Tag: news bias

Unaccompanied youth migration, community- T based programs, and the power of “push” factors in El Salvador

I’m mainly Peruvian but there wasn’t much on it so I looked up my other half which was El Salvador. El Salvador has the largest migration of mainly unaccompanied youths. Most people leave El Salvador because of the war or because of gangs. El Salvador has the greatest number of gang members and the highest homicide rates. Immigration into the United States from El Salvador started around 1980 because of the war. My family from El Salvador came in the 90s because of the war. My father’s  father died in the war so they fled to the United States. Their push factor is the gangs violence since they take over most of the country so many people feel unsafe to stay in their home country. The size of gangs continue to grow due to deportation. “Police corruption and misconduct are also part of the problem because police maltreatment of citizens amplifies distrust of law enforcement due to corruption among some officers” (Roth 2018). Most gangs recruitments occur in prison which puts fear in the Salvadorians and make them want to flee to the United States.

 

Roth, Benjamin J.; Hartnett, Caroline S.. Children & Youth Services Review , Sep 2018, Vol. 92, p48-55, 8p; DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.01.026, Database: Education Source

 

Tuberculosis findings among immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Italy

Tuberculosis is an airborne, bacterial disease that effects the lungs that spreads when people cough and sneeze. The scary part about this disease is that people who are infected may not show any symptoms. Treatment for TB is a lengthy process that requires multiple antibiotics.

This journal analyses the TB outbreak among Italian immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.  They looked at three interventions of the outbreak in Italy during a four-year period at five sites (primary centers and mobile clinics) in Rome and one in Milan.

TB cases have significantly increased in occurrence over the past few years. However, with the adaptation of a new prevention method in 2014, TB cases have seen lower levels and can, if treated correctly, be eliminated before the disease spreads.

Italy has no TB national screening policy for new entrants, which allows more cases to enter the country. So, this study was conducted to introduce interventions during 2009 and 2010 in Italian refugee areas and compare results of those same intervention methods being used in 2013 and 2014.

According to the research in this study, the interventions conducted helped to slow the spread of TB in Italy and surrounding countries. Refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants are the most suspetable to the disease and are considered more likely to be caring it. The interventions put in place require this group of people to get screenings for the disease before entering Italy.

Worked Cited:

Monica Sañé Schepisi, et al. “Active Tuberculosis Case Finding Interventions among Immigrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Italy.” Infectious Disease Reports, no. 2, 2016. EBSCOhost, doi:10.4081/idr.2016.6594.

Experience of Immigrate/First Generation American College Students

This study observed, surveyed, and analyzed ten students enrolled in a bachelors or graduate program in the United States who were immigrates or first generation Americans. The study, was conducted in 2018 by Shabnam Brady, who is in the Psychology Department at Tennessee State University, and Michelle Stevens, who is in Educational Leadership Department at Middle Tennessee State University. After surveys and focus group meetings with the ten individuals, “two themes emerged as the findings. . . (a) immigrant culture and (b) collectivist culture” (Brady 2018). The immigrant culture implies that immigrants from different countries experienced similar experiences going through their own journey of immigration.

This brings up an interesting point, which I have not considered. To better understand immigrant’s experiences and how we can best serve them, whether have just come overseas or are completing their masters here in the United States, we must consider immigrates as experiencing the immigrate culture. For me, I’ve always considered that every immigrant has a different culture they are coming from, which is very true. But I have never thought to try and understand immigrates as a collectivist group. This makes sense because every immigrant must go through same immigration process with the United States. They share commonalities where they all face assimilation to our culture. This most certainly does not take away from their cultural identity from whatever country they came from. They are still Nigerian, Liberian, Chinese, etc. But for us as an American culture, I think this way of thinking can allow us to better accept immigrates and help us to understand, where we don’t seem to be doing that very well.

 

Brady, Shabnam Etemadi, and Michelle C. Stevens. “Is Immigration a Culture? A Qualitative Approach to Exploring Immigrant Student Experiences within the United States.” Translational Issues in Psychological Science, vol. 5, no. 1, Mar. 2019, pp. 17–28. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1037/tps0000187.

Policies and Poverty Among Refugees in Poland

Karolina Lukasiewicz published an academic article examining the asylum and social policies for refugees that force some migrants into poverty and social exclusion. A study was conducted in Poland because the author believed it has little experience with immigration and poorly monitors the situation of refugees. Poland’s asylum policy relocates refugees into areas that are distant from populated cities and are known for high rates of unemployment and levels of discrimination against foreigners.

A participant included in the study described how he was unable to provide basic needs for his family and was forced to live in overcrowded housing conditions, which is an experience other refugees reported. Others reported episodes of homelessness. Some refugee children could not attend school activities because their parents could not afford books and school trips. Participants reported that when their foreign status was disclosed, they were rejected for housing rentals, asked to pay more in rent, and offered lower salaries. Representatives of the public administration blame the refugees for living in those conditions and failing to use the opportunities given.

