The new Americans choose to live in the US for various reasons. Some immigrants come to work in the primary labor market with desirable jobs and more benefits, while those who are less educated are employed in the secondary labor market in less desirable jobs. US citizens whose parents and grandparents are native to this country have varying attitudes towards immigrants, which sometimes include biases regarding nationality, race, or religion. This paper aims to analyze the US immigrants’ characteristics, like level of education and English fluency, and the most common motives for immigrating, including seeking employment opportunities and fleeing domestic unrest.
Most newcomers seek employment opportunities, admitting that the situation in the US job market is better than in their native countries. People of the Muslim religion or non-white immigrants often become targets of prejudices due to their religion or nationality and the dense competition for jobs in the secondary labor market (Healey and Stepnick 422). Notably, although immigrants who provide non-qualified labor make some services cheaper for the more rich US citizens, the poorer ones face increased competition from the immigrants, which leads to conflicts, hatred, and even hate crimes. Natives of former British colonies like Nigeria tend to be highly skilled and educated and use English fluency to get a favorable economic position. They are more competitive than the less educated immigrants, but still, the mass migration may cause the ‘brain drain’ tendencies in the immigrants’ home countries.
Fleeing domestic unrest and political disturbances is a common reasons for immigration. Many immigrants see the US as the haven where their aspirations for a better future could be materialized. According to the latest survey, most newcomers believe in the American dream and are sure that hard work leads to success, even in the absence of support from insiders (Healey and Stepnick 439). The immigrants generally have positive attitudes toward the American culture. However, some think that family values are less cherished in the US than in their native lands.
There are particular distinctions between the immigrants who come to work in the primary and secondary job markets. The former are usually highly educated participants of the global urban-industrial economy who often have degrees from American universities. They are fluent in English and may work with international companies. These immigrants tend to be urbane and affluent and can better protect themselves from negative perceptions and prejudices. The latter seek less desirable jobs with fewer benefits, work in the informal economy, are paid in cash, and do not receive security from governmental regulations or unions. Interestingly, sometimes the immigrants create enclaves for their fellow citizens. For example, the owners of smaller businesses can hire citizens from their homeland as cheaper labor and provide them with financial and social support.
Thus, the distinct features that characterize US immigrants were analyzed along with the most common motives for immigrating. Most newcomers seek better employment opportunities or safer living conditions. In general, all immigrants add to the US economy, even those who do not pay taxes, since they provide cheaper labor and occupy the least desirable jobs. The Americans’ attitudes towards immigrants changed during the last decade, with a growing percentage of positive perceptions. Nonetheless, the prejudices are still prevalent, especially given the high competition levels in the secondary job markets.
Work Cited
Healey, Joseph F., and Andi Stepnick. Diversity and Society: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender, 4th ed. Sage Publications, 2019.