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Introduction
The 21st century is characterized by the surge in globalization processes that bring different parts of the world closer together. These trends promote the worldwide talent exchange, meaning that people opt for better places of residence and countries benefit from skilled and motivated workers from abroad. From a theoretical perspective, this process is positive for the economy, as it diversifies the labor market and instigates competitiveness in good faith. Nevertheless, the practice yields a different result that poses major reasons for concern, especially in the United States. Upon arriving, less fortunate immigrants face a range of serious challenges that make it difficult for them to adapt and become integrated into the new society.
These people abandon their homeland in pursuit of better lives for their families. In reality, the disparities that exist even in developed countries may aggravate their situations even further. As a result, talented people who can make major contributions to the economy and society are forced to ensure their own survival at all costs. Immigration becomes one of the most debatable issues within the country’s political landscape, as well. This paper examines immigrants as an underserved community in the 21st-century United States.
Description of the Community
While immigration per se is not a recent concept, it has attained a new order of magnitude in the age of globalization. In its general understanding, immigration suggests the relocation of people in pursuit of social, educational, and economic benefits. According to Batalova and Fix (2017), many governments of developed counties rely on this process as a means of developing their human capital potential. Indeed, the stable increase of capable people who arrive from abroad may positively affect the labor market. Many of these immigrants are already highly skilled in a certain profession or are prepared to work hard to acquire the necessary competencies.
On the other hand, the reality of the situation suggests the nation’s disability to realize the positive potential of immigration. More specifically, immigrants remain a highly underserved population in the United States. These people face serious disparities on all levels that prevent them from becoming fully integrated with society. Chang (2017) states that as of the year 2017, “the United States foreign-born population was estimated to be 44.5 million, the highest share since 1910” (p. 23). This number implies the unprecedented surge in foreign immigration to this country. Nevertheless, in spite of the scale, the disparities in immigration policies persist in the U.S. Such inequality is usually discussed in the context of public health. Immigrants experience a higher likelihood of poverty which, in turn, is related to greater food and housing insecurity (Chang, 2017). Accordingly, instead of channeling their talents for the nation’s good, these people are concerned with survival and providing for their families. Furthermore, immigrants have poorer access to educational and employment opportunities, which directly affects their quality of life.
The combination of the aforementioned factors creates a dangerous mix of social determinants of health. In fact, the public health system remains concerned with the multi-tier disparities faced by immigrants in this regard. Poverty and insecurity prevent them from taking due care of themselves while contributing to the development of dangerous conditions. At the same time, the lack of financial stability results in unequal access to healthcare opportunities in the country (Stimpson & Wilson, 2018). Ultimately, such tendencies render foreign immigrants in the United States highly underserved in the current environment.
Legislative History of the Community
As enabled by its importance for politics, economy, and society, immigration often becomes the cause of heated debates on various levels. One of the recent examples of legislative controversy surrounding immigration is represented by ex-President Trump’s policies. More specifically, his administration imposed travel restrictions on people coming to the United States from an array of Middle Eastern countries. According to the President’s Executive Order, its purpose was to protect the nation against the spread of global terrorism. Allegedly, the residents of the counties that saw the restrictions were deeply involved with the preparation of terrorist cells that threatened Western democracies (The White House, 2017). However, the actual impact of the Executive Order mostly affected regular citizens that pursued better lives through immigration. For example, many families from the Middle East could not afford to relocate at once, making immigration a gradual process. The Executive Order virtually separated thousands of families, as some of its members could no longer travel to the U.S. to reunite with their relatives. The impact of this piece of legislation on terrorism was questionable, but it definitely aggravated the situation for already underserved immigrants in America.
At the same time, immigrants often become involved in domestic politics, as well. As mentioned above, these communities face major disparities in terms of healthcare. In this context, access to medical services becomes one of the most important issues, as many immigrants cannot afford it. By 2014, the United States government approved the expansion of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) which sought to encompass a broader population with accessible services (Stimpson & Wilson, 2018). This step led to serious improvements in terms of coverage, as the portion of uninsured non-citizens decreased by over 15 percent. However, the progress in medical service affordability was mostly observed among U.S. natives and naturalized citizens. Simultaneously, the ACA’s expansion could not eliminate the disparities for non-citizens, especially recent immigrants. As of now, further actions are required on behalf of the government to address the healthcare disparities faced by this population.
Assessment of the Current Status of the Community
In the current environment, immigrants remain a vulnerable social group in the United States. The nature of the issues faced by these communities is complex and multi-faceted. The majority of examples of inequality are centered around healthcare. Evidently, the government is aware of this problem and attempts to provide feasible solutions that would satisfy both the social and economic needs of the country. Nevertheless, one more aspect that needs to be addressed is related to psychological biases within the population. As written by Chang (2019), immigrants are often stigmatized and marginalized by the local population. These biases create barriers to assimilation and raise social tensions. In order to address the problem, new policies are required to raise public awareness of immigrants as an underserved social group. Once progress is made in this regard, it will positively affect other aspects through better integration and mutual respect.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the position of immigrants in the United States remains vulnerable despite their ever-increasing number. In the 21st century, globalization has reached a colossal scale, and millions of people depart from their countries to seek better opportunities. The U.S. becomes one of the most popular destinations for immigrants who face major disparities upon arriving in this country. The current system underserves these communities in terms of healthcare, education, and career opportunities. Consequently, people cannot fulfill their potential and make larger contributions to the prosperity of the nation. Furthermore, immigration policies are often reconsidered, adding new challenges for immigrant families. As such, the amount of progress to be made in immigration and integration policies in the U.S. remains considerable.
References
Chang, C. D. (2019). Social determinants of health and health disparities among immigrants and their children. Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care, 49(1), 23–30. Web.
Stimpson, J. P., & Wilson, F. A. (2018). Medicaid expansion improved health insurance coverage for immigrants, but disparities persist. Health Affairs, 37(10), 1656-1662. Web.
Stimpson, J. P., & Wilson, F. A. (2017). New brain gain: Rising human capital among recent immigrants to the United States. Migration Policy Institute. Web.
The White House. (2017). Executive Order 13769 of January 27, 2017. Federal Register, 82(20), 8977–8982. Web.
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