A Multicultural Perspective on Immigration

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A Multicultural Perspective on Immigration

• Jill Kerper Mora, Ed.D.
• San Diego State University
• http//coe.sdsu.edu/people/jmora

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Rank order these concerns about current levels of
immigration from 1 to 5

• We need border security to prevent terrorism and
  other crimes.
• Immigrants are taking jobs away from American
  citizens low-paid immigrant workers are pulling
  down wages overall for American workers
• New immigrants are not assimilating into American
  culture as did previous generations of immigrants
• Immigrants are clinging to the language and
  culture of their country of origin and not
  shifting their loyalty to the United States.
• Immigrants are a burden to society due to their
  use of social services in disproportion to their
  contribution in taxes.

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Our Greatest Fears

• Concerns about cultural assimilation of new
  immigrants into the American mainstream outweigh
  economic concerns and fears about national
  security in the minds of most Americans. Many of
  these concerns are based on myths and
  misunderstandings about current patterns of
  assimilation. These cause us to pursue laws and
  policies that aggravate the situations and
  conditions we fear rather than improve our lives
  in a diverse society.

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The Classic Melting Pot Model

• The Melting Pot Model assumes that ethnic
  differences will disappear as immigrants
  assimilate and become indistinguishable from
  mainstream Americans, at least in terms of
  speaking English and adopting American values,
  customs and traditions. It is based on an
  idealized definition of what it means to be an
  American.

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Cracks in the Melting Pot

• Percentages and numbers of documented vs.
  undocumented immigrants among the population
• Patterns of border crossings and legal/illegal
  entry into the USA
• Geographic dispersal of immigrant populations and
  formation of ethnic enclaves
• Economic impact of immigrant populations
• Patterns of economic, cultural and linguistic
  integration and social mobility

6
Immigration Then Now

• How is immigration today different from
  immigration at the beginning of the 20th century?
  Who were the immigrants then now? Were they
  young or old, families or single men/women? Where
  did they come from? Where did they arrive and
  settle in the United States? Did they maintain
  ties with their countries of origin? Did
  immigrants go back and forth between their native
  countries and the USA?

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Historical Patterns of Assimilation

• Assimilation with upward mobility across
  generations or downward assimilation into
  social economic underclass
• Identification with American dominant societys
  cultural values, customs traditions
• Transitional bilingualism
• English monolingualism after second or third
  generation

8
Realities of Current Immigration

• Percentages and numbers of documented and
  undocumented immigrants among the population
• Geographic dispersal of immigrant populations and
  ethnic enclaves
• Economic impact of immigrant populations
• Patterns of cultural and linguistic integration
• Patterns of border crossings and legal/illegal
  entry into the USA

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Immigration Status as a Factor in Assimilation

• The population of the USA is comprised of 20
  immigrants. 75 are legal residents.
• Three types of undocumented or illegal
  immigrants Entry without inspection visa
  overstayers or violators of terms of a legal
  visa, such as a tourist who takes a job. Visa
  overstayers are 40 of illegal immigrants (OHS,
  2007).
• There are an estimated 12 million undocumented
  immigrants in the USA (Pew Hispanic Center,
  2006).
• Lack of legal status is a significant obstacle to
  social, economic and cultural integration.

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Economic Impact of Immigration The Ambivalent
Reception

• Globalization, trade, competition for workers,
  changing patterns of comsumption
• Incorporation of immigrant laborers into U.S.
  economy
• Overall costs benefits of immigration and
  undocumented workers
• Uneven distribution of costs between federal
  state governments
• Age demographics Social security retirements
  vs. demand for young workers

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Impact on Workers Wages(Borgas, Harvard Univ.,
2007)

• An increased labor supply between 1980-2000 due
  to immigration reduced wages for U.S. born men by
  approximately 4 and among non-high school
  graduates by 7.4 or 30 per week average wage.
• Undocumented workers create demand that leads to
  new jobs and economic activity.
• Some industries such as agriculture are heavily
  dependent on temporary migrant labor.
• The economic impact of illegal immigration is far
  smaller than other trends in the economy, such as
  automation in manufacturing and the growth of
  global trade.

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Benefit or Burden?

• Between 55-65 of illegal immigrants have income
  tax and social security withheld from their
  paychecks.
• These deductions amounted to 7.3 billion in
  2005. Very little of this money is reclaimed in
  refunds and/or benefits. This amount kept the
  social security fund from running at a deficit
  (more money going out than coming in) for that
  fiscal year.
• Economists generally believe that when averaged
  over the whole economy, the effect of illegal
  immigrations is a small net positive, estimated
  at a 1 increase in the average Americans
  wealth.

13
The New Diaspora

• 7 major US cities are home to the majority of
  immigrants. More than a third of undocumented
  immigrants live in 3 cities New York, Los
  Angeles and Chicago.
• Until the mid 1990s, most new immigrants joined
  immigrant communities with strong networks for
  assisting newcomers in adapting to the new
  culture.
• A number of factors caused the dispersal of
  immigrants throughout the USA to states that
  previously had not experienced large-scale
  immigration.

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Factors Driving Geographic Dispersal

• Saturation of large immigrant communities
• New sources of employment for immigrants
• Patterns of seasonal or temporary migration
• Restrictions on border crossings preventing
  visits and returns of Mexican workers
• Increased risks of illegal crossings
• Transnationalism networking between sending and
  receiving communities

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Impact of Emigration on Mexico The Push-Pull
Paradigm

• Geopolitical realities We will forever be
  neighbors.
• De-population factors impact on present
  future work force
• Mexicos economic growth development prospects
• Mexicos social structure family desintegration
• Impact on sending and receiving communities

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Linguistic Assimilation

• 90 of U.S born Mexican immigrants speak English
  well.
• In border regions, 70 of households are
  Spanish/English bilingual, 30 are English
  monolingual.
• Further from the border, 60 of Mexican American
  children speak only English.
• 75 of third generation immigrant families in
  non-border states speak only English.

