Immigration in the US - Essay Example

?PART Do women have more to gain or more to lose from migration (for instance, compared to men)? You can think about this issue in terms of the causes of migration, the relative difficulty/ease of migrating for women, the occupational and economic status of women migrants in the host society, or the impact of migration on women’s social status within the family/household. Women appear to be the losers in the critical global issue of migration. The cultural, political and socioeconomic impacts of migration have been found to be making women a victim of the issue. The complexities involved in the process negatively influences women immigrants. Women choose to be immigrants, being taking the role autonomous workers who support their families in their native countries. Immigrant women work as housekeepers, baby sitters and nurses. Manufacturing sector also employs migrant women. Lack of an effective legal immigration framework, lack of policies, poor international protection mechanism and various other factors make women immigrants struggle in the processes. Global restructuring is not the only factor that influenced female immigrants and the related affairs. Women’s autonomy, their decision making power, gender roles, influence of family members and society are few factors that influence women immigration. Patriarchal control over household labor and various other traditions have undergone changes that influence women immigration. Cultural and material experiences of immigrants have enabled a transition from patriarchal to egalitarian relations in domestic and other activities. Women have been elevated their roles as they become the co-partners in heading the household. A change in division of labor that assigned some domestic responsibilities to men have brought a solace to some immigrants like Dominican immigrants. Immigrant experience has improved the gender relations for Dominican immigrants, females being the ultimate beneficiaries. However certain other groups like Cuban immigrants however put their females to labor market just to upgrade their socioeconomic status. The struggle over domestic authority has triggered disunion and divorce. Single women, loosing their husbands’ financial contributions, fail to retain the middle class standard of living and get degraded in their life. Marital disruption and female-headedness introduce innumerable disadvantages that add to the grievances of immigrant women. Women become deprived of the advantages brought by migration and employment. Dominican women are found to be reluctant to Dominican Republic as they hate the sexual division of labor and gender and class ideologies in the society. The conflict over return disturbs the glow of migration as a collective and unifying household project. Dominican immigrant men are found to be perplexed as they attempt to be first among the immigrant household and at the same time trying to keep the gender roles of the Dominican Republic. They struggle while promoting the patriarchy practiced in the home country and attempting to keep up the standards of their new land. Men choose to return to Dominican Republic while women preferring to continue in the United States. Women enjoy the freedom, financial independence and the new status being in the United States. Women being the earning member also attempt to dominate in the decision-making processes of domestic affairs and other matters. Women refuse to give up the new found power. The friction triggers divorce, and women dare to remain in the new land trusting the job they possess. Immigrant women are forced to accept low-paying jobs also for they have to survive on their income alone. This leads to further degrading of their jobs. Though women gain a lot through their migrant status, in the due course they stumble as they fail to balance their family lives. Immigrants would be benefited by a formal access to the citizenship. They should be given equal chances of participation in various sectors of the society. They must be permitted to participate in politics, social activities, cultural matters and welfare systems. Naturalization processes should not be too complex so that immigrants get through the naturalization processes. PART 2: Human Rights Watch, a global NGO (Non-Government Organization), has concluded that the human rights situation for immigrant workers in many countries is not very good. You have been asked to therefore write a brief report recommending ways in which immigrant rights can be better protected. What sorts of immigration and citizenship policies do you recommend that governments adopt to improve the human rights situation for immigrants? Should action be taken at the national or international level? Or is your conclusion that not much can be done or that any policy measures taken will have limited effectiveness? If so, why? Immigrant workers encounter segregation and ill-treatment in workplaces. Immigrant workers are offered low wages as they are reluctant to complaint about their plight. Racism and immigrant exploitation should be eliminated as this would damage the equal participation in the society. Institutional racism, racial profiling and other racist activities must be put to an end. Campaigns should be organized to fight against the violence and segregation suffered by Asian-Americans and other immigrants. Hate speech should be discouraged in educational institutions and work places. Freedom of Speech should be exorcized in such a way that it should not lead to ethnic speech. Racist violence and violence against immigrants should be monitored and eliminated at all cost. Immigrants should be offered a segregation free environment in work places and educational institutions. Law enforcement officers should check racist crimes so that immigrants do not get affected. Racial violence and harassment should be eliminated from all spheres of societal activities. Immigrant rights should be upgraded for they encounter hostility, harassment and distrust in their everyday lives. State should restrict all groups that initiate violence against negatively privileged immigrants. Laws should be made to combat racist violence and incitement. Agencies like British Commission for Racial Equality should be formed to monitor the implementation of different anti-racist measures. Police and other law enforcement department should do their best to counter the activities that harm immigrants. Immigrants should be offered basic rights of legal protection as it would help them fight against the injustice they suffer. Better political rights would improve the plight of immigrants. Immigrants should be allowed to actively participate in the democratic processes of the government. They must have the right to vote and freedom of information. Immigrants should not be politically and socially excluded from the society. Immigrants should never be denied of political rights. Formal rights are not enough for immigrants. They should rather be given real opportunities so that they can participate in all political structures. Their voice should be heard in parties, parliaments and all other important offices. Immigrants should not be socially excluded from the society. They must have the right to work, equality of opportunity, right to education and other rights. They should also be given access to various facilities like healthcare facilities. They must have necessary insurance coverage also. Immigrants must get all welfare benefits and necessary social services. In the case of unemployment or inability to work immigrants should be offered necessary help. They should be offered quality healthcare services at cheap cost. Civil rights and social rights would upgrade the status of immigrants. Gender rights are supposed to help immigrant women who encounter segregation in different spheres of the society. Cultural barriers and gender restrictions should not be allowed to limit immigrant women. Women immigrants should be able to exercise better social, political and civil rights. Housing segregation should be avoided as it would make the minorities live in disadvantaged areas. Cultural rights of immigrants should be preserved. They must be made to exercise their cultural rights. Discrimination should be eliminated from all corners of the society. Immigrant rights should be preserved at all cost. Read More