The author does have a bias throughout the academic article. It is clear that the author is in favor of the refugees who are settling in Poland and wanted to examine the refugee’s stories in order to prove that they are facing hardships. When the author speaks about the public administration, it is done in a negative light to give readers the impression that the administration does not help refugees successfully integrate within society. The author leans towards advancing the refugees’ positions that public policy is not relocating them into areas that will help them find good housings and jobs to provide for their families.

Lukasiewicz, Karolina. “Exile to Poverty: Policies and Poverty Among Refugees in Poland.” International Migration, vol. 55, no. 6, Dec. 2017, pp. 56–72. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1111/imig.12356.

Forgetting It’s Common Humanity

The peer-reviewed journal “Forgetting Its Common Humanity: Americas Immigration Story” by Anita Maddali focuses on immigration laws and its impact on immigrant families and how the laws stray away from what the United States values. The journal touches on quotes and source experiences that have happened dating back to George Washington. The journal dives deeper into the complexity of the immigration laws and policies and how it has caused separation, instability, or both for immigrant families. The article comes off with a bit of bias in the sense that there is a potential persuasive voice. The author did a great good by showing positive and negative historical events that impacted immigration, however, it felt as I was being told a story with evidence to back up a point of view which I also believe is very much true.

 

Maddali used a quote from Washington stating “The bosom of America is open to receive not only the opulent & respectable Stranger, but the oppressed & persecuted of all Nations and Religions (p133).” To show Americas values, then proceeded to list the challenges immigrants face such as long visa waits, penalties for violations (even minor ones), and a lack of discretion for leniency to deported or barred immigrants because of prior violations.Maddali even notes how the senate, the house, and members of congress believed that family -unity, humanness, and equality are important factors in Americas values. There was also a story about a young boy separated from his family telling Obama that he wanted a family like the president. Maddali showed how from the past to present just how immigration stories are common and have improved.

 

MADDALI, ANITA. “Forgetting Its Common Humanity: America’s  Immigration Story.” Brown Journal of World Affairs, vol. 24, no. 2, Spring/Summer2018 2018, pp. 133–146. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=131613723&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Mental health outcomes among Arab refugees, immigrants, and U.S. born Arab Americans in Southeast Michigan: a cross-sectional study

This article discusses the mental health state of Arab immigrants, refugees, and U.S. born Arab Americans. Arab refugees and immigrants that are living in the United States may be exposed to political, economic, social, and environmental stressors that could very much affect their mental health. Researchers wanted to conduct research on this topic due to the lack of information on the mental health of Arab immigrants, refugees, and U.S. born Arab American. This study was conducted in Southeast Michigan and the purpose is to measure depression and anxiety levels. They also wanted to know if depression differed between the three resident status (immigrant, refugee, U.S. born).

The researchers were able to conduct a cross-sectional study in which they sampled 275 adults who identify as Arabs that are living in Southeast Michigan. They were able to collect data by administrating questionaries from August to November 2015. The questionnaire that was distributed had a series of questions that helped the researchers determine if any of the Arab participants had depression or anxiety.

Based on their research, all three groups (immigrants, refugees, and U.S. born) displayed high levels of depression and anxiety. Refugees ended up having higher levels of depression and anxiety than immigrants and U.S. born Arab. Refugees reported higher levels of depression and anxiety because of their situation. They were forced to leave their homes unexpectedly and to go to a completely different country, where they are not fully accepted as first-class citizens there. Not only does this make complete sense but the results for refugees were expected to be higher than the other two groups.

Pampati, Sanjana, et al. “Mental Health Outcomes among Arab Refugees, Immigrants, and US Born Arab Americans in Southeast Michigan: A Cross-Sectional Study.” BMC Psychiatry, vol. 18, Dec. 2018. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&AN=2018-62858-001&site=eds-live&scope=site.

A Refugee Crisis in Europe

A crisis broke out in 2015, by which refugees fled to Europe, creating chaos. Reported by The Baltimore Sun, this was one of the largest migrations after World War ll. This occurred around the time Obama was still President. With the increase in population, managing the number of refugees as well as the people of Europe had been a struggle. Refugees had the courage to go across the Mediterranean Sea towards Europe from Mideast and North Africa. There was a total of 340,000 who made it to Europe. But of course, the travel itself at sea was difficult. So many refugees were traveling using fishing boats or rafts. Unfortunately, a few thousand people did not make it to Europe, as they died from suffocation, inhaling chemical fumes, or drowning. The goal of many migrants was to create a better life for themselves in Europe, as they heard about the economic opportunities and welfare. But the main goal of these refugees was a matter of life or death. They were threatened to be killed. Unfortunately, this had already happened to many. People were involved in rape and executions. Fear had taken over the people of Africa, as they had migrated over to Europe in hopes of a better life.

