped in two cultures and that they may dilute the culture of their resident countries. The subject of immigration has been thoroughly researched and many hypotheses have been advance towards understanding the practical problem of immigration (Borjas 38). The most studied parameter of immigration is the thorough laws of immigration that have been instituted in various states to curb immigration and their implications. Hence, immigration legislation along with their impact is an area that has been well studied and several deductions offered with regard to the same. In essence, the touch laws can be described as discriminatory and oppressive on one hand and unnecessary and counterproductive on the other. This field of research endeavors to further examination into the issue of immigration. Among the most debated issues is the implication of the enacted laws for immigration; as to whether they serve the purpose or not. The discussion of the study will be organized in an orderly manner so as to reflect the essence of the topic as regards the theoretical background of the subject. Therefore, the discussion will begin with the evaluation of the background of immigration; providing the required basis upon which to base the discussion of the wider research. Subsequently, a detailed literature review will be developed to underscore the contents of other publications and previous research. The research will have several headings that will reflect the order, purpose and nature of the research. At the heart of the headings will be the clear representation of the inherent attributes of the research that will be developed in accordance to the subject being addressed. Of course the headings will include abstract, introduction, and background information, literature reviews, methodology, data collection, findings, and discussion of findings, conclusions and recommendations. The headings will symbolize the relevant stage of the study and will be used as indicators of the progress of the study. Similarly, the purpose of the paper will be broken into the respective stages that will be represented by the headings. Studies relate to each other in several ways, which include subject under review, methods, findings, conclusions and recommendations (Bray 35). As a result, the research process is a uniform process that involves similar features that in every aspect resemble each other in a wide way. The research is limited by budgetary constraints, unavailability of sufficient information, poor response from participants and time limitations. However, efforts will be put in place to guarantee plenty resources and time for purposes of the study and the researcher employs the best methods in evaluating the research. The research will expound and complement previous studies on immigrations more so the impacts of immigration laws as well as the social and political implications of immigration. This would illuminate current and future polices regarding immigration through the process of evaluating and learning from the past. America is the best example of a country of immigrants and will be perfectly utilized in evaluating the holistic essence of immigration. In the end, the research will be successful in determining the underlying issues of immigration along with conducting a thorough examination of the relevant issues affecting the wider subject of immigration. Part 2: Literature Review Invisible Immigrants, Old and Left With ‘Nobody to Talk To’ They congregate 5 days a week at a shopping precinct called the Hub, sitting on real planters and sipping flasks of chai. These aged immigrants from India are associates of an all-male cluster called The 100 Years Living Club (Brown 3). They talk concerning crime in close by Oakland, the low-priced flights to Delhi plus how to deal with disobedient daughters-in-law. Collectively, they repel the well of solitude and separation that so frequently accompany the progress to this nation late in life from far-off places. Meeting alongside the parking bay, the men were insensible to their associate mall rats, backpack-carrying youngsters swigging power drinks. In this nation of twittering youth, Mr. Singh along with his friends constitutes a gathering force: the aged, who now constitute America’s highest-growing migrant grouping. Since 1990, the amount of foreign-born people beyond 65 has developed to 4.3 million up from 2.7 million — or approximately 11 percent of the state’s newly arrived immigrants. Several are aging parents of adapted American citizens, joining up with their families. Yet specialists say that America’s cultural elderly are in the middle of the most secluded populace in America. 