West Indians in New York

Abstract

The process by which diverse ethnic groups from around the world blended into a unique civilization called the United States of America has provided insight into how mass immigration impacts on the development of human societies. This study explored the economic, educational, and social integration of a group of 409 first generation West Indian immigrants into the fabric of the society in New York City. It used the self-reports of those who were born and had worked in the West Indies, and had migrated and lived for several years in New York. The survey asked about their economic and educational status in the West Indies, compared with their current socio-economic profile, in order to determine the degree and quality of their social mobility. The criterion variables economic integration and experiencing problems of living in the United States of America were associated with nine input factors: age, citizenship, education, gender, income, length of residence, marital status, occupation, and reason for migrating to the United States.     

“Any Sacrifice Is Worthwhile Doing”: Latina Au Pairs Migrating to the United States for Opportunities

A study of 20 highly educated Latin American women who entered the United States on au pair visas showed that they struggled to improve their opportunity structures. The study draws on skilled female migration theory to focus on the participants' ambitions, work experiences, and their trajectories in the United States. The findings focused on the contradictions between the participants' aspirations and the realities of their work lives, legal status, and prospects in the United States that impacted their advancement. They exercised their agency despite difficult circumstances.     

The world views of export processing workers in Northern Mexico: A study of women,consciousness, and the new international division of labor

Data on women in export processing plants and service occupations in northern Mexico are used to assess the character and social roots of attitudes and world views of women working within the new international division of labor. The data show the predominant world view of these women includes a sense of personal autonomy, attitudes favoring gender equality and political participation for women, and commitment to one’s family. Analyses of hypotheses from developmental, class analytic, and feminist theories suggest the utility of each perspective in clarifying the social roots of this world view. Consideration of the international system suggests that both economic and cultural/institutional dimensions of the world system helped produce this world view, largely by setting in motion intra-societal processes. Robert Fiala and Susan Tiano are both associate professors of sociology at the University of New Mexico. Fiala’s recent publications and research include cross-national studies of educational ideology, income inequality, child homicide, and labor force change. Tiano is currently finishing a book on maquila industries in Mexico. Recent publications include a book on women along the United States-Mexico border (with Vicki Ruiz), and articles examining various aspects of the lives of women working in export processing plants.     

Strengthening the Link

Abstract

Through exploration of definitional issues and current migration realities, this article discusses ways in which emphasis on the international dimensions of social work with immigrants and refugees offers opportunities to improve practice and to enhance the relevance of international social work to the profession. The international character of present day migration is illustrated through discussion of the transnational family and the economic and other relationships that tie immigrants to their countries of origin. The paper concludes with recommendations for increased cross-national professional collaboration.     

On the Age Against the Poor

Abstract

This article focuses on Dominican migration to the United States (U.S.) after 1965. Dominicans left their homeland pressured by economic needs, the desire to improve their lives, and encouraged by a de facto immigration policy that facilitated their exodus. Once in the U.S., most Dominicans encounter an economy that increasingly demands skills and levels of schooling they do not possess. Rather than a prosperous life, in the new land, Dominicans face high unemployment levels and an alarming state of poverty. Paradoxically, while the needs of Dominicans continue to be unmet in the new society, the social policies and the conditions that push them out of their country remain in effect. On its part, the U.S. has responded by adopting a number of immigration laws to control the entrance of unwanted and unneeded job-seekers. As a result, the number of Dominicans coming to the U.S. has begun to decline as the number of Dominicans deported to the Dominican Republic has increased. In the end, poor Dominicans are pushed back and forth by both societies whose immigration policies mask their unwillingness to respond to the needs of the group. The article also discusses the impact on the Dominican community of 9/11 and the crashing of the AA flight 587, on November 12, 2001.     

Protecting Victims of Domestic Violence in Caribbean Communities

SUMMARY

A decade after the courts in many English-speaking Caribbean jurisdictions were granted the power to issue restraining orders to victims of domestic violence, battered women have not experienced the full benefits of such policy. Using the experiences of battered women in the English-speaking Caribbean state of Barbados, this study argues that there are significant challenges for victims, caused by cultural, social and economic factors that have not been appropriately addressed by domestic violence legislation. Marginalized by the court and legal system in the English-speaking Caribbean, many battered women seek out alternatives to the legal system for coping with domestic violence. Therefore when they migrate to countries like the United States where more accommodations are made for victims of domestic violence, they are unlikely to engage with the legal system and make their suffering known. Women might also be silenced by fears of violating immigration laws in the United States as well as risking personal loss due to the severe punishment of their partners when indicted by the legal system.     

Impact of the 1996 Welfare Reform and Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Acts on Caribbean Immigrants

SUMMARY

This paper examines the impact of the 1996 Welfare Reform and Illegal Immigration and Immigrant Responsibility Acts on Caribbean immigrants in the United States. Drawing from the conceptual framework posited by Dye's (1984) Elite Preference Modelof policy analysis, the author argues that the three laws have created enormous economic and psychological difficulties among families in the United States. Developing countries in the Caribbean region have been severely impacted by the law since they have had to accommodate returning citizens when they are deported under provisions of immigration policies. The question for consideration by this paper is how may the legal and human rights of deportees be balanced against the rights of the U.S. government to secure its borders and ensure the security of its citizens? The paper also addresses issues of immigration, and international relations particularly the north-south dialogue between powerful developed countries such as the United States and small developing states of the Caribbean.     

