Asian Immigrants in the Us

Asian immigrant families are faced with many challenges upon their arrival in the United States of America. One of the problems Asian immigrants face is fitting in. Asians have always been more traditional and family oriented. When they do things, they do it for their family. For generations parents have ingrained in their childrens mind that family is the most important thing in the world. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but its taught in a way that one must do everything for their family and not themselves. One author states that if one was to ask an Asian immigrant student what they want to do in their life they would most likely say something along the lines of being an engineer, and if one was to ask for an explanation as to why they choose that profession, the most common answer would be somewhere along the lines of â€Å"its for my family† or â€Å"because thats what my family wants me to do† (Eli Lieber 190). Author Eli Lieber explains that for an individual to go against his or her familys wishes is a big taboo for Asians (192). It is seen as an act of rebellion and a way of bringing disgrace to their family. Simple things such as following ones dream of becoming a famous singer, actor, or baker can be seen in the negative light in the Asian community. However, from an Americans perspective it is seen in the positive light as a strong willed individual just chasing their American dream. The American ideology of individuality clashes greatly with the traditional Asian ideology of togetherness. Americans are encouraged to chase after their individual dreams rather than focusing on helping their family. Asian parents encourage their children to become doctors, engineers, lawyers, and other high paying occupations that are well respected by people. American parents also wish for their children to be occupy one of those jobs, but they are also more lenient if their child wishes to be a chef, artist, photographer or any other jobs that arent considered to be as â€Å"important† to society. The differences between ideologies of these two cultures often make it hard for Asians to fit in with Americans simply because they have been taught that togetherness is more important than individuality throughout their whole life. Another problem that Asians are faced with when trying to fit in is the language barrier. Asians often have difficulty learning the English language, especially when they migrate to this country at an older age. The language barrier plays a significant role with their interactions with the native born Americans. Sociology professor, Baek Choi, explains that fluency in the English language plays a significant role in the â€Å"acculturation process of immigrants† (76). Professor Baek Choi goes on to explain that â€Å"acculturation is the process of adaptation and culture modification that occurs as a result of continuous contact between two different and distinct cultures. Oftentimes, it results in the change of beliefs, values and behavior of the immigrants† (197). The more fluent an immigrant is, the more likely they are to interact with the US born citizens simply because they have more confidence in themselves. They are able to understand what is going on around them, and can clearly communicate what it is they want or need with the non-Asian community. However, Asians are more likely to settle in places where there are lots of other Asians rather than venturing out to the non-Asian community. Being around people of their race helps them become more comfortable in their new country. One author states that in some cases these Asian communities become so large they actually resemble their native land (Rong and Grant, Ethnicity). Cities such as Little Saigon, Little Tokyo and Little India have sprung up in Southern California and are a great example for these Asian communities here in the United States. The comfort of these communities limits Asian immigrants contact with the native born Americans. In cases where these immigrants actually have to interact with U. S. Born citizens they often feel uncomfortable and are unable to communicate clearly with them. The difference of ideologies and the language barrier are often the cause for Asian immigrants having a hard time adjusting to their new home country. Things are just too different form what they are used to, and it often takes time for them to adjust properly. Sometimes, the relationship between parents and children become strained due to the new environment. When Asian families migrate to the United States they often bring young children with them. These children sometimes adapt to the new culture a lot faster than their parents because often the children is more exposed to the outside world than the parents. In the article â€Å"An Emergent Leadership Model Based On Confucian Virtues And East Asian Leadership Practices,† Lang, Irby and Brown explains that â€Å"cultural values provide guidance and protocols for peoples thought, attitudes, behaviors, and reactions to external conditions†. When Asian immigrant children are put in public schools they are introduced to the American ideology of individuality through their peers. This concept of individuality is one of Americas cultural values, and it is the exact opposite of the traditional Asian cultural value. As stated in the previous paragraph, Americans embrace the idea of individuality and encourage its citizens to do so, whereas Asian culture is focused more on family and their community as a whole. The introduction of these cultural values at a young age makes it easy for these young immigrants to embrace it. These non-native children, and just all children in general, are often faced with the want and need to â€Å"fit in† especially during their time from middle school to high school. The need to â€Å"fit in† is hard enough for U. S born citizens, but it is especially hard for immigrant adolescents. Culture and health professor of UCLA, Eli Lieber, claims immigrant teenagers are faced with more difficulties during this time of their life than non-immigrant teenagers because they have to find the balance between their two worlds (185). Depending on how close they are to their family or their peers, the teenager could lean towards one culture more than the other. In some cases the need to fit in often over rules the lessons their parents have instilled in