70 percent of fresh older immigrants converse little or no English. A good number do not drive. Certain studies propose depression as well as psychological predicaments are extensive, the consequence of language barricades, a dearth of social associations and values that sometimes are divergence with the overriding American culture, counting those of their incorporated children. The velocity of the demographic alteration is leading numerous cities to straighten to the growing numbers of aged parents in their midst. Fremont started a mobile mental health entity for homebound seniors and recruited helper ambassadors to assist older immigrants steer social service officialdoms. In Chicago, a system of nonprofit factions has started The Depression Project, a complex of society groups assisting elderly migrants and others survive. But their difficulties can go unseen because they regularly do not seek out help. There is a sentiment that problems are incredibly individual, and within the family, said Gwen Yeo, the co-executive of the Geriatric Education Center at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Many who have pursued their grown kids here have pleasing lives; excluding life in this nation does not forever go according to chart for seniors piloting the new, at times pointy, emotional ground, which regularly implies living under a child’s roof. The article Invisible Immigrants, Old and Left With ‘Nobody to Talk To’ properly documents the lives of elderly immigrants and illuminates on the wider implications of immigration. The article is of great relevance to the question addressed in this assignment because it sheds more light on the prevalence of immigration as a social problem. The lives of the immigrants as stated in this article basically confirm that immigration is a social problem and necessitate the formulation of a solution to address the issue. Therefore, the article is of great relevance to subject matter addressed and covered in this paper. Whats to Fear from Immigrants? Creating an Assimilationist Threat Scale Paxton, Pamela and Mughan, Anthony in their publication titled, Whats to Fear from Immigrants? Creating an Assimilationist Threat Scale content that cultural threat, affirmed in latest studies of anti-immigrant opinion, is properly evaluated in the U.S. case as assimilationist threat: an indignant view that migrants are failing to assume the cultural customs and existence of their new homeland. They discover the meaning in addition to form of assimilationist risk in the minds of Americans in the course of an examination of four focus groups (i.e. 2 in Los Angeles, CA, and 2 in Columbus, OH). Using data from the focus groupings, we build up and test a set of review questions covering three elements of immigrants promise to their new state: language, efficiency, and citizenship. We generate a synopsis scale of assimilationist hazard that can be employed by other investigators seeking to comprehend the causes and outcomes of anti-immigrant emotion. A hostile rejoinder to immigrants is and has long been, characteristic of the world’s democracies. Yet the United States, itself conceivably the archetypal immigrant society, has a long history of prejudice against newcomers to its shores. Our objectives in this manuscript are to map the shape that cultural menace takes in the intellect of Americans and to measure it consistently so that its collision on social and political manners can be investigated. This sufficiently, completely, and dependably measure what we tag assimilationist threat; we merge focus group psychiatry and review research (Paxton and Mughan 550-553). This blend of methodologies permits us to appreciate assimilationist threat as it prevails in the psyches of Americans instead of compelling our own predetermined ideas. Center groups permit people to state their opinions in their own utterances, make their own organizations, and increase their own ideas, promising as absolute a picture of participants thinking as probable (Paxton and Mughan 552-554). They as well help us to write survey questions in the everyday language of prospective respondents. A review of over 300 students, intended around these questions, permits us to test and authenticate a scale of use to other researchers. This article presents immigration as a social problem with its basis on cultural perceptions. Therefore, the article answers the research question of this assignment through acknowledging that immigration is indeed a social problem and also by diagnosing the problem as being based on the immigrants perceived reluctance to assimilate into the local population. Similarly, through presenting a threat on cultural heritage, the authors answer the research question of this assignment by recommending a solution to the problem. The authors suggest that in order to create a lasting solution to immigration, immigrants must willingly assimilate into the culture of their host countries. This will erase the prevailing suspicions and create a new identity for the immigrants without contradicting that of the host country and its natives. Immigration is a recognized social problem facing many countries but which is typified in the United States. From the research and evaluation of the relevant literature associated with immigration it is evident that as a social problem immigration has a lot of effects on the immigrants, host country and to general world. As a result, there is great need for the development of a formidable, reliable and permanent solution to the pressing problem of immigration. Such a solution will offer guidelines that will emancipate modern societies from the vagaries of immigration though the development of such a solution will definitely take time and involve the consideration of several parameters. Part 3; Solution to Immigration as a Social Problem Immigration as a social problem has several dimensions