Cesar Luis De Leon Pereira
English 110
The Effects of Assimilation on the Economic and Professional Lives of Immigrants in the United States
Assimilation has been a contentious issue in the United States for decades, sparking strang debates on what its role should be in the lives of immigrants. The concept of assimilation refers to the process of integrating into a dominant culture, including adopting its language, customs, and values. While historically almost every country had pushed for the idea of acculturation towards minority groups, as of modern times, assimilation has begun to be more generally recognized as an oppressive tool with the potential of partially erasing one’s ethnic identity. One aspect of assimilation that gets frequently overlooked within studies are the economic impacts of acculturation on workers, as the effects of assimilation on socioeconomic practices extend beyond the individual level and can also affect entire ethnic groups and the society in which they live. Though assimilation can be applicable to every ethnic group, even those that are native or historically predominant in a region, this study will be delving into the process of acculturation in relation solely to modern immigrant groups in the United States, as the predicaments of their migrant status of someone that chose to come to the US for better opportunities distinct from any other situations. In order to conclusively understand what leads an individual to abandon their identity in favor of a dominant one, we must also understand how this process might facilitate a person’s economic life as well as social perceptions, as it would give insight as to what value an immigrant sees in this act of acculturation. Overall, understanding the effects of assimilation on different aspects of American society is essential for policymakers, educators, and other stakeholders to make informed decisions that help benefit workers better integrate into the American labor force while feeling comfortable socially and culturally. By examining the costs and effects of assimilation, we can develop more effective policies that promote social equality while respecting the cultural diversity of American society.
In his academic article “Immigrant and Emigrant Earnings: A Longitudinal Study” (1989), George Borjas, an economist at Harvard University, argues that migration affects the earnings of both immigrants and emigrants in the United States. To support his argument, Borjas examines longitudinal data and considers the factors that contribute to immigrants’ earnings patterns. This method of analyzing a migrant’s wage over a long period of time allowed him to more accurately collect data on how an individual’s adaptation to American culture impacts their salaries. His data and analysis affirm that over time the median earnings of an immigrant in the United States converge with that of a native-born worker. Borjas found that the median earnings of immigrants who arrived in the United States during the 1970s were 77% of the median earnings of native-born workers, but this figure rose to 92% by the 1990s. Similarly, in their research article “Race and Ethnic Group Differences in Socioeconomic Status: Black Caribbeans, African Americans and Non-Hispanic Whites in the United States” (Borjas 21), social science researchers Ron Carmichael Manuel, Robert J. Taylor, and James S. Jackson support the notion that black immigrant groups have a generally lower wage than their native white counterparts in any respective workforce. However, the two researchers differ in results, as Manuel, Taylor and Jackson contradict Borjas in stating that Black Caribbeans earn more than African American workers. For example, the authors state “The literature generally shows that African Americans are more socioeconomically disadvantaged than non-Hispanic whites, but less disadvantaged than blacks of Caribbean heritage.” (Manuel et al. 684). This contradicts Borjas’ findings at the beginning of his longitudinal data, as he finds that Immigrants are more disadvantaged than natives when they first arrived in the 70s. These differing conclusions might be a result of one of two factors; either Borjas’ lack of emphasis towards race generalized the earnings of American born workers, or Manuel, Taylor and Jackson’s lack of longitudinal perspective didn’t allow them to properly collect data Black Caribbean earnings from when they first arrived in the United States.
Though the two sets of data contrast each other, the different points of focus provided by their research combine to provide far more intricate insights into the extent of the effects of assimilation on immigrant workers. Borjas’ longitudinal study does indicate that acculturation to American culture can positively impact the salary of an immigrant worker, as we can infer that a major reason as to why their payment increases with time is due to the reason that they become more accustomed to the US’ culture, better meeting some of the xenophobic requirements of their employers. However, the race focused study by Manuel et al. provides statistical information that demonstrates that one’s culture and immigration status is not the only factor that contributes to an individual’s earning, and that one’s race, ethnicity and average education level play a significant role in defining salaries. The contrast to Borjas’ conclusion that an immigrant’s initial pay is relatively lower than the native workers without taking the ethnicity of the immigrants nor of the native population fails to provide any further depth to his data. The notion that Caribbean immigrants earn on average more than African Americans but less than white Americans demonstrates that this issue goes further than simply an issue of acculturation and ethnic pressure to become more American, as race presents a similarly significant barrier in the United States workforce. However, Borjas’ longitudinal analysis is still highly relevant in defining the role of time living in the US, as the data proves that more time spent in this country does positively affect wages, regardless of how it relates to race. In conclusion, these two sources demonstrate how assimilation has a positive effect on the wage of immigrants, but it is not the sole factor once it comes to defining how a person is discriminated against in the workplace salary-wise.
In “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan, the Chinese American Author describes her experiences as the child of an immigrant and explores the role of language in shaping her identity and relationship with her mother. One example Tan uses to illustrate her mother’s struggles with English is when her mother spoke to Tan’s stockbroker, who initially dismissed her as being “not very smart” due to her broken English. Tan notes that this experience was common for her mother, who often encountered discrimination and disrespect because of her limited language abilities. This shows a clear example of how one’s use of the English language can negatively impact how we are perceived in the workforce, as accents can cause peers to view their colleagues as “not very smart”, and relatively less capable than those who abide by the standard use of the English language. The author argues that these perceptions come strictly from a place of prejudice, as she mentions that her mother had the capability of completely understanding and holding a conversation in English, however, she was quickly dismissed for having an accent. Similarly, the Article “’Brain waste’: The skilled workers who can’t get jobs” written by Christine Ro published by the BBC states that immigrants are often faced with far bigger prejudice and disadvantages in work as compared to the native population of an area. In this article, they mention the story of a specific immigrant from Yemen, who was a computer programmer from Yemen attempting to acquire a job in his profession in the United States. In this story, the immigrant failed to acquire a job due to all jobs requiring him to have some sort of local experience in the field. The author of this piece argues that professional immigrants face many legal and licensing barriers that make it nearly impossible for them to find a job in their respective fields. It is clear how these policies or work requirements highly favor those workers who are native to the United States, and constantly diminish the capabilities of professional immigrants in favor of those who are native to the US’ workforce. This compliments the ideas and stories told by Amy Tan in her essay, as both of these individual cases show the story of capable workers that were hindered, discriminated against and rejected by companies solely due to their place of origin and ability to assimilate to American culture instead of their actual abilities and qualities as a professional.