their mind of doing things for their family. Like any other teenager, social life becomes more important than their family, and what their friends think is more important than what their family thinks of them. Asian parents often dont understand why this is happening to their child, they see it as an act of rebellion. These acts of rebellion can be as simple as changing the way they dress, how they style their hair, or it can be something much more drastic such as staying out later with friends or engaging in ruffian behavior. The teenagers however see nothing wrong with their actions, and view it as â€Å"normal† since that is how their American friends act. These misunderstandings can lead to a strain on the parent – child relationship. Parents often have a difficult time obtaining a job that can provide for their family. The number one reason why Asians have a difficult time finding a proper job is because of the language barrier. The language barrier, as stated in the previous paragraph, is the most difficult to overcome. Asians typically choose to stay within the safety of their ethnic community, but in most cases those communities dont provide well paid jobs. When Asians first arrived here in the United States, low wage jobs that required lots of work was the only thing that was offered to them (PEW, The Rise Of Asian Americans). Asians were typically discriminated against and were always given the worse end of the deals during the first surge of immigrants in the 1900s (Pew, The Rise of Asian Americans). However, after being pushed aside and discriminated against for the past century Asian immigrants have begun to pave their own roads and have set up some successful small businesses. These small, family owned businesses have sprouted all over Asian communities, sometimes they are successful and sometimes theyre not. Many Asian immigrants choose to either find a job within their ethnic community or open one up rather than venturing out into mainstream America to find a job. Immigrants choose to stay close to their community because that is what they are comfortable with. They are working with people who speak their language and eat the same food they eat. They dont feel the need to worry about whether or not they are fitting in or if what theyre doing is considered absurd by non-Asians. Even though many Asians choose to stay and work in the Asian community or open up their own business, these jobs may not be as successful. In some cases where an Asian immigrant decides to open up their own business they often use their family members as workers. According to Lee Sharons article, â€Å"Poverty and the U. S. Asian Population†, sometimes these family members are unpaid or paid really low wages, and those family members simply let it pass. This also applies to non-family workers of those small businesses. Asians generally believe that family should always stick together, even if it means working for free or a at a really low rate. First generation Cambodian immigrant Nary Ngeth states, â€Å"I have no problem working at my moms bakery for free. Shes my mom. † However when asked if U. S. born citizen Rachel Pike was willing to work for her parents store for free like Ngeth, she replies, â€Å"They would have to pay me. I can probably find a job that pays more than them. † The difference between the two cultures is obvious, one is willing to work for free because they are family while the other insists she is able to find a job that can pay more. This practice of underpaying relatives and Asian immigrant workers is harmful them. It prevents the workers from finding a proper job that can pay them fairly. Some first generation Asian immigrants that choose to find a job in the mainstream America often find themselves underemployed or end up with low wage jobs. A study done by Gordon F. De Jong and Anna Madamba states that Asian immigrants suffer from a â€Å"double disadvantage† (117). De Jong and Madamba claims, â€Å"The double disadvantage hypothesis of minority group and immigrant status is accepted only for Asian men and women with jobs mismatched to their skills and for Asian women who are most likely to be unemployed or be among the working poor† (118). This suggests that Asian immigrants are unable to get jobs they are qualified for and end up with jobs that are beneath their skill level. This can include low wage jobs such as maintenance, retail, etc. Even if an Asian immigrant is qualified for a high paying job the language barrier often sets them back. According to the article Asian American Assimilation : Ethnicity, Immigration, And Socioeconomic Attainment, written by C. N. Le, the lack of having advanced language skills is the most common reason for immigrants not getting a job. If co-workers are unable to communicate properly things will never be able to run smoothly and can actually harm the work place. English and Spanish is the most common language in this country. Its easy for Spanish speaking immigrants to land jobs because of the increase of Mexican and South American immigrants, but its difficult for Asians. In some cases native born Americans have a difficult time communicating with Asians because of their heavy accents. The underemployment, mismatched jobs, language barrier, and agreeing to work for low wages are the cause for Asian immigrants being unable to find a proper job that can provide for their family. First generation children are often faced with the most difficult challenges in the family. These children act as the bridge between the two worlds. If their parents speak little or no English the children become the translators. Sometimes these children are put in situations where they have to make difficult decisions, and if their parents have any questions regarding mainstream America they are the ones to seek out the answer for them. Things such as how to open up a bank account, applying for credit cards, paying bills, getting the right paper work for their business, etc. Parents not only rely on their children as a connection to the American world, but they also expect them to surpass the native born students in their studies. Asians have been called the â€Å"model minority† by Americans, they believe that all the other groups of immigrants should aspire to become more â€Å"Asian† in terms of their work ethic, and academic performances (Wing, 455). Education is highly prized in the Asian community. Parents expect nothing but the best from their children when it comes to their grades in school. Sometimes parents will punish their children if they perform lowly on a test or get a bad grade on their report card. Nary Ngeth says, â€Å"I remember I got a C in my P. E. Class for failing the swimming portion of the class. My mom was so mad, she made me sign up for public swimming lessons after taking away my phone. Because I got a C in P. E! † In 2007, Dr. Jean Wing conducted a study in Berkely High School to see whether or not Asians are the â€Å"model minority†. Wing was able to find the students GPA based on race, and overall Asians outperformed the Latinos and Africans. Wing was also able to figure out which race are ready to attend college based on the CSU and UC eligibility requirement. This showed that more Asians are college bound than Latinos and Africans. 