Immigrants to the U.S. face extensive challenges, but they still report high levels of optimism about their futures and trust in American institutions, a comprehensive survey has found.
Alejandro Medel prepares breakfast for his family at their Azusa home, something he does every day.Immigrants surveyed also cited greater rights and freedoms this country affords and the need to get away from unsafe or violent conditions in their homelands. Escaping unsafe conditions was cited as a major reason by half of those who have neither citizenship nor a green card and 6 in 10 of those from Central America.
Ten languages, thousands of phone calls: Accurately polling immigrants posed unprecedented challenges Now, she works 36 hours a week as a clothing salesperson in Houston, raising Benjamin, now 7, as a single mother in a three-bedroom apartment she shares with a roommate. Rent is about $900 a month.“The educational system is better here, and all the benefits for children are much better here,” she said, making the decision an obvious choice.
“The U.S., if you want to earn money, start your own business, you want to be famous, you just work hard and that’s it,” he said. “There’s no boundaries. … You can do whatever you want. Everybody’s the same. Everything’s equal.” Sanika Fennell, a native of Jamaica who became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2022, said that while most white people where she lives in Killeen, Texas, have shown kindness toward her, she lives with the knowledge that being Black in America means always being prepared to be treated unfairly — even in mundane situations.
We asked thousands of immigrants about their experiences and lives in this country. How would you answer those same questions? One-third of immigrants reported problems affording necessities such as food, housing and healthcare. That rose to 4 in 10 among immigrants who have children. Among those who are probably living in the U.S. without legal status or who live in a lower-income household, about half reported such difficulties.
When asked if he regrets immigrating, Mata said he’d do it again. But he doesn’t have a romantic attitude about the States or Mexico: It’s a struggle to live in either one. Decades ago, Yvonne asked her husband about moving Calvin to the U.S. At the time, their son was 7 and already carrying half a dozen thick textbooks in his backpack. His parents knew the life ahead in Hong Kong: long days and nights of studying for a do-or-die college entrance exam. Crushing pressure. Conformity.“It wasn’t a complex discussion or conversation,” said Johnny, 69. “She raised the point about his education, and I was like, ‘I support it 100%.
Most working immigrants, 68% of those surveyed, said they feel they have the right qualifications for their job, but about a quarter said they feel overqualified, having more skills and education than their job requires.As Johnny prepared lunch on a recent afternoon for himself and Yvonne — pork spare ribs, soy sauce braised salmon, deviled egg salad and pan-fried shrimp — he said he tried “to appreciate the good side of everywhere.
“We’re always telling our kids they need to study,” Barradas-Medel said. “They’re going to have a better future studying.” Maria Del Pilar Barradas-Medel and her son Alexander, 20, work in the law office in Arcadia where she has been employed for 11 years.Her success has benefited family members on both sides of the border.
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