Many immigrants come to America for a fresh start. They seek to obtain the best future they can, but many struggles come from being an immigrant. Growing up, the term has been around me since I can remember. Images and words are a way your view on things is changed. As oftentimes certain media outlets only give you one perspective of something, you never see the other side. Immigration is a great example of that because, over the years, it’s a term that is most certainly misunderstood. Instead of being positive, many people see immigration as negative, and that's not the truth. The term has a good start with the definition being somebody wanting to permanently live in another country. But that’s not all the word is, the term can be so open-ended and interpreted in many different ways. This term has been thrown around many times with no one knowing what immigration means.
A huge number of people argue that immigration means terrorism and drug dealing. Immigration should never be associated with those two terms directly, especially as a stereotype. Tragic events such as 9/11 pay a great deal to the contributions and the choices of why people connect them. Immigration gets a negative image from many because of those instances. But what about people who, as soon as they reach another country, don't want to do such a terrible thing? These are the people affected by the traumatic events that have occurred in the past, and because of them, they are being discriminated against. “Immigrants, especially those of color, are often the targets of discrimination or at least the victims of aggression. Whether subtle or overt, the negative impact of discrimination on the psychological well-being of an individual is still the same” (American Psychological Association). Growing up, I was out in public and I had a lot of people looking at me in odd ways. I was even pursued in stores to make sure I wasn't doing anything. But I got used to the stereotyping of people at some point and learned not to let it bother me anymore. I know I'm not the only one because there are millions of immigrants in the world, and likely to have it worse than I have. Although tragic incidents have a correlation that questions the relationship between terrorism and immigration, there is a lack of clear evidence that connects them directly. Many of our views about immigrants are affected by stereotypes. Just because an immigrant enters America doesn't mean they want to do harm.
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The way immigrants are helpful is something that gets overlooked. You will not understand and note the benefits of it, just negative news about immigrants is what is being broadcasted. In the US, immigrants have improved economic growth and increased productivity by bringing to the table much-needed skills. With those talents, they also take on work that not many individuals would. The common misconception is that immigrants are taking jobs from Americans. Although that is partly accurate, they often compete with other immigrants rather than Americans. “As immigrants supply labor, they also increase demand for housing and other goods and services, creating employment opportunities for native-born workers. This is why, over time, there is no correlation between immigration and the general unemployment rate. In fact, the number of jobs and the size of the workforce tend to grow together” (Griswold). This encourages younger Americans and other individuals to not have to work as soon as possible as it would be in old times as immigrants come into work. This ensures that more people will stay in school and continue their education, rather than joining the workforce at a younger age. So, is immigration a negative thing because the economy is better? Not only are immigrants helping to build a stable economy right now, but they are also helping to sustain existing employment, provide much-needed skills, and open up more job opportunities in the years ahead.
Crime behavior is another myth about immigration, and one of the largest ones. Many people assume that more crime is being brought into the country by refugees, and that's misleading. While some individuals pose as immigrants to commit crimes, not everyone does. “For all but four crimes that accounted for 0.18 percent of all criminal convictions in Texas in 2015, there were fewer convictions against illegal immigrants than against natives. The year 2016 shows even lower criminal conviction rates for illegal immigrants relative to natives in Texas” (Gridworld). Immigration is neither related to nor correlated with crime rates, and it should not be. While this subject is frequently debated in politics, there is a lack of a general understanding of questions regarding illegal immigrants and crime. In the quote above, it's shown the percentage of crime caused by immigrants in Texas. For several years, this myth has developed. Compared to other natives, immigrants are less likely to be arrested. There are a few immigrants who commit crimes, but a vast majority do not, because there are a little less than five million immigrants in Texas. There have been many efforts to remove immigrants in America and say that the crime rates would change, but there has been little proof that the expulsion of immigrants indicates that the crime rates have improved or worsened.
Sometimes, the term immigration is seen as a negative thing. People say immigration is related to crime and terrorism. They create misconceptions and stereotypes that are chosen to be believed across several people. When you hear the word immigration, what do you think? Immigration should not be seen as a negative thing, but rather a positive thing that people should appreciate and have a better understanding of. It should mean people are willing to contribute to society rather than just moving here. As with immigrants in the past, today's immigrants are learning and adjusting to the ever-evolving American lifestyle.
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