“A refugee crisis in Europe…”  The Baltimore Sun. 21 Aug 2015, https://search.proquest.com/baltimoresun/docview/1705743065/79C67BD60EF549E0PQ/6?accountid=36772

Using nostalgia to reduce prejudice toward immigrants

This peer-reviewed article title “Using nostalgia to reduce prejudice towards immigrants” written by Maria Gravani, Anastasia Soureti, and Sofia Stathi discusses a way to reduce immigrant prejudices and how immigrants are treated in Greece. The paper mentions have immigrants are typically viewed as vulnerable. The relates how nostalgia can reduce tensions and harsh feelings towards immigrants that occur in immigration crisis. This is seen through how nostalgia has been linked with increasing social bonds and positive self-esteem, as well as optimism. This article is less bias as many news articles because of the research nature. The authors base their conclusions based off their own study and other statistics about how immigrants are treated and why. There is however bias because of the push for better treatment towards immigrants. This research was conducted to find a way for immigrants and citizens to create better relationships and reduce prejudice. Results showed that there was a correlation between nostalgia and better relationships with immigrants in the study.

Gravani, Maria, et al. “Using Nostalgia to Reduce Prejudice toward Immigrants.”
European Journal of Social Psychology, Mar. 2018, eds.a.ebscohost.com/
eds/pdfviewer/
pdfviewer?vid=24&sid=04ef15f6-8170-4bf5-9679-0cd199547a5f%40sdc-v-sessmgr04.

The Value of Medical Students in Support of Asylum Seekers in the United States

There are many reasons why people seek asylum in the United States. One of the most important reasons why a person or family seeks asylum is for safety. The article defines an asylum seeker as, “one who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.” This review talks about the physical and psychological tortures that refugees go through in their home countries and how medical professionals help treat them.

When refugees first come into the United States they are granted with a certain amount of access once approved for asylum. This process can take up to months or years. After they have been approved, they are eligible for up to 8 months of healthcare. Western New York Center for Survivors of Torture and the University of Buffalo work closely together to provide forensic examination to those seeking asylum in order to document physical and psychological sequelae of torture to aid in asylum cases hearing.

These clinics offered to asylum seekers are student-run initiatives but the students are never responsible for conducting the health evaluations. There are real professional health care examiners who conduct the evaluations while students document the process. The significance of this student-run initiative is that it brings exponential support to people and families who are in need of asylum, and it also provides the necessary training for students in health care.

The value of medical students in support of asylum seekers in the United States. (2018). Families, Systems, & Health, 36(2), 230–232. https://doi.org/10.1037/fsh0000326

Local People’s Attitudes Toward Young Zimbabwean Immigrants

In the article Local People’s Attitudes Toward Young Zimbabwean Immigrants, the writers discuss the negative attitudes the citizens of Musina have against the young Zimbabwean immigrants. Zimbabwe is a country in South Africa. Musina is a developed city located on the border of Zimbabwe. Musina locals feel that the immigrants compete with locals for business, housing, and health care. The locals have also emphasized that immigrants are more preferred for jobs than locals because immigrants contribute labor that is cheaper. In April 2015 the South African Zulu King made a public state regarding anti-foreigners which resulted in the locals attacking and the disposal of immigrants belongings.

Researchers believe the negative attitude that surrounds immigrants is an outcome of culture, language, nationality, and personal contact barriers. In addition, another influence is the size of the population. Zimbabwe’s large population makes locals of Musina fear that the immigrants will take all their resources.

In the article, the writers conducted a study in Musina to get primary evidence on how the locals feel about Zimbabwe’s youth immigrants. In the study, they found 43.7% of locals feel they display a positive attitude toward immigrants. These individuals believe that Zimbabwean youth are family, and contribute to economic growth by working occupations that not preferred by the locals. In addition, locals stated that youth Zimbabweans increase business sales by purchasing goods in bulk Musina and reselling the goods in Zimbabwe. However, 56.3% of the locals feel youth Zimbabwean are problematic when the youth take high paying jobs. Also, the locals indicated when Zimbabwean immigrants are in desperate need of money they engage in criminal activities.

The writers concluded the study by recommending that the Musina locals and young Zimbabweans must be taught entrepreneurial skills, therefore, they can create jobs for others and don’t have to compete over scare job opportunities.     

R., Chinyakata, et al. “Local People’s Attitudes Towards Young Zimbabwean Immigrants: The Case of Musina, South Africa.” Gender & Behaviour, vol. 16, no. 3, Dec. 2018, pp. 11908–11917. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=134055081&site=eds-live&scope=site.