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Then Why the Rise in Anti-immigrant Sentiments?

• Fear of social and cultural change.
• Fear of differences and divisions.
• Fear of loss of control over social institutions
  and processes.
• Increased visibility of the issue because of
  political legislative actions to reform
  immigration laws.
• Lack of understanding of international
  inter-relationships and globalization with the
  increased need for cooperation across national
  boundaries in dealing with increased migration
  and expatriate communities.

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Obstacles to Cultural Integration

• Lack of economic opportunities from low levels of
  education, job skills, language skills,
  job-seeking skills and networks
• Limitations on civic participation and ability to
  benefit from the fruits of ones labor
• Exploitation in the workplace
• Ethnic enclaves and social isolation
• Racism, prejudice linguistic discrimination

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The Immigration Policy Debate Rhetorical Symbols

• Discuss with a classmate the ideas emotions
  associated with these symbols or phrases
• Protest marchers waving the Mexican flag
• Press one for English
• Jobs that Americans wont do
• Rewarding lawbreakers
• Cutting off the jobs magnet
• Bilingual education

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Ideologies of Cultural Integration

• Nativism Us versus Them
• Restrictionism The Chosen
• Assimilation The Melting Pot
• Acculturation The Mosaic

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Nativism

• Rights of membership and citizenship in the
  nation-state based on birth within its
  territorial boundries. (Fourteen Ammendment to
  the U.S. Constitution)
• Proposals by some factions to limit rights of
  citizenship by birth to children of legal
  residents and citizens, which would require a
  constitutional ammendment
• Solution to immigration problem is
  criminalization of undocumented status and
  deportation

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Restrictionism

• Objective is to control who becomes a legal
  resident or citizen.
• Full admission to civic society of a restricted
  number of immigrants who qualify, except for the
  right to vote.
• Under some federal and state laws, limits placed
  on social benefits for legal immigrants.
• Does not address the traditional and current
  push-pull factors in migration across the
  US-Mexico and the vested interests of business
  and industry in both legal and illegal
  immigration.

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Assimilation

• Based on the belief that cultural homogeneity or
  a common culture are desirable, even
  indispensible, for a functional nation-state.
• Looks to past experiences of immigrant groups in
  assimilating into American society.
• Emphasizes importance of common language, values,
  traditions for societal cohesion and national
  unity.
• Recognizes the realities of upward social
  mobility of immigrants in the process of becoming
  part of the American mainstream.
• Sociologists consider assimilation to be a
  positive but not an inevitable end-product of
  cultural integration.

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Forced Assimilation The Brutal Bargain

• Demands are placed on immigrants to abandon the
  language cultural practices of their country of
  origin
• Fails to recognize possibilities benefits of
  transnational, multicultural identities
• Results in reaction formation among immigrants
  to reassert their national and cultural identity
• Results in polarization of society on issues of
  language, culture and belonging to a nation-state
  

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Acculturation

• Based on the belief that multiculturalism and
  binational bicultural identities are positive
  assets to the nation-state and to individuals
• Recognizes transnational lives of todays
  immigrant communities and individuals
• Accepts and promotes bilingualism as a valuable
  individual, group societal resource
• Builds on social cultural resources immigrants
  bring to the USA, including strong identification
  with older generations cultural values and
  traditions

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Cultural Integration Across Generations The
Social Capital Model

• Acceptance by society of cultural and linguistic
  diversity
• Full civil legal status with the accompanying
  rights responsibilities
• Human capital strong immigrant community
  support networks
• Educational, professional entrepreneurial
  opportunities, which sustain achievement drive
• Positive interactions with native English
  speakers and proficient bilinguals

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Our Policy OptionsWhich Ones Address the Core
Concerns?

• Criminalization of illegal immigration status
• Large-scale deportations
• A border fence
• Increased border security
• Increased numbers and types of legal visas
  including temporary work visas
• Legalization and paths to citizenship

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Toward a Multicultural Society

• Critical examination of brutal bargain policies
  that produce negative reactions, isolation and
  discrimination against immigrants
• Support for immigrant communities and
  acculturation networks to build social capital
• Avoidance of unintended consequences of misguided
  or ineffective laws and policies.
• Enacting laws and policies that enhance
  assimilation and full integration of immigrants
  as contributing members of society.

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Implications for Education

• Bilingual education as a positive model of
  acculturation
• Critical examination of equity issues involved
  standards accountability movement
• Promoting educational aspirations and
  opportunities among and for Latino students
• Fostering positive bicultural multicultural
  identities among immigrant students
• Outreach to immigrant parents and communities to
  build connections between home and school

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Further Reading

• Alba, R. Nee, V. (2003). Remaking the American
  mainstream Assimilation contemporary
  immigration. Cambridge, MA Harvard University
  Press
• Chomsky, A. (2007). They take our jobs! and 20
  other myths about immigration. Boston, MA Beacon
  Press.
• Jacoby, T. (Ed.) (2004). Reinventing the Melting
  Pot The New Immigrants and what it means to be
  American. New York, NY Perseus Book Group.
• Portes, A., Rumbaut, R.G. (2001). Legacies The
  story of the immigrant second generation.
  Berkeley, CA University of California Press.