that ought to be considered in the process of creating a formidable solution. It is an established fact that immigration affects virtually all nations across the globe and that there is no society in the world that is not affected by immigration. Subsequently, immigration is well exemplified in the United States which remains the most affected country by immigration both positively and negatively. By now several countries and states have attempted to address the immigration problem in a number of ways, mechanisms have been laid in place with the aim of regulating immigration on addressing the problems associated with it. Among the most exhausted methods of dealing with immigration has been the ratification of laws along with regulations with the endeavor of curtailing illegal immigration or simply controlling their activities. In essence, several states in the United States have enacted numerous laws that aim at controlling the vast immigration problem. In some instances, harsh laws have been ratified by state assemblies that have raised eyebrows over their ethical consideration. However, far from raising concern in society the enactment of such laws is a pointer to the prevailing immigration problem in the United States at large. Immigration, particularly illegal immigration, has been associated with several social ills including crime as well as other economic inconveniences like diluting the labor market and lowering the wage ratio creating a competition for jobs with the local inhabitants. There have as well been instances where illegal immigration has been blamed for the joblessness among natives as illegal immigrants take lower wage for the jobs. Such circumstances have necessitated states and other authorities to take certain measures in addressing the issue of immigration. However, there is a need to develop a consultative, long-term and broad-based policy strategy that will fully address the immigration problem in the United States. Immigration is a real social problem in the United States, which requires a real solution. Other than the known problems associated with the immigrant community like the tax burdens, the aliens are a great strain to the country’s resources through overcrowded heath facilities, transportation as well as the widespread prevalence of violence and drugs. The generosity and compassionate nature of Americans have served as a welcoming gesture to the immigrants. However, the very heritage and structure of the great country is at risk. There is the necessity for a lasting solution to the perturbing problem of immigration. When the benefits of immigration are weighed against the burdens, the burdens outnumber the benefits implying that immigration is a serious hazard to the country. Studies indicate that for each dollar contributed by immigrants through tax, they withdraw ten dollars in the form of benefits. Additionally, the immigrants are a great burden to the country’s social services (like education and health). As a result, the best solution is to turn aliens into citizens, this will offer several avenues through which the immigrant community will cease to burden the country and make the immigrants responsible for their own life. Legitimizing the citizenship of immigrants will end the compassionate window through which the immigrants exert a lot of pressure on the American economy and society at large. The approach to be used in inculcating immigrants into the American citizenry will be based on diverse considerations and methodologies through which the different perspectives of immigration will be addressed. The relevant considerations of immigrants in the naturalization process will constitute eight-point solution to immigration as a social problem. Primarily, each last immigrant ought to enroll with the government and affirm their willingness to become legal citizens (Boone 1). This will lay the ground for their accommodation into the American citizenry whereby all those immigrants who will not be registered with the authorities should submit themselves for enrolment. If the immigrants find it difficult to accept registration or in case they are not willing to become citizens then they will have no choice apart from leaving the country. This condition will be necessitated by the fact that no more illegal immigrants will be allowed in the country again. The immigrants will either accept to be legalized as citizens or leave the country. Subsequently, the immigrants will be expected to obtain temporary work permits which will have a certain time limits. This will ensure that immigrants are easily identifiable when searching for jobs and that their whereabouts can be monitored on a regular basis. This will significantly reduce the uncertainty involving the immigrant activities and will reduce the incidence of crime and other irresponsible behavior that is associated with immigrant especially when they are not documented. To diminish the financial, as well as economic load of illegal immigrants, stringent laws ought to be established through which the authorities will obtain the taxes on funds received in accordance to the rules that govern taxation. Though the taxes will not be much, this will also result into low deductions as is the case with ordinary Americans. Such an initiative