Immigration Issues and Culture - Research Paper Example

Immigration Issues and Culture Introduction The difficulties of immigration continue to be a part of culture. Being able to move into a different culture and blend into the expectations of the country becomes complicated for those that don’t grow into the beliefs, systems and values that are a part of society. The problem which arises among immigrants creates boundaries between those that are native in society and others who migrate from a different country. The differences are based on the several alternative associations that are a part of lifestyle and structures of cultures. Adaptation then becomes a main difficulty for those who come from a different country and into an area such as America. Push and Pull Factors The idea of pull factors is based on the main pull that causes immigrants to come to a nation. There are seven main areas that create a pull for immigrants to go to another country. Economy is the most important reason why many migrate, specifically with the desire to gain more stability with wealth in another country with the reasons associated with the need to keep a family safe through a sense of wealth. Other reasons include network effects, labor market, education and training, health care and integration. It is known that there is not one dominate reason why the pull factor exists, but instead most that are drawn to another country are interested in the several reasons that are associated with assimilation into another area. It is also known that these driving forces change the demographics from a given society while changing the outcome in different communities (Lowell, 61). The push factors are another effect which changes the immigration level. The push factors are defined as a drive that causes an individual or family to leave their country to move to another area. A common reason for push factors is based on the political changes within a region, often which are a result of instability and problems within society. Individuals may be forced to leave the region because of conflict and political upheavals which are occurring, as well as a sense of disagreement with the current society. The push factors are furthered with societal trends, such as disagreements with societal values and thinking that leads one into a different country. Other concepts relate to education which is noted through immigration fluctuations such as the brain drain. The inability for a country to offer the same incentives as other areas can push a set of individuals into another country for more opportunity (Cornelius, Rosenblum, 99). The push factors are mostly defined by circumstances of a family within a given country and the need to change where one lives to alter the conditions. Cultural Differences and Immigration The cultural differences and immigration is one of the main differences that many have to factor in when coming to a new country. While there is a push or pull that drives a family or society to a new country, here are also limitations with this. Typically, those who come into a new culture also carry a national identity that is taught from an early age. There are several layers of culture which are experienced with immigration. The first is a culture shock which is based on one rejecting the new culture and trying to hold onto the old culture in which one has. The phase is based on the misunderstanding of mentality, system and the expectations from locals. There are two phases that are a part of this, which is followed by a general acceptance of the culture and a loss of anxiety. For this to happen, one has to begin to accept and adapt to the new culture and to change lifestyles with a sense of acceptance. The adjustment which occurs is based on the main differences one associates with culture, which is specific to the lifestyle which one was associated with before coming to a new country. The culture shock, which is a loss of complete culture and having to learn a new system, becomes important in recognizing the transition that immigrants have to make (Cohn, http://www.lossesintranslation.com). The experience of culture shock and adaptation is one that is furthered through personal perspective one has. When interviewing Hiroko McCoy, an immigrant who came to America, there is an understanding of the culture shock which occurs. The focus of Hiroko was to adapt to the American way of life when coming from her home country. This led to several layers of culture shock and the need to adapt in an alternative manner. Put parts of the interview here Associations with Culture Shock The first difference that is seen with culture shock is based on the different structures that are a part of the country, including systems of education, laws and politics. The structures that are in different countries are typically under specific regulations that are unique to the country. The status of immigration, tax structures, political expectations and the integration of basic legalities are some of the complications that take place with the immigration. The systems move beyond legal problems and into structures and systems that are a part of the inclusion into structures such as education. The expectations of different institutions may be confusing to most. The problems include age to start education, what one is expected to learn and the association one has with the institutes. Integration from the expected systems is often confusing to immigrants because of the separate structure and expectations that are naturally a part of society. Since this isn’t a part of the society in a different country it can be misleading with several rules that aren’t applicable from either the old system which is known to immigrants or to the adaptation of new systems (Jones, 3). Another issue which is a part of the legal structure with immigration is based on the connections made with laws based specifically for those coming from another country. The increases and changes in immigration have caused several to change the legal needs for immigrants. Taking tests, checking into legal expectations and other relations to immigration are extra parts of integrating into society. Other legalities move into the wages and job relationships that one has to follow. The system expectations with legal changes continue with the changes in society that are either for or against immigration. This changes the policies that are a part of immigration and also creates different reactions to those that are in society. Changes in law, specifically for immigrants, then become a main area of concern for those that have moved to a country from a foreign region (CIS, http://www.cis.org/). The legalities and systems that are expected also incorporate other systems in society which differ and are expected among society. Marriage systems are a difference in society because of culture and structure. If one is coming from India to America, for instance, then there are differences in tradition, marriage proposals and the cultural affiliations with how the marriage is performed. This relates to both religion and cultural beliefs. The concept of tradition is followed by legalities which are expected, such as registering the marriage and the forms of identity that are expected from this. The confusion with marriage systems continues after the marriage with different beliefs in the binding of two people and the cultural ideas about the seriousness of marriage. While cross – cultural associations are often made between two people, there are also beliefs shaped by