Institution:
Title: Experiences of the Undocumented Immigrants
1. Pre-1965 Immigration
Whiteness (inclusions/exclusions)
A phenomenological study of racial privilege as experienced by White people who have struggled to become more racially aware and socially active in dismantling racism and White privilege to give an understanding of whiteness was done. The primary conceptual framework for this study was Critical Race Theory with Trans-formative Learning. The study was meant to increase awareness of how White people come to understand their racial privilege and what change in behavior occurs as a result of that increased awareness. Its goal was to promote and influence White adult educators to find explicit ways in which to address White …show more content…
Assimilation and Acculturation
In the literature on immigrant adaptation, the assimilation perspective has dominated much of the sociological thinking on the subject for the most part of this century. Central to this perspective is the assumption that there is a natural process by which diverse ethnic groups come to share a common culture and to gain equal access to the opportunity structure of society; that this process consists of gradually deserting old cultural and behavioral patterns in favor of new ones; and that, once set in motion, this process moves inevitably and irreversibly toward assimilation[ CITATION Por93 \l 1033 ].
While earlier assimilation theorists emphasized forces such as time, industrialization, and acculturation, a study by Gordon (1964) conceptualized several types of assimilation: cultural or behavioral, structural, identificational, attitude-receptional, behavior-receptional, and civic assimilation. In Gordon’s view, immigrants began their adaptation to the new country through cultural assimilation or acculturation. Since cultural assimilation was for Gordon a necessary first step, it was considered the top priority on the agenda of immigrant adjustment. Gordon implied that acculturation would take place and continue indefinitely even when no other type of assimilation occurred[ CITATION Por93 \l 1033 …show more content…
Also, the study has revealed that Hispanic Americans do better on a wide range of social indicators—including propensity to violence—than one would expect given their socioeconomic disadvantages[ CITATION Sam \l 1033 ].
Discussion
Undocumented immigrants can be seen as a resource, a fuel or a driving force that influences not only industrialization and other sectors that help in the growth of the economy but also acts as the market for the products and services from various institutions.
They give the manpower required to operate industries and thereby increasing the production from such industries. This has a positive effect on the economy of the host country in terms of revenue gained from taxation of such goods as well as giving it superiority in terms of its industrialization.
On the other hand, undocumented immigrants can be viewed as a menace to the security of the host country. They are mostly associated with crime and other illegal activities such as drug peddling.
They may also lead to a great population increase leading to struggle for survival between them and their hosts. This may deprive the hosts most of their basic