Social Justice Development Under Immigrants’ Regulations in the U.S
Introduction
Social justice entails the development of fairness and justice within the society among its population. In particular, social justice develops through equal distribution of resources, opportunities, and in the event of social privileges. In relation, social justice oversees the development of regulations to enhance uniform distribution of resources and equal opportunity development among the various groups within the society (Ayala, Wilcox & Hage 2795). However, the existence of differences among various society stakeholders often inhibits the development of social justice. In this regard, society members focus on the existing gaps and use them to develop social injustice by denying some community members equal opportunity and resources. In consideration, the societies seek to oppress minority groups within the organization to restrict their existence or impact on the community and ensure the wellbeing of the majority within the nation. The move oversees the exploitation and suffering of the groups upon whom social injustice gets developed. Based on their plight, oppressed groups often seek justice through demonstration and a court hearing to deny the justification of their humiliation. The demonstration aims to outline the suffering imposed by injustice relationships within the society and try to develop changes upon which they can live harmoniously with the community. The paper develops a study on the development of social justice under immigrant regulation in the United States. Social justice is a crucial factor in ensuring the wellbeing and development of a society.
Immigration Statistics Within the U.S
United States host the highest number of immigrants in the world. In relation, the U.S population consists of 45 million immigrants (Migration Policy Institute, 1). The immigrant’s population is categorized into three groups that are, lawful immigrants who have acquired legal American citizenship by naturalization and lawful permanent residents. Similarly, the immigrant population consists of temporary lawful residents who have received the right to be within the country for a specified period. Under this category, the government issues temporary visas to students, workers, and visitors. Also, the country oversees the existence of unauthorized immigrants who are illegally residing in the country. Among the key factors that promote immigration in the U.S include employment upon which people migrate to the country seeking to acquire employment opportunities. In relation, most U.S is a developed and industrialized country that offers both skilled and unskilled labor to foreigners. In relation, the U.S labor force consisted of 17% of immigrant workers in 2018 (Migration Policy Institute 1).
Similarly, Refugees and asylum seekers contribute to the high number of immigrants in the country. The move oversees the migration of people to the country seeking to ensure their safety following the development of chaos in their mother countries. Also, education serves as a critical factor that promotes immigration into the state. In consideration, the country hosts scholars who seek to acquire advanced studies and improve skills in their areas of specialization within various institutions in the country. Lastly, immigrants access the state as visitors to relatives living within the country. Based on the high number of Immigrants, U.S has overseen the rise of an immigrant population within the society upon which social interaction has emerged. The interaction has helped outline the reaction of the U.S society to immigrants within the country. In particular, the community has identified the challenges related to immigrant presence upon which measures get developed to mitigate identified effects. The rules have influenced the development of social injustice upon the immigrants facilitating the development of movements seeking social justice for immigrants.
Effects of High Immigration Rates to the U.S
Regarding the effects of immigrants, the high number of immigrants facilitates a negative impact on real wages. In this regard, immigrant workers offer cheap labor to firms that provide them with job opportunities to reduce production costs. Similarly, immigrants increase the supply of labor despite the presence of few employment opportunities, which further facilitates stagnation of wages more so within the unskilled labor sector. According to research conducted by Greenstone and Looney (1), it was discovered that immigration workers facilitated a decrease in 4.7% of low skilled workers wages within the U.S. The research further disclosed that college graduate job wages lowered by 1.7% between 1990-2006. Furthermore, immigration relates to an increase in unemployment rates within a state. In consideration, immigrants compete for jobs with the native citizens lowering the possibility of acquiring job opportunities. Companies also gain highly skilled workers from other countries at the expense of native citizens. Lastly, immigration increases the population, which further constrains public resources. In this regard, immigrant populations develop the need to increase the government revenue to enhance their access to public services such as education and health care (Penn Wharton: University of Pennsylvania 1). California serves as a critical example of states that spend more money on public resources to ensure the wellbeing of immigrants more so education acquisition.
The outlined effects serve as sources of social injustice among immigrants upon which natives develop a despising attitude towards immigrants and call for regulations to restrict the presence of immigrants into the country. The hatred extends upon the feeling that immigrants acquire jobs meant for citizens and enhance an increase in state revenue that increases the taxes imposed on native citizens. Furthermore, native citizens undermine the wellbeing of immigrants through the denial of various rights that ensure equal distribution of resources and opportunities. In this regard, citizens deny employment opportunities and pay cheaply for services offered by immigrants to oversee them suffer and move back to their mother countries. Furthermore, some citizens develop violence against immigrants owing to their inability to keep up with the multicultural society created following the presence of immigrants within the community. Los Angeles serves as an example since it witnesses the development of anti-Latino riots in 1943 upon which Latinos got attacked by resident citizens (Narda 137).
