The United States has always stood as a place full of opportunity and freedom. It has drawn different ethnic groups for a countless number of years. Most times, ethnic groups must deal with hardships and difficulties while they attempt to assimilate within the United States. The experience varies from each individual depending on the social, political, and economic conditions. These experiences pave the way for future generations. In what follows, I will discuss the immigration journey of my family and further discuss any difficulties or discrimination we have faced as a result.
My father and his family left Colombia to the United States in 1970. The main reason for their move was because my grandparents wanted a better life for my dad and his brother; they wanted to live the American Dream. Nonetheless, there were still economic, political, and social conditions that were negative in Colombia that pushed others to leave. First off, there was a lot of violence that occured within the country. Starting in the 1970s, “chronic violence, especially in the countryside, kept Colombia’s homicide rate in the range of 20-39 per 100,000 population, high by international standards, but not much above Brazil and Mexico.” (Coatsworth, 2014) Historians have blamed such a high homicide rate on the “failure of the country’s political leaders and their followers to design effective institutions of government and make them work.” (Coatsworth, 2014) In addition, Colombia was suffering from poverty and inequality. At the time, more than 45 percent of the population was below the poverty line. Although my family was not apart of this group, they felt as though there was not enough tools and opportunities to flourish. My father was going to be starting school soon, and Colombia’s school system was not as up to date in modernizes trends as the United States was. There was still an opposition for the separation of church and public education. During this same time, the United States was going through another set of economic, social, and political conditions. In the 1970s, marginalized groups such as gays, women, African Americans and native Americans were fighting for their equality. A lot of Americans were also protesting the Vietnam war during this time and were doubting the government’s intentions. In the 1970s, the United States Economy was negatively affected by the Vietnam War. They entered a recession. During these years, America was in an era of stagnation. There was a mix of a high demand and a low supply of things such as jobs, houses, cars etc.
Before my fathers arrival to the US, the Immigration Act of 1965 was passed. This allowed immigrants of all nationalities to enter the United States on a roughly equal basis. Beforehand, there was a similar act – the Immigration Act of 1924. However, this act had a favoritism toward Northern European immigrants. The Immigration Act of 1965 is said to be influenced by the Civil Rights Movement. In addition of canceling out racial discrimination and inequality, “the Immigration Act was therefore a corrective measure instituted to atone for past history of discrimination in immigration.” (Andrews, 2016) Essentially, this act allowed more individuals to immigrate to the United States and live their American Dream. At the time, there was also a student visa program in which students from foreign countries were given the opportunity to study in the United States. My grandfather was one of the individuals granted with an F1 visa. He brought along my grandmother and father who were given an F2 visa. While his visa was still valid, my grandmother gave birth to my Uncle which led to all of them applying for permanent residency. The Immigration Act as well as the Student Visa Program left a mixed effect on the United States. For some, allowing individuals to immigrate to America was seen as positive as the immigration policies would be up to date with other anti-discriminatory movements. For others, it fueled the racism and stereotypical thoughts inside them. Individuals felt as though America should stay a primarily “European” country. They also did not see immigrants from countries other than Northern Europe as useful to America or its economy. Opposers of this act also “predicted the United States would find itself inundated by desperate migrants from poverty-stricken countries.” (Gjelten, 2015) Such negative thoughts on certain ethnic groups affected their life within America.
It is not uncommon for immigrants or those apart of ethnic groups to experience discrimination. My dad experienced a lot of discrimination from individuals who held some type of authority such as police officers or security. Although he was a responsible, trouble-free individual, he was often targeted by cops for his physical appearance and color of his skin. He was always thought to be affiliated with gangs, drugs, and crime even though he had no criminal history. He was just a well-rounded full time student with a full time job trying to provide for his family. As of today, I can recall times where I have felt discriminated against. I feel as though I have been talked down to as if I were not educated enough because of my ethnicity. Sometimes I feel as if I have prove myself in order to be respected. In general, I believe minority groups have to work harder to get to where they want to be. Since ethnic groups made their way to America, people have made so many negative assumptions and thoughts about them; these thoughts have been passed down generation to generation which is why we still experience such discrimination to this day. There are so many stereotypes associated with every ethnic group that can potentially affect the opportunities they strive for. The only difference I see between how different racial groups are treated is the different stereotypes associated with them. For example, Asian American history is often overlooked and not recognized. Despite the fact they have also endured plenty of violence and discrimination, there is a “common misperception that Asian Americans occupy a privileged position in U.S. society.” (Chang, 1999) Similar to discrimination towards ethnic groups, I have also noticed of gender discrimination within America.
Women within America have not been given the necessary tools to gain power and success. Although advancements have been made, women are still being discriminated against in most aspects of the American Society; this includes education, the labor market, political arena, etc. Being a female in America means that sometimes we have to prove ourselves in order to be taken seriously. There are still many individuals who believe we should succumb to the life of a housewife as if that is our only purpose in life. I think a lot of women experience a similar type of discrimination. However, I would have to say women that are also colored are discriminated at a higher rate than white women. Minority women are victims of double jeopardy as they are not only discriminated against for their culture/ethnicity but because of their gender. It is clear that “not only are they victim of racism but are also victims of sexism” (Gonzales, 2003)
America is a country made up of diversity and a number of ethnic groups. Every immigrant’s journey is molded by the social, political, and economic conditions of the country at the specific time. My family’s immigration experience is just a reflection of the hundreds of thousands immigrants that also travel to America. The experiences of those within my ethnic group have paved the way of what I was to expect growing up in America.