Immigrants face challenges with access to education, health care, mental health services, citizenship and housing.
Many immigrants in the U.S. and Canada are hard working people who face many challenges adjusting to our western world. Learning English is something most of them want to do, but educational resources are sometimes hard to find for new residents and their children. ESL (English as a second language) programs are available but accessibility can be an issue. An effective present trend is to make lessons available directly on work sites. Long working hours are one of the issues affecting accessibility to programs.
Immigrants are also more likely to be taken advantage of at work and are often given unsafe and low paying jobs. Affordable housing can be hard for them to find and this sometimes leaves them overcrowded as well as taken advantage of by landlords. While waiting for citizenship they feel powerless and are not likely to complain or make public grievances with employers or landlords. Their fears of being sent back home are understandable especially if they have escaped from war.
- People who come from war torn countries could especially use mental health services. They’re frequently trying to heal from major issues from war such as rape and/or the death of their family and friends. Culture shock alone can be traumatic when entering a new country and discrimination, language barriers and fear of legal repercussions are all deterrents for them to seek help.
- Government programs that assist with housing, health care and education frequently request identification which is a deterrent for many to access these services if they’re not yet citizens.
- Most immigrants are aware that if they were legal they would have better paying jobs. Many immigrants want to become citizens but don’t know how to go about it. The immigration process is constantly changing and can be time consuming. When they are lacking legal status, they are also understandably fearful of getting into trouble with authorities so stay hidden.
- Since 9/11 Arabs in particular face more discrimination. There have been many instances where they have been falsely accused of being terrorists which in turn actually terrorizes them and makes them feel unsafe.
There needs to be greater sensitivity and understanding for people of different cultures. If there were more programs and services that would help refugees with rules, procedures and access to education and health care, many more traumatized people could seek the help they need. There are many children in particular that are severely traumatized that could use more help so that they can become functioning productive members of society.
Reference: Living in America: Challenges Facing New Immigrants and Refugees (Lake Snell Perry Mermin/Decision Research, August, 2006)