Despite the presence of adverse effects, immigrants also develop positive impacts on a state. In relation, immigrants in the U.S offer unskilled labor within the farm upon which they increase the country’s agricultural productivity. In this regard, immigrants provide cheap labor to fill undesirable jobs within society. The move offers native citizens the chance to acquire skilled jobs that offer higher wages (Penn Wharton: University of Pennsylvania, 1). Also, immigrants help fill the skill gaps existing in a country. In relation, companies identify skilled foreigners to fill existing gaps and enhance increased productivity. In return, immigrants increase the output of a country by offering labor force that further increases the production capacity of the economy.
Furthermore, some immigrants serve as entrepreneurs who start businesses that offer employment opportunities and increase the GDP of a nation. Sergey Brin serves as a critical example of immigrants who have developed thriving businesses within the U.S economy. Sergey founded Google company that serves as a tech giant company based in the U.S. Upon increasing the country’s productive capacity and paying taxes to the government. Immigrants help increase the revenue of the country and improve its GDP. Also, immigrants offer markets for various products within the state, encouraging the growth of the companies.
The outlined effects occur differently in various states within the U.S. Regarding the increase of tax burden among native citizens, countries that contain less and educated immigrants often incur less charge on tax increase compared to states that have a high population of uneducated immigrants. New Jersey and California states serve as critical examples with contrasting effects. In relation, California spends five times more revenue than New Jersey in providing public amenities since it contains a high population of immigrants who are less educated. Furthermore, the states acquire different revenue contributions from the immigrant working population. In consideration, New Jersey receives more tax revenue since most immigrants are educated and work in high-income jobs upon which they offer high taxes. On the other hand, California immigrants offer less tax revenue since they work in low paying jobs. Based on this review, it is evident that the effects occur differently in various parts of the country.
Effects of Social Injustice in Controlling Negative Impacts of Immigration.
Concerning the fears that immigrants might undertake native American jobs and cause constraints on public resources, various states developed racist regulations that sought to undermine the wellbeing of immigrants in their jurisdictions. California serves as a critical example since it passed a law that restricted illegal immigrants from acquiring job opportunities within the state. Furthermore, California denied immigrants access to public hospitals and schools to ration its spending on public resources under proportion 187 (Narda 143). Based on these regulations, the immigrant population got isolated upon which they incurred poverty and developed stress, which further facilitated the development of health problems (Ayon 12). The state further developed a sterilization program upon which Latino women would get sterilized to prevent the increase in the Latino population. Also, the move oversaw the development of racist regulations by the country seeking to attain the wellbeing of its citizens. Among the critical racist laws include the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 that restricted the immigration of Chinese workers to the U.S since they were seen as competitors in the U.S. job market. The regulation also oversaw the humiliation of Chinese workers within the country.
Similarly, the United States passed the Immigrant Act of 1924 that restricted the immigration of Asians to the country with an aim to curtail the high number of Japanese immigrating into the country. The state further restricted people with a Japanese in horrible camps and subjected them to torture, claiming that they developed a threat during the 2nd world war. The move further allowed the seizure of their lands to and denied them justice in the court petition. The step oversaw the suffering of immigrants following denial of their rights and torture by the government. The move was identified as discriminative since it did not identify the contribution made by immigrants both to California and the U.S at large. In return, activist groups developed petitions to condemn the social injustice developed upon immigrants. In return, immigrant regulations got revised in California upon which the state would accommodate foreigners and facilitate their access to public resources. The move got adopted by the country at large upon which it prohibited discrimination of immigration and developed law protection to ensure immigrant wellbeing. In particular, the government removed the restriction imposed on immigrant naturalization, allowing for the acquisition of citizenship by immigrants of all races. Also, the state introduced the Dream Act that sought to fasten the acquisition of citizenship by immigrant youths within the country.