ethnicity which creates conflict within the home (Waite, Bachrach, 188). Another aspect which changes is the physical parts of living in a new society. The change is one which is divided by new spatial and physical relationships first. As this changes so does the understanding of the surrounding environment, specifically because of fluctuations on perception. The concept of food is the first part of this as most have a cultural association with what should be eaten, how and when it should be consumed and what the values are in relation to eating. When one goes into another culture, there is a different use of food, specifically through the values and the mental surroundings. The food is also changed with cultural variations in expressions with food. The physical relation to this makes a difference in how many respond to eating, such as through dietary changes that may lead to sickness and which can change the quality of life which one has. The same adaptation to experience with food is noted with climate, specifically because of expectations in the physical and spatial surroundings and the understanding of what is considered as hot or cold. The weather can result not only in a culture shock through physical changes but also alters with a sense of feeling fragmented from the expected physical changes. This changes from the mentality of one culture and the acceptance and association into another identity both physically and mentally (Koc, Welsh, 2). Communicating and Culture Another change which occurs in relation to immigration is with language and communication. This is one of the main gaps between cultures, specifically because those who can’t speak a foreign language when coming into the country are unable to let others know what is needed in the public areas. Limited English proficiency when coming to America, for instance, can lead to a lack of care and the inability to let others know what is needed within the society. Simple needs, such as health care, shopping and going into public spaces, become problematic with those that are interested in a specific culture. The complication occurs with levels of gaps, including proficiency in the language or only understanding what one is saying in the language. Communication of immigrants can then lead to a lack of understanding and the inability to get the right resources with the types of language that are used (Green et al, 1050). The complication of language and communication is now becoming a problem associated with the system and schools and the need to allow immigrants to come into the culture. It is known that the languages are often not taught in schools, specifically to those who don’t speak English as a mother tongue. There are also gaps in second language learning, especially if there isn’t a direct association with a specific type of language. To change this, settlement strategies and other types of programs are offered, all which are designed to offer more assistance to those coming from another country. This is done to integrate those into society and to change the level of fluency with the nation languages. However, it is also known that this is limited according to the number of languages offered as well as the ability for immigrants to find ways to learn the language and the associations that are a part of this. This leads to a sense of social isolation among immigrants and the inability to receive the correct assistance in learning a new language (Hansen, 2). Conclusion The different parts of immigration have led to different changes in society. There are several expectations that one has to conform to, all which are based on the structure of society. Integrating into society becomes challenging for those that have become a part of society and that have moved into a different region. Physical differences, such as food and climate, are one of the changes which occur. This is followed with the system changes, such as legalities and changes from society, which includes education and other systems that are different from other cultures. The changes in society lead to language and communication differences which create gaps from immigrants and can lead to a sense of social isolation in the community. For immigrants to come into a new territory, are several challenges that are a part of integrating and which are often unrecognized by others that are in society and which are familiar with the language, culture and systems that are expected in the region. Works Cited CIS. “New Immigration Research.” 2010. Retrieved from: http://www.cis.org/. Cohn, Michael. Immigration Losses. 2010. Retrieved from: http://www.lossesintranslation.com/about.php. Cornelius, Wayne, Marc Rosenblum. “Immigration and Politics.” Annual Review of Political Science (8), 2005, 99-119. Green, Alexander, Anna Legedza, Michael Massagli, Russell Phillips. “Interpreter Services, Language Concordance and Health Care Quality.” Journal of General Internal medicine 20 (11), 2005. Hansen, Darah. “Attitude is Everything for an Immigrant’s Career Success.” Vancouver Sun, 2010. Jones, Michael. “Immigration: Settlement, Integration and Membership.” Institute for the Social Sciences, 2010. Koc, Mustafa, Jennifer Welsh. “Food, Foodways and Immigrant Experience.” Center for Studies in Food Security: Canada, 2002. Lowell, Lindsey. The Future of International Migration to OECD Countries. OECD Publishing: New York, 2007. Waite, Linda, Christine Bachrach. The Ties that Bind: Perspectives on Marriage and Cohabitation. Transaction Publishers: New York, 2000. To get Copies of Sources: CIS. “New Immigration Research.” 2010. Retrieved from: http://www.cis.org/. Cohn, Michael. Immigration Losses. 2010. Retrieved from: http://www.lossesintranslation.com/about.php. Cornelius, Wayne, Marc Rosenblum. “Immigration and Politics.” Annual Review of Political Science (8), 2005, 99-119. Retrieved from: http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.polisci.8.082103.104854?select23=Choose&journalCode=polisci. Green, Alexander, Anna Legedza, Michael Massagli, Russell Phillips. “Interpreter Services, Language Concordance and Health Care Quality.” Journal of General Internal medicine 20 (11), 2005. Retrieved from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1525-1497.2005.0223.x/full. Hansen, Darah. “Attitude is Everything for an Immigrant’s Career Success.” Vancouver Sun, 2010. Retrieved from: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Attitude+everything+immigrant+career+success/3915634/story.html. Jones, Michael. “Immigration: Settlement, Integration and Membership.” Institute for the Social Sciences, 2010. Retrieved from: http://www.socialsciences.cornell.edu/1013/ImmigrationPublicProposal2.pdf. Koc, Mustafa, Jennifer Welsh. “Food, Foodways and Immigrant Experience.” Center for Studies in Food Security: Canada, 2002. Retrieved from: http://canada.metropolis.net/events/ethnocultural/publications/aliments_e.pdf. Lowell, Lindsey. The Future of International Migration to OECD Countries. OECD Publishing: New York, 2007. Retrieved from: http://www.iadb.org/intal/intalcdi/PE/2009/03706.pdf. Waite, Linda, Christine Bachrach. The Ties that Bind: Perspectives on Marriage and Cohabitation. Transaction Publishers: New York, 2000. Retrieved from: http://books.google.com/books?id=lEb-ic22xKwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Ties+that+Bind:+Perspectives+on+Marriage+and+Cohabitation&source=bl&ots=IDHVTsUHZM&sig=fDXeLFxtCC_Lxua5r7FZvffv84Q&hl=en&ei=fwf9TPqJNcXPrQeYt8GnCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false. Read More