Jessica, Molly Trayner, Patrick Branely, Amanda Breckner, Sarah DelTorto

Challenges immigrants face in the United States

It can be difficult and scary to leave a country that one is use to and then emigrate to a country that one doesn’t know anything about.  There can be a language barrier, and difficulty in getting a job. People leave their country for many different reasons. Some may leave their country to improve their lifestyle such as, attending college in America to get an education, a family member from the United States may have filed for them, and all family members may want to leave their country and never return.

 

 

 

Applying  for visa, green card, and citizenship

-Visa allows the person to enter the United States for a specific time. People usually enter to go to college or visit.

- Green card allows the person to legally live and work in the country permanently.

-Citizenship allows one to have privileges and rights in the United States.

“There is an estimation of 11.5 million illegal immigrants in the United States. There are 5.5 million children that have one parent that is illegal immigrant”(Batalova & Lee, 2012, p.1).

This graph represents how many visas were issued since 2010

 

 

Struggles immigrants encounter

-          Immigrants face language barrier. 

 According to connecting across cultures :    

 Language is one of the strongest barriers to accessing health services. The shortage of trained bilingual service providers in the mental health/substance abuse arena further complicates the problem. This shortage makes it almost impossible for limited-English-proficient immigrants to obtain appropriate services. Only 48% of Spanish-speaking immigrants, who required interpreter services during their health care visits, said they usually had one. Furthermore, from those receiving interpreter services, only 70% fully understood what the doctor was saying. 7 Language barriers impede access to health at all levels, from primary care to preventive care, as well as specialty services such as substance abuse services.( p.1)

 

-          Getting paid low wage jobs, or working under the table.

 

-          “Immigrants are faced with multiple socioeconomic, environmental and cultural factors making that increase vulnerability for substance abuse and related problems. Economic insecurity, high levels of poverty that force families to live in deprived neighborhoods, discrimination, experiences of inequality, levels of acculturation, and a pervasive sense of powerlessness are among the many factors that increase the experience of stress. Substance use and abuse can result when attempting to cope with these specific stressors in addition to the daily challenges that they confront”(connecting across cultures, p.1).

 

 

Adoption

 USCIS states, “United States immigration law provides three different processes through which someone may immigrate on the basis of an intercountry adoption. An individual may immigrate under one of these provisions only if the individual’s adoption meets all the requirements of that specific process”(p.1).

 

“Two separate processes apply only to children adopted by U.S. citizens. The child may immigrate immediately after the adoption or may immigrate to the U.S. to be adopted here”(USCIS, 2011,p.1).

 

 

 

man reveals that he doesn't have his documents:http://vimeo.com/25755148

 

 

Both of my parents are originally from Jamaica. My father was able to come to this country because his mother filed for him. He then applied for his citizenship and he received it. My mother was able to come to this country because of a visa. My parents met in the United States. They got married and she also applied for her citizenship. Both of my parents do not plan to go back to their country. I have encounter people in college that leave their country to receive a college degree in America and then return to their country. I have also encountered people that marry in order to get their documents so that they can stay in America.

References

 

http://www.migrationinformation.org/usfocus/display.cfm?ID=886

 

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=724c18a1f8b73210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=724c18a1f8b73210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

 

http://cac.hhd.org/pdf/FAQ3_RWJ.pdf