Despite the progress made in previous governments to attain social justice for immigrants, the election of Donald Trump has overseen the humiliation of illegal immigrants through deportation and detention. In relation, the administration views immigrants as criminals even though they contribute a significant portion of the country’s labor. Furthermore, the country Trump government has restricted visas offered to immigrant workers to limit immigration into the country. The move has overseen the separation of families upon which parents get detained or deported, leaving their children. Immigrants also live in fear of deportation and cannot seek justice whenever their rights get violated. The various effects facilitate the development of health problems among immigrants and poverty development owing to their inability to acquire jobs based on the discriminative regulations. Also, the Trump administration seeks to develop a wall within the country borders to restrict the entry of immigrants from neighboring countries (Rogers, Shear & Youngs 1).
Regarding the existing immigrants’ regulations, the Trump administration seeks to deter the legal citizenship acquisition process upon which immigrants will get from becoming U.S citizens. The various policies do not consider the positive impacts related to immigration and the welfare of immigrants. In this regard, the Trump administration develops racist regulations based on the conception that immigrant citizens are criminals. In particular, the country fails to identify the positive effects related to immigrants’ more so increased country output based on immigrant labor.
Alternatives to Change Development
The means adopted by Trump administration to restrict immigrants develop suffering and misery among immigrant families following the deportation and detainment of their family members. Furthermore, the regulations limit the productivity of the country by deterring the acquisition of visas by immigrants working within the state. In return, the U.S will oversee less growth since it will not acquire revenues related to immigrant activities within the country. Similarly, its production capacity will get regulated. However, the state can adopt alternative measures to control the impact related to immigrant’s restrictions that oversee the development of social justice to immigrants through respect for their rights. Among these regulations include the allowance of immigrant workers who have a legal permit to work within the country. Also, the state should legalize immigrants who offer essential services within the country, such as skilled labor and entrepreneurs, since they provide a positive contribution to society. The administration should also identify the crucial role played by immigrants in undertaking neglected undesirable jobs such as farming activities. Based on this consideration, the country should legalize immigrant farmworkers to continue working in the country to ensure the constant production of agricultural products. Lastly, the state should establish strict measures to restrict the entry of illegal immigrants into the country and legalization of the existing immigrants to ensure their wellbeing and maintain the multicultural status of the society. Upon developing measures to acquire new immigrants, the state will get to select beneficial immigrants and incorporate them within the community.
Group and Organizations That Should Push for the Change in Immigrant Regulations
Among the groups that should fight for proper immigrants, control includes business organizations. In this regard, they should outline the effects related to the restriction of visas for the legal immigrant worker in the country. In relation, they should describe the reduction of the production capability of various companies and the inadequate supply of raw materials more so farm products, which would have adverse effects on business performance within the country. Also, humanitarian organizations should outline the plight developed upon immigrant families and call for the revision of the adopted measures. Lastly, legislators should develop alternative standards that are beneficial to the country and uphold social justice for immigrants within the state.
Conclusion
Immigration serves a critical social issue in the U.S since the country hosts the highest number of immigrants in the world. In relation, migration develops various effects, such as improving the economy and increasing productivity. However, the presence of high illegal immigrant rates to the country extends the negative impacts upon which the state gets forced to increase its spending on public facilities to facilitate the wellbeing of immigrants. In this regard, the country has developed adverse measures to control immigration, which facilitates the exploitation and suffering of immigrants. Based on this effect, the state should adopt alternative strategies that enable its economic growth and ensure the wellbeing of immigrants.
Work Cited
Ayala, E., Wilcox, M. & Hage, S. “Social Justice theory.” ResearchGate (2016).
Ayon, C. “Economic, social, and health effects of discrimination on Latino immigrant families.” Migration policy institute. (2015).
Greenstone, M. & Looney, A. “What immigration means for U.S employment and wages.” (2012). Retrieved on 22nd May 2020 from https://www.brookings.edu/what- immigration- means-for-us-employment-and-wages/amp
Migration Policy Institute. U.S immigration population and share over time, 1850- present. (2020). Retrieved on 22nd May 2020 from https://www.migrationpolicy.org/programs/data-hub/charts/immigrant-population- over-time
Narda, Z. California Comeback: How a “Failed State” Became a Model for the Nation. Los Angeles: Los Angeles Times. (2016). Print
Penn Wharton: University of Pennsylvania. The Effects of Immigration on the United States Economy. (2016). Retrieved on 22nd May 2020 from http://budgetmodel.wharton.upenn.edu/issues/the- effects-of-immigration-on-the- united-states-economy
Rogers, K., Shear, M. & Youngs, Z. Trump plans to suspend immigration to the U.S. (2020). Retrieved on 22nd May 2020 from https://www.nytimes.com/politics/trump- immigration.html