70% of Asian seniors at Berkley are eligible to attend college, while only 32% of African Americans and 48% of Latinos are eligible (Wing, 462-465). The academic success of Asian students overall could be because of how supportive Asian parents are to their children when it comes to schooling. Parents remind their kids to study for tests, do their homework, work on their projects, etc. â€Å"My mom would always help me with math. Having her constantly hover over me while I work on my homework was irritating, but she helped my a lot. It was like having my own personal tutor,† explains Ngeth. Not only do first generation children have to deal with the pressure put on them by their family, but they also have to deal with the problems they are faced at school. First generation children are one of the first members of the family to learn the English language and it can be difficult for them. Sometimes they can be ridiculed by their peers because of the way their accents. As stated in the second paragraph these teenagers are trying to find the balance between the two world they are living in. Teenagers want to become accepted by Americans, but they also want their parents approval of their choices. In Eli Liebers study of Asian immigrant families and European American families he finds that the â€Å"arguments between parent and child from European American families center on â€Å"mundane details of family life: doing chores, getting along with siblings and appearance† (190). However, the conflict that Asian immigrant families face are centered on â€Å"parents disapproval of mainstream American attitudes toward dating and adolescents desire for independence, especially with regard to career choice and marriage† (190). Finding the balance between the two worlds can often take years to find. Finding that balance along with being the bridge between the two worlds and the pressure to perform well in academics are some of the things that first generation children are faced with. The number of Asian immigrants moving to this country has been steadily growing. According to PEW, in the past year Asians has surpassed Hispanics in the number of immigrants arriving in the United States (PEW, The Rise of Asian Americans). The Asian community has left lasting impacts in this nation. Just like all the other immigrants they are faced with many challenges, but Asians are faced with more. The inability to let go of their ideology of collectiveness makes it difficult for them to understand the American culture. This also has lead to the formation of clumps of Asian communities within the nation. Although this is not necessarily a bad thing, it prevents immigrants from venturing out and exploring what America has to offer them. The biggest problem Asian immigrants face upon their arrival is the difference between the two cultures and trying to find the balance between the two. Some choose to ignore the cultures of their new host country, choosing instead to stay within their own ethnic community and having very little interactions with the U. S. born citizens. Some however, choose to fully embrace the new culture and forget their own culture values and traditions in order to fit it with Americans. Asian immigrants must learn to find the right balance between the two. Its important to learn how to live in the new country but its also important to hold onto ones culture. If immigrants can find the perfect balance between the two cultures, they will be able to lead a successful lifestyle in America. Works Cited Baek Choi, Jong, and Madhavappallil Thomas. Predictive Factors Of Acculturation Attitudes And Social Support Among Asian Immigrants In The USA.   International Journal Of Social Welfare  18. 1 (2009): 76-84. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Dec. 2012. De Jong, Gordon F. , and Anna B. Madamba. A Double Disadvantage? Minority Group, Immigrant Status, And Underemployment In The United States.   Social Science Quarterly (Blackwell Publishing Limited)  82. 10(2001): 117. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Dec. 2012. Eli Lieber, et al. Ethnic Identity, Acculturation, Parenting Beliefs, And Adolescent Adjustment: A Comparison Of Asian Indian And European American Families.   Merrill-Palmer Quarterly  53. 2 (2007): 184-215. Academic Search Premier. Web. 1 Dec. 2012. Lang, LingLing, Beverly J. Irby, and Genevieve Brown. An Emergent Leadership Model Based On Confucian Virtues And East Asian Leadership Practices.   International Journal Of Educational Leadership Preparation  7. 2 (2012):  ERIC. Web. 1 Dec. 2012. Le, C. N. Asian American Assimilation : Ethnicity, Immigration, And Socioeconomic Attainment. n. p. : LFB Scholarly Pub, 2007. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 4 Dec. 2012. Lee, Sharon M. Poverty And The U. S. Asian Popu lation.   Social Science Quarterly (University Of Texas Press)  75. 3 (1994): 541-559. Academic Search Premier. Web. 4 Dec. 2012. Ngeth, Nary. Personal Interview. 09 Dec. 2012. PEW. The Rise of Asian Americans.   Pew Social And Demographic Trends. PEW Research Center, 19 June 2012. Web. 09 Dec. 2012. . Pike, Rachel. Personal Interview. 09 Dec. 2012. Rong, Xue Lan, and Linda Grant. Ethnicity, Immigrant Generation Status, And School Attainment Of Asians, Hispanics And Non-Hispanic Whites. (1990):  ERIC. Web. 7 Dec. 2012. Wing, Jean. Beyond Black And White: The Model Minority Myth And The Invisibility Of Asian American Students.   Urban Review  39. 4 (2007): 455-487. Academic Search Premier. Web. 7 Dec. 2012.