New poll details challenges faced by female immigrants

Many Latino, Korean and Chinese female immigrants speak little English, while confronting anti-immigrant discrimination, lack of healthcare and low-paying jobs that are often below the status of the professional work they did in their home countries, according to a new poll released today.

But many of these women came to the United States not for money but because they saw the country as a place to build a better future for their children, according to the poll conducted by New America Media, a national collaboration of more than 2,500 ethnic news organizations. 

“The poll establishes that in the latter part of the 20th century women immigrated to America in ever-growing numbers, and are now on the move as much as men, but often face vastly different circumstances and challenges,” Sandy Close, executive director of New America Media, said in a news release. “Women are migrating not as lone individuals but as members, even heads, of families, determined to keep family bonds intact.”

Among the poll's other findings:

* 82% of Latin American women found discrimination against immigrants to be a major problem for their families, compared with 17% for women from African or Arab countries, and only 13% for those from China.  Still, 90% of the Latin American women said they wanted to become U.S. citizens.

* 40% of immigrant women from Latin America and significant percentages from other regions do not have health insurance.

* A majority of immigrant women from China, Korea, the Philippines, India, Africa and Arab countries describe their last job in their home country as “professional.” Their current jobs in the U.S. include working as a hotel maid, restaurant waitress, factory technician, house cleaner and textile worker. 

To view the poll results visit: http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/

-- Carlos Lozano

Comments

[Mike]

If you're not happy with your life here in the United States, then feel free to return to your homeland. There are enough maids and waitresses here already. With fewer people competing for these jobs, wages would rise and maybe native-born Americans could once again earn a living wage in a blue-collar job.

[m]

90% say they want to become citizens, of course they say so, but do they?

NO, they exploit the system instead. If they were citizens they would have to follow the law and pay taxes, instead they are content to exploit the system.

[Jeff]

I work with highly skilled immigrants everyday. While some are able to obtain professional jobs, many stuggle with low status jobs, particularly those in health and education. It sad joke I often hear, "the best place to have a heart attack is in a taxi" since in my city it is common to have a immigrant doctor as your driver. Even more common is a Filipino nurse as a nanny.