Immigration
The close interconnection between globalization and immigration, and its important components, such as transnationalism, multiculturalism, and assimilation, make the study of immigration a necessary component for the understanding of both macro-level and micro-level societal changes in the contemporary world. The enormous growth of international immigration has been a fundamental component of accelerated globalization, connecting different regions of the world and its culture since the 1980s. Today, most of the developed countries, like the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom, are receiving a massive influx of immigrants from remote regions of the world. It has raised general public concerns and has brought immigration to a central place in sociological studies (Liang, 2006, p. 487-488).
According to the recent survey, worldwide, there are almost 191 million immigrants. Around 115 million live in developed countries. Out of it, approximately 38 million, that is 20 percent, live in the U.S., making up 13 percent of its population. In addition, 33 percent of all immigrants in the world live in Europe. Between 1990 and 2005, there were 36 million immigrants; 33 million migrated to industrialized countries (Shah, 2008). America, which is known as a “nation of immigrants,” has witnessed one of the largest immigrant flows in the twenties century. According to the University of Chicago, 70 percent of the population of Chicago consisted of immigrants and their children. Almost 60 million people, more than one fifth of the total population of the U.S., are immigrants or their children (Liang, 2006, p. 488-489).
Generally, immigration is seen as an independent process caused by such conditions as overpopulation and poverty in the country of origin. It is not related to such factors as economic needs and foreign policies in the receiving country. Though economic stagnation, poverty, and overpopulation continuously force for immigration, they alone do not generate large international immigration flows. Professionals in various fields immigrate more often than poor people in pursuit of better opportunities and high-income jobs. Immigration is the basic component of the process of globalization, capitalist expansion, and market penetration. According to the reports of the Inter Press Service (IPS), the European Union has recently addressed a concern about immigration, creating inequality among origin and receiving countries (Shah, 2008).
Immigration can have negative and positive impacts on both the recipient and the origin country. It offers various benefits to the former. Immigrants usually work longer hours and for lower salaries. Though such discrimination is controversial, it benefits the recipient country. In addition, immigrants can contribute to the diversity of the culture of society, which can help with understanding and tolerance (Shah, 2008). For instance, assimilation has played a vital role in the development of the America’s culture. Pasta, sausage, and salsa are now as common on American dinner tables as turkey, pumpkin, and corn. Millions of fans cheer the hundreds of immigrants, who are members of the Major League Baseball in the U.S. (Myers & Pitkin, 2010). In a way, well-educated and skilled immigrants offer an increased talent pool, which can be helpful for the economic, social, and cultural development of the recipient country. However, there are many issues related to immigration. Due to it, developing countries often suffer from “brain drain” as limited recourses spent by the country on its citizens are benefited to another country. For example, the UK is often blamed for hiring medical staff from developing countries, causing the lack of skilled medical professionals in those countries. Immigration often encourages such criminal activities as trafficking, corruption, and violence in the host country. It often becomes a political or social issue, where racism and discrimination can be used as an excuse for the current woes of the local population (Shah, 2008). For instance, people from Latin America are regularly becoming targets of bias-motivated crimes in the U.S. Due to the Middle East crises and the 9/11 attacks, people of Arab descent experience a boom in crimes. In addition, U.S. citizens of Mexican descent are blamed for economical and social issues in the country (“Background on discrimination against immigrants,” 2013).
In conclusion, immigration is significantly affecting international and domestic political, social, and economical sectors. Yet, it has not received much media attention. In order to minimize growing inequality and conflicts related to this issue, both origin and host countries need to construct appropriate economical and political policies to tackle poverty and create equal opportunities regardless of race, religion, sex, and origin.
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References
Background on discrimination against immigrants. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/background-discrimination-against-immigrants
Liang, Z. (2006). The sociology of migration. In C. D. Bryant & D. Pek (Eds.), Century sociology (pp. 487-495). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Retrieved from http://www.sagepub.com/leonguerrero4e/study/materials/reference/05434_socmig.pdf
Myers, D., & Pitkin, J. (2010). Assimilation today. Center for American Progress. Retrieved from http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/report/2010/09/01/8385/assimilation-today/
Shah, A. (2008). Immigration. Global Issues. Retrieved from http://www.globalissues.org/article/537/immigration