What can be confidently inferred from these two sources is that American work culture barely values a worker’s actual capabilities as well as experience in their respective profession. The similar experiences of Amy Tan’s mother and the Yemenite computer scientist show the complete disregard from American employers towards their capabilities and applications by imposing prejudiced views towards their English abilities and with unreasonable requirements of in-country experience. The pressure on workers to adapt to standard English and to have work experience within the country shows that the entire process of acquiring and engaging in a job in the United States as an immigrant heavily pushes them towards assimilating to American work ethics and language, thus improving the perception of their co-workers and their abilities to get employed.
These disadvantages in the workplace can also take effect due to an immigrant’s self perceived alienation within a new environment. In the research paper “Psychological and Acculturation Correlates of Work Status among Soviet Jewish Refugees in the United States [1]” by Andrey Vinokurov, Dina Birman and Edison Trickett, data is collected on the employment status of of Soviet Jewish Refugees in the United States, and data is additionally collected on their degree of life satisfaction and alienation. The study found that those who were in the United States for the longest time were also more likely to have a higher income and would also be more satisfied with their lives. “Income is positively related to level of education (r=.26, p[less than].0005), comfort speaking English (r=.42, p[less than].0005), degree of American acculturation (r=.29, p[less than].0005), and life satisfaction (r=.46, p[less than].0005).” (Vinokurov et al. 538). These findings demonstrate how assimilation to American culture plays a major role in defining an immigrant’s earnings, as it, alongside other factors, has a positive impact on salaries. The authors affirms that the psychological effects of feeling alienated within a different environment heavily hinders an individual’s ability to acquire a job, and that is why they conclude that those immigrants who are unemployed are also the ones who rank the lowest in metrics measuring their levels of acculturation and comfort speaking English. This exemplifies how the pressure to adapt the to standard culture of the United States forces immigrants to assimilate, otherwise they become less likely to find a job and far more likely to find themselves stranded and out of place.
Similarly, in her Ted Talk lecture “Why the ‘good immigrant’ is a bad narrative”, writer and comedian Maeve Higgins describes why using successful and highly important immigrants as point of comparison and standard as to what types of immigrants are actually good can be highly detrimental. She argues that immigrants as a whole are extremely important to shaping both the US’ history as well as its present, and that the value of these people does not rely solely on their ability to accomplish grandiose achievements, but that their presence as a whole is beneficial to this country. This compliments the ideas argued in “Psychological and Acculturation Correlates of Work Status among Soviet Jewish Refugees in the United States [1]”, as it shows that the psychological pressures placed upon immigrants in the United States to provide great contributions and be a part of the American culture impacts their daily lives.
In conclusion, the literature presented in this text clearly demonstrates the intricate struggles faced by immigrants in the United States while attempting to acquire and succeed in a professional career. I must note that through the process of finding information pertaining to the subject, there were a few gaps in the existing literature that opens up possibilities for further research that deepens the understanding of the subject. Firstly, it is evident that more work and research could be conducted in order to draw more comparisons between two or more different groups of immigrants, rather that looking at these groups individually or combining all of them as a whole. A greater amount of qualitative work would also benefit this area of study, as although the quantitative data here makes for a greater objective outlook, the personal experiences and thoughts of both employers and employees are equally as valuable in this matter. However, regardless of the flaws of some of the modern literature, the works analyzed still paint a clear picture of the overall mentality of American employers. It can be concluded from all the information synthesized that immigrants are welcome and well paid in the American workforce only if they forsake their cultural practices in favor of American customs. It would be interesting to understand whether or not these decisions are taken subconsciously or if they are deliberate, and if so, what benefits do employers see from this assimilatory process.
Work Cited
Borjas, George J. “Immigrant and emigrant earnings: a longitudinal study.” Economic Inquiry, vol. 27, no. 1, Jan. 1989, pp. 21+. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A7075838/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=4517b 222. Accessed 28 Mar. 2023.
Higgins, Maeve. “Why the “good immigrant” is a bad narrative” TED Talk 2018, https://www.ted.com/talks/maeve_higgins_why_the_good_immigrant_is_a_bad_narrative
Manuel, Ron Carmichael, et al. “Race and ethnic group differences in socioeconomic status: black Caribbeans, African Americans and Non-Hispanic Whites in the United States.” The Western Journal of Black Studies, vol. 36, no. 3, fall 2012, pp. 228+. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A308599688/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=33b36177. Accessed 28 Mar. 2023.
Ro, Christine. “’Brain waste’: The skilled workers who can’t get jobs” British Broadcasting Company, February 2022.
Tan, Amy. “Mother Tongue.” 1990.
Vinokurov, Andrey, et al. “Psychological and Acculturation Correlates of Work Status among Soviet Jewish Refugees in the United States [1].” International Migration Review, vol. 34, no. 2, summer 2000, p. 538. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A63974524/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=8844901e. Accessed 28 Mar. 2023.
