Problems experienced by immigrant mothers

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Problems Experienced by Immigrant Mothers
Immigrants in the US are estimated to comprise about 13% of the American population. The come to America with the hope of better lives and job opportunities because of poverty or conflicts in their countries of origin, the most notable immigrants are those from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The percentage of women during the early years of immigration was superseded by that far by that of mean, but with the years the trend has been changing gradually. The current statistics show that the number of men immigrating is surpassed by the female immigrants (Garcia and Franchim). This is owed to the immigration policies that were put in place, which give more consideration and emphasis on the immigration of family units. The Latino women in the US; who are mostly linked with home care jobs have indicated a relative improvement in their lives after migration in the modern day America compared to other immigrants.
Women have been the primary beneficiaries in successful and legal immigration and documentation annually with over half of them obtaining green cards (Garcia and Franchim). Despite the increase in the numbers, all is not rosy for these immigrants when they arrive and settle in America as they are faced with many challenges in adapting and settling in the new country and lifestyle. These challenges of women were earlier not of concern for the natives because back then the immigrant population was not vocal about their problems because they were the minority.

The immigration policies at the time were not fully inclusive and did not cater some of the aspects that were of concern to the immigrants as they had no representative to champion for them. Nonetheless, the population started to grow with time, and the natives began to understand their issues, and some took and initiative to try and help better their lives. The view today on the plights of the emigres have been given more attention by people, and the government is seeking to address these issues.
According to the poem ‘Elena by Pat Mora’, the main idea grasped is the problem of the language barrier that is widely experienced by Immigrant mothers especially in the case of Latino mothers. The Latino mothers when arriving from their home countries in the search for greener pastures, most of them don’t speak English this hinders they smooth integration into the new communities (Hondagneu, Pierrette & Ernestine, 550). The language barrier is the main downside in trying to understand and complete basic tasks like purchasing of goods and even asking for directions or when enquiring about anything from the natives. Without knowing English, these mothers cannot help their children do homework or even attend and participate in the educational development of their children to the letter. In spite of the effort some of the mothers try to put, they become hard because of the age, and also some of them are hardly proficient in their native languages.
Employment is the second most critical problem that will continue haunting the immigrant mothers; both young and old. Latinos are majorly associated with home care jobs in many cities in the United States, and the families they are to tend are mostly households that only understand English. Therefore, if they cannot communicate properly, their probability of securing jobs are lessened (Romero, 72). This has impacted negatively in their lives because most of them have families to fend for and without enough income, they end up living in poverty with poor living conditions unlike they expected when migrating their native countries. But if they manage to secure jobs, they are not employed permanently and have to move around every day to struggle hard to get a job. Although this part time jobs prove to be an improvement, more can be done to promote the immigrant mothers.
Proper housing is expensive in the United States and with the nanny and household cleaning jobs done by the Latino parents; especially the single mothers, they cannot afford such housing. They hence, have to compromise and live in relatively cheap houses that expose themselves to various dangers health wise and also security wise. The schooling also in poor neighborhoods become a challenge, and this thus hinders the development of the children to live better lives which are always a source of consolation and hope for every mother (Romero, 109). The communities that children are brought up are the prime determinants that mold the characters of the developing children. If the children become exposed to bad peers and involved in vices, they end up joining gangs and being caught on the opposite side of the law in the long run. This is a source of distress to many mothers who strive hard to achieve better pay in for them to move out and find better places.
Transportation issues is a matter of concern for immigrant moms as they look for jobs or when they are going to their place of work for those who have jobs. This is because their places of residence and that of their employers are far-flung and for them to arrive early they have to wake up early and prepare their households. This leads to lots of stress to the mother because most of them end up working ‘double days’ which is too demanding. If they can purchase cars obtaining of driver’s license will be a challenge because of the language barrier, and this limits the capabilities to improve. The jobs that these mothers are involved in are time-consuming and leave the Latino moms separated from their children most of the times (Hondagneu, Pierrette & Ernestine, 561). Every child is entitled to the tender love and mentoring of a mother and to be taught morals and their culture, but with this isolation, they end lonely and without that essential attachment to their mothers.
The quick change in the cultures of the immigrants has proved as a challenged in the initials years of their occupation; this is because change needs time to be effectively adopted. The cultural orientations of new individuals in a community may differ from those of this native; this becomes a major hindrance to the social growth of the children as well as their mothers. For example, in the case of food they are used to eating which they may not find in plenty due to financial issues makes their first moments difficult. They rigidity of parents to change and assimilating into new cultures contrasts with the rapid and joyful adoption of the children because of the schools and interactions with other students (Romero, 142). This may be a source of conflict, but mothers have learned to adjust and encourage children to blend in, while also trying to teach them about their cultures and encouraging them always to keep them in mind.
In conclusion, the issues of the Latino mothers are gradually being addressed, but they are not given the serious attention it deserves. The government can play a better role in ensuring that each and every individual in a country enjoys their stay and is free from exploitation by other citizens. There are several channels to try and solve these issues faced by the mothers; some of them are already in progress but need revitalization for them to serve their intended purpose efficiently. The government should put in place strict measure to regulate the number of immigrants in the country, and with an organized number and accountable system of taking immigrants, proper planning can be done to accommodate them. The immigrant communities should take personal initiatives among themselves to form organizations that help them champion for their rights. This unity will see them prosper as they can be instrumental in mentoring new emigres and inducting them to the new environment.
They women, in particular, can also be involved in activities together in helping each other to cope with the challenges of the American culture and lifestyle. For instance, they can motivate themselves to study English and break the language barrier jointly; this will open a gateway for them to find better jobs with better pay and guarantee them hope for financial independence and stability (Romero, 62). The authorities should take an initiative of providing housing or give the emigres an opportunity or a way for them to obtain better houses as this significantly impacts the improvement and settling of mothers and families. Policies should also be put in place to enforce the payment and standardize the working conditions of the emigres; this will ensure that they have an open platform to work hard and secure a place in the competitive American society. They success in solving these problems and further improving their way of living is subject to the effort of the government, the natives and the immigrant mothers themselves.
Works Cited
Garcia, Ann and Samanta Franchim. “10 Facts You Need To Know About Immigrant Women (2013 Update) – Center For American Progress”. Americanprogress.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 2 Dec. 2016.
Hondagneu-Sotelo, Pierrette, and Ernestine Avila. “I’m Here, but I’m There” the Meanings of Latina Transnational Motherhood.” Gender & Society 11.5 (1997): 548-571.
Romero, Mary. Maid in the USA. Psychology Press, 2002.