will be highly effective in curbing the prevailing financial and economic burden the immigrants exert on the country (Boone 1). Law breaking activities must be penalized irrespective of who is involved. The migrant community should never be spared from the penalties of law breaking since it will lead to more illegal activities. In line with this consideration, fines will be evaluated, and only poor Americans or students will be granted a chance to pay later conceivably at a lower rate but above all the law must take its course. Once immigrants become citizens they must be fully subjected to the law of the land where any activities of low breaking will be treated as the law stipulated. The process of transforming the citizens into citizens will be established by the government and will take a period of three years. Through this period, the immigrants will be prepared to join the American citizenry through a learning and induction process that will constitute learning the English language, history of America along with the most essential laws of the country. The program will be strictly developed to reward those who comply and expel those who fail to adhere to the requirements (Boone 1). To further save the country from the economic burden of immigration, regulations will be developed to ensure that no benefit excluding emergency treatment will be extended to people who are not citizens, more so illegal immigrants. These facilities and benefits will be availed to citizens making it unattractive for people to just break in and benefit from the facilities of Americans. Apart from encouraging immigrants to become citizens, this move will dissuade illegal immigration. The aspect of granting direct citizenship to kids of illegal immigrant’s should be stopped because it is not appropriate; this amounts to giving such children more rights that those conferred to other Americans. Stricter laws on hiring illegal immigrants should be established to ensure that employers only hire people who are American citizens (Boone 1). As a result, any person who employs illegal immigrants will be considered as breaking the law and subjected to trial and eventually punished. Hiring illegal immigrants is a conduit through which America suffers in several ways because immigrants are lured to the country by employers who promise to hire them. Eventually, most of the problems facing the country stem from the activities of employers who lure immigrants into the country. In response to this problem, hefty fines and penalties should be advanced to such employers; such amounts can be determined by calculating to total sums of money they have paid those illegal immigrants. Such hefty and sitter penalties will put an end to the aspect of hiring illegal immigrants. Once this window is sealed, the number of illegal immigrants in the United States will drastically drop. There is a need for a clear, concise, and permanent solution toward the prevalence of immigration in the United States. As a social problem, immigration requires urgent solutions that will not only save the county from the gigantic economic and financial burdens but also address the social issues of crime and drugs in the American society. The paper has discussed the solution developed to deal with the immigration problem in America and outlined how the solution will work along with its benefits both in the short-run and the future results. The paper started by appreciating immigration as a social problem in the wider society. This was followed by the assertion that there is a pressing need of a steadfast and long-term answer to the immigration issue. This was categorically followed by an eight-point solution through which immigration as a social problem can be handed in the United States. In a nutshell, the solution involves the naturalization of all the illegal immigrants in the United States; a process through which the illegal immigrants will be taken through a three-year initiative to transform them into legal citizens. This will be followed by the development of stricter rules and regulations to ensure that once they become citizens there will be no other avenues through which more illegal immigrants will enter the country. The punishment of employers hiring illegal immigrants will be part of these tough laws that will endeavor to make America free of illegal immigrants. Works Cited Boone, Pat. “A Real Solution to the Immigration Problem.” Newsmax, 10 May 2010. Web. 26 July 2012. Borjas, George. Mexican Immigration to the United States. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007. Print Bray, Ilona. U.S. Immigration Made Easy. London: Nolo, 2011. Print Brown, Patricia. “Invisible Immigrants, Old and Left With ‘Nobody to Talk To’”. New York Times. Aug 30, 2009. Web. 14 Jul 2012. Carl, John. Think Social Problems Census Update. New York: Prentice Hall PTR, 2011. Fairchild Pratt Henry. Immigration: A World Movement and Its American Significance. Washington: Hardpress Publishing, 2012. Paxton, Pamela and Mughan, Anthony. “Whats to Fear from Immigrants? Creating an Assimilationist Threat Scale.” Political Psychology, Vol. 27, No. 4, 2006 Sampson, Robert. “Rethinking Crime and Immigration” American Sociological Association Vol. 7, No. 1, (2008) pp. 28–33. Print. Read More