On Being Black,Muslim, and a Refugee: Stories of Somalis in Chicago

Abstract

Somali refugees are considered one of the largest African refugee populations in the United States and the fourth largest refugee population globally. Yet, there is limited scholarship on their overall migration paths and the ways in which their intersectional identities may impact their resettlement and integration in the United States. Study findings are from a qualitative study on the migration and integration experiences of 15 Somali Americans in Chicago. Findings illustrate the complexities associated with the Somali refugee narrative and how this population is often positioned at the intersections of anti-Black, anti-Muslim, and anti-refugee racism and discrimination in the United States.     

Revenue Portfolio and Expenditures: An Examination of the Volatility of Tax Revenue and Expenditure Patterns during the Great Recession

ABSTRACT

Local governments in the United States are diversifying their revenue streams and becoming less reliant on the inelastic revenue from property taxes. This article examines both how this affects local governments’ revenue stability in economic downturns as well as their levels of expenditures in key functions: capital and social services. Using data from North Carolina counties from both before the Great Recession and after, this article examines reliance on local sales taxes and stability of revenue. The findings suggest that dependence on local sales taxes do increase volatility and reduce expenditures on social services, all else being equal.     

Return Migration

Abstract

Immigration to the United States (U.S.) is made for many different reasons, which may be economic, political, or social or any combination of them, and subsequent reverse migration may occur for any of the same reasons. Discussion of immigration and the variety of circumstances attendant to it are wide-ranging, but usually such discussions rely on figures related to migration into the country and overlook, either purposefully or accidentally the fact that return migration has always been a significant movement in this country. This article raises the issue of limited data gathering by the U.S. on reverse migration despite the sizeable amount and quite reliable demographic information on arrivals. Discussions of social services for immigrants, therefore, cannot be considered complete or even competent if they do not include careful consideration of and attention to return migration.     

Chapter 9. Counseling South American Immigrants

Abstract

The Hispanic population in the United States is growing exponentially. There are a total of 1,506,654 South Americans in the United States who have come from Spanish-speaking countries. Most immigrants, if not all, experience difficulties triggered by migration, discrimination, acculturation, and second language acquisition. In this chapter, we briefly discuss major issues associated with migration and present literature and research on the construct of social support. We propose that integrating and utilizing social support during treatment will facilitate the adjustment process for the individual. We present interventions that allow the therapist to provide support while encouraging the client to seek support within him/herself and from other sources in the environment.     

Freedom,Hate, and Violence on the American Right

Most studies on Middle East security focus on traditional threats such as military aggression and terrorism. This draft report examines the scope and dimensions of a broadened regional security agenda. It focuses on three specific issues: the opium trade in Central and Southwest Asia; unregulated population movements from the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and North Africa; and maritime piracy around the Horn of Africa and Arabian Peninsula. Although Washington is not directly affected by any of these "soft" or "grey area" challenges, they are relevant for the United States in at least five respects. First, they represent a subset of the transnational problems that both the Clinton and Bush administrations have emphasized as a growing threat to national and international stability (such as international organized crime, corruption and generalized non-state violence and chaos). Second, they have, in varying degrees, undermined and distorted institutional state capacity, trade and (legitimate) economic growth in a region that is of geostrategic importance to Washington. Third, all carry significant implications for the lives, welfare and safety of ordinary citizens, including Americans. Fourth, in certain instances they have interacted with other sources of political tension to act as an additional catalyst for inter-state hostility and rivalry. Finally, because these challenges cannot be readily deterred by established mechanisms of border security, they necessarily require innovative and novel countermeasures--something that the United States is well placed to facilitate, both by virtue of its resources and global leadership role.     

Recent narcotics and mafia research

Abstract

Research into narcotics‐related issues is underway all over the world. No country can afford to ignore the social and economic consequences of drug production, distribution, consumption, or the laundering of the profits thereof. The article examines recent and ongoing research in Latin America, the United States, the United Kingdom, and within the context of the European Community. Latin American studies relate drug production to wider problems of economic development, whereas typical “consumer country” studies are more concerned with criminological aspects and demand reduction policies. The drugs/crime link is seen to be closely bound up with the illegal context of the drugs market, thus the option for legalization is considered. The economic growth of the Italian mafia is explained. The author describes recent international agreements on money laundering and precursor chemicals, and concludes by stressing the value of international cooperation on all aspects of narcotics research.     

