The report portrays Ohio as a state with substantial human resources, which are restricted by numerous social and economic issues. The region has a stable influx of immigrant population that is unusually skilled and educated. However, the same populace experiences numerous problems that are typical of new arrivals. For instance, the poverty rate among immigrants is high even though the quality of arriving human capital is higher than its local counterpart (Herre et al., 2018). This leads to a phenomenon that is identified as brain waste, which refers to the inadequate employment of high quality workforce. Immigrants are both skilled and educated, yet underemployment is disproportionately high.
As a result, the state has a significant proportion of its population in poverty, which is fully capable of performing more skilled labor. If appropriate attention is put into guiding the immigrants through the counter-intuitive labor market of Ohio, both the state and the new arrivals will benefit from it. For instance, the report mentions that low-skilled labor is actually a social lift that can eventually lead workers to better paying positions (Herre et al., 2018). Furthermore, there is an indication that immigrants have more stable family life than Ohio-native counterparts do. Combined with the high quality of immigrants’ skills and education, their marital stability lays the foundation for a prosperous future.
Meanwhile, Ohio itself is notably homogenous in terms of birthplace diversity. It is a social issue because the prevalence of locals in communities prevents newcomers from assimilating with the overall population. As a result, immigrants are concentrated in economically disadvantaged areas with less access to healthcare and legal services (Herre et al., 2018). Not only does it prevent social mobility of immigrant, but it also harms the local community since it cannot reap the benefits of that new can bring it in the future.
The subsequent social work has to revolve around bridging the gap between the immigrants and local population. The promise of obtaining a better paying job while working in a low-skilled environment is not enough to sustain communication. First, it is important to help immigrant settle in homogenous living areas, thus increasing exposure and diversity. Second, community-based initiatives should be organized that will help immigrants obtain needed healthcare and legal services. Third, immigrants should be encouraged to start with less skilled employment, as it will lead to better job positions in the future. If implemented, these measures will help the immigrants feel less alienated and integrate into the community faster (Cooper et al., 2018). The more welcoming the state of Ohio will be to newcomers, the sooner they will adapt and start actively contributing to the well-being of the community.
The first surprising discovery that can be made after reading the report is the fact that Ohio differs dramatically from the rest of the States in terms of immigrant populations. Specifically, the notion that “13.6% of the U.S. population is composed of immigrants, compared to only 4.4% in Ohio” is particularly intriguing (Herre et al., 2018, p. 6). The reason why this statistics is baffling lies in the important role immigrants play in the stabilization of the state’s population. The same report mentions that Ohio suffers from the departure of Ohio-born citizens disproportionate to the arrival of other Americans. Specifically, “roughly 183,000 native-born people have moved out of Ohio” as opposed to “nearly 113,000 more immigrants [that] moved into Ohio than left it” (Herre et al., 2018, p. 7). As a result, the state is simultaneously depended on the immigrants to maintain arrival-departure ratio, all the while the proportion of immigrants is extremely low.
The second surprising aspect disclosed about the immigrant population was the contradictory statistical data that pertains to these arrivals. First, the report acknowledges that the quality of human capital brought by immigration has increased. The reason for this shift is attributed to “a general national migratory trend reflecting growing immigration from developing countries” (Herre et al., 2018, p. 7). Subsequently, more immigrants are better educated than their predecessors and even counter-parts in other states. For example, the report points out that “2.1% of Ohio’s immigrants have a four-year degree or higher”, which is a stark contrast to native-born Ohioans, only 26.7% of whom have similar educational achievements (Herre et al., 2018, p. 9). Not only is such a divide unusual, but it is also unique in the entire nation.
All the more surprising is the discovery that despite all positive qualities the new immigrant population brings it also exhibits high poverty rate. The report acknowledges that immigrants are better educated and have higher employment rate than native-born Ohioans. However, at the same time, “the poverty rate for Ohio’s immigrants is 18.7%, higher than that of native-born Ohioans (14.4%)” (Herre et al., 2018, p. 10). This phenomenon is explained by the difficulties encountered while adjusting to the relocation. People who have recently moved are yet to discover more profitable means of existence. It also implies that in the long-term perspective, immigrants are likely to be the primary drivers of economic growth in the state of Ohio. Therefore, more focus should be put on social work directed at helping the population overcome its contemporary socioeconomic challenges.
References
Cooper, C. R., DomĂnguez, E., Cooper Jr, R. G., Higgins, A., & Lipka, A. (2018). Capital, alienation, and challenge: How US Mexican immigrant students build pathways to college and career identities.New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 2018(160), 75-87. Web.
Herre, A., Mollo Jr, E., Narváez Soto, L., Piiparinen, R., Sankarappa, M., & Velasquez, G. (2018). Our pathway to a brighter future: Ohio’s new Americans. Cleveland State University. Web.