Neither Here Nor There

Abstract

Since 1917 all Puerto Ricans, whether island- or mainland-born, are United States citizens. Physical proximity and relatively affordable transportation encourages Puerto Rican migration to the mainland United States. Puerto Rican migration takes three forms: the “one- way migrants,” who move permanently to the mainland; the “return migrants” who migrate to the mainland but after many years return to the island and reestablish residence; and the “circular migrants” who migrate back and forth between the island and the mainland spending substantial periods of residence in both places. The following analysis emphasizes the conditions that instigate the departure of Puerto Rican migrants from both the island and the mainland, and discusses the implications of Puerto Rican circular migration for social work and the provision of social welfare programs and services.     

In Search of Peace: Structural Adjustment, Violence, and International Migration

The authors analyze the effects of structural adjustment and violence on international migration from selected countries in Latin America by estimating a series of event history models that predicted the likelihood of initial migration to the United States as a function of the murder rate, economic openness, and selected controls in the country of origin. Although several theories posit a connection between structural economic change and violence, such a pattern held only in Nicaragua, where the homicide rate increased as the economy was opened to trade and average incomes deteriorated. Moreover, only in Nicaragua was lethal violence positively related to out-migration. In Mexico, Costa Rica, and Guatemala, rising violence reduced the likelihood of emigration. Violence does not appear to have uniform effects on patterns of international migration but depends on broader social and political conditions within particular countries.     

Caribbean Women's Migratory Journey

SUMMARY

For Caribbean women who leave their children behind to migrate to the United States, the decision-making process is filled with pain and fraught with ambivalence. In response to open-ended questions about their migratory journey, immigrant women who migrated to New York City describe the process-from initial thoughts about leaving their home country, through the actual move, to their early days in the United States. This case study examines the painful and difficult experiences of undocumented women as they balance feelings of freedom and exhilaration with the challenges of economic survival, leaving their loved ones behind, parenting children from a distance, loneliness, and adjusting to a new environment while supporting themselves and family members at home. This exploratory study identifies the significant milestones in Caribbean women's migratory journey-points at which they access internal and external resources. Practitioners will understand the process, and resources these women call upon. Both the process and the accompanying resources are vital to future work with immigrant women and their families, as well as those women considering migrating and leaving their children behind.     

Social Work with West Indian Families

SUMMARY

This conceptual analysis explores the psychosocial and cultural experiences of English-speaking West Indians in the United States. Relevant factors include family role changes; parent/child conflicts; prolonged separation from and reunification with parents; finding suitable employment and education-related issues. The challenge for social work is to develop programs for these families that contribute to their social and economic integration. Given the extent to which social, economic and related policies impact on the needs of this population, the author suggests that a multilevel approach which utilizes the micro skills associated with individual intervention and the macro strategies of intervening at the societal and institutional levels is needed. This approach necessarily includes activities such as advocacy and empowerment.     

Intercountry Adoption from Guatemala and the United States

Abstract

On October 6, 2000, President Clinton signed the Inter-country Adoption Act of 2000 (H.R. 2909), which represents the United States' implementation of the 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect on Intercountry Adoption (Joint Council on International Children's Services, 2000). The Ratification of this international treaty came about as increasing attention was brought to the need for greater oversight of Intercountry adopters both into and out of the United States. Over the past decade, the number of United States citizens adopting children from overseas has more than doubled. There are also an increasing number of children who are United States citizens that are being adopted by citizens of other countries. Both the United States and Guatemala have established policies of participation in Inter-country adoption as sending nations primarily to address the problem of how to best care for children permanently separated from their families of origin. However, further analysis indicated that there are problems that these policies indirectly address which are much more complex. The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze these policies.     

Health,Poverty and Service Use Among Older West Indian Women in Greater Hartford

SUMMARY

This study brings to light the phenomenon of aging in the West Indian migrant community in the United States. It presents the results of a cross-sectional exploratory survey of 107 community-dwelling West Indian women aged 55 years and over living in the Greater Hartford region of Connecticut. The data analysis reveals positive self-reports of health and few limiting or disabling conditions. However, there is substantial income inequality, a negative relationship between age group and income and limited use of services among those women most likely to require them. The findings suggest that some of the qualities which contributed to West Indians becoming the “Black success model” in the U.S. may be counterproductive for successful aging. A community-based strategy for addressing these issues is outlined.     

No humanitarian intervention in Asian genocides: how possible and legitimate?

Abstract

This article addresses an important empirical puzzle: why has the United States, without exception, chosen not to intervene in the six humanitarian catastrophes in post-war Asia, namely in Indonesia, East Pakistan/Bangladesh, Cambodia, East Timor, Sri Lanka and Myanmar? We use an eclectic approach that blends arguments about the international normative structure and geostrategic interests to examine what has made the absence of humanitarian intervention in Asia by the US possible and legitimate. Specifically, we focus on the paradox between calls for humanitarian intervention and the historically and geographically contingent social construction of the norms of humanity, national sovereignty and United Nations-backed multilateralism in conjunction with US and Chinese concerns over their regional geostrategic interests. The normative narratives about race, ‘communists’, ‘terrorists’, international order and inclusive multilateral processes, and the geostrategic interests of the US and China, combine to make non-intervention possible and legitimate.