Introduction
Many people have big dreams of living in America and becoming US citizens. Immigration has also increased, and individuals are relocating to the United States due to various reasons. For instance, the book The Far Away Brothers show that identical twins are forced to flee their country due to violence and brutal gangs that terrorize individuals in the community (Markham, 2017). Although many people would love to move to the US, immigrants experience some challenges in the process of trying to be American citizens. Many of them have faced difficulties, whereby some develop depression and anxiety.
Main body
Racial-based discrimination is one of the issues experienced by migrants which impacts their lives in society. Racism has been experienced in many states, with immigrants having a high chance of being discriminated against in society. Many Blacks and Latinos have encountered challenges in American society due to racism, impacting their psychological health (Kozhimannil & Henning-Smith, 2018). Cases of immigrants who have been discriminated against in various organizations such as healthcare facilities and learning institutions have been reported in many regions. For instance, some of these individuals have claimed that they receive poor services and are ignored when seeking assistance in various sectors. Hence, these hardships have led to many victims developing low self-esteem.
Cultural barriers are another factor that can affect settlers in the United States. The world is diverse, and people from different areas have their cultural beliefs. Consequently, some settlers face difficulties when adapting to American culture (Kozhimannil & Henning-Smith, 2018). Moreover, people from different regions might have their beliefs, which may prevent them from engaging in some behaviors. What is ethical in a particular area might be unethical elsewhere. Therefore, some immigrants have reported that they find it hard to engage in some community activities due to their cultural beliefs that differ from the American culture. The challenges can also lead to some people isolating themselves from other individuals, impacting their social life.
Accessing services is also another issue that can be challenging for immigrants. For instance, undocumented settlers have difficulty accessing services as they fear being deported (Menjívar & Perreira, 2019). Medical and legal services are vital to individuals in the community. Nonetheless, the fear of expulsion forces illegal incomers to avoid the services. Many migrants have been raped, violated, and tortured, which has impacted their mental health. However, some of the settlers do not seek healthcare services because they are not documented.
The language barrier is also an aspect that affects the lives of refugees. Difficulties in speaking English limit individuals from engaging in community activities, and they face challenges when seeking jobs (Kozhimannil & Henning-Smith, 2018). Furthermore, the United States is not known for being multilingual as English is primarily used. Some of the settlers are from nations that do not speak English. For instance, individuals from South American countries such as Venezuela and Columbia experience language barriers since English is hardly spoken in these nations. Thus, such migrants have challenges in the United States since they cannot express themselves in the community (Kozhimannil & Henning-Smith, 2018). For example, they encounter difficulties when seeking healthcare services since they cannot communicate effectively with healthcare practitioners. Therefore, these challenges can lead to stress among many immigrants in the United States.
Securing safe, affordable housing in America is also a significant issue for many migrants. Furthermore, some of these individuals are undocumented, which forces them to become homeless. Additionally, most immigrants have low-paying jobs, making it hard for them to secure modern houses. Moreover, some of these people have families and require big houses to accommodate them. Issues involving landlords who exploit refugees have also been experienced in many areas (Kozhimannil & Henning-Smith, 2018). Therefore, these challenges have led many immigrant large families to experience stress as they have to live together in crowded households.
Many immigrants in America have also experienced transportation challenges. These challenges affect nearly every life factor for settlers as they encounter difficulties when traveling to different regions. Obtaining a driver’s license is also extremely hard for documented and undocumented migrants due to various reasons. For instance, individuals who do not speak English should have translators who are hard to find. Having limited English has also led to many migrants experiencing challenges when using public transport. In this case, the travelers have to read some of the precautions and guidelines, which are mainly written in English (Kozhimannil & Henning-Smith, 2018). Thus, such individuals are encouraged to travel with individuals who can speak and read English.
Raising children is also hard for immigrants in the United States. Additionally, parents have challenges when helping their kids succeed in school due to the new and unfamiliar culture. Some of these learners encounter difficulties in the school environment where they avoid socializing with their peers, leading to low self-esteem. Bullying is also a common issue in many American schools. In this case, many immigrants parents report bullying and discrimination due to cultural differences (Menjívar & Perreira, 2019). Therefore, these issues significantly impact immigrants’ emotional and mental health in the United States.
Conclusion
To conclude, these issues have revealed that many migrants experience emotional challenges due to the problems they encounter in America. The documented and undocumented settlers have various difficulties in the United States as they have to go through another process of adapting to a new culture, policies, and environment. Additionally, issues such as language barriers, cultural differences, and discrimination lead to emotional challenges. The book The Far Away Brothers have also revealed that many individuals from various countries flee their homes due to violence and other threats, forcing them to immigrate to the United States. However, they also experience problems in America due to social changes. Therefore, immigrants feel different kinds of emotions during the process of trying to be US citizens because it can be a difficult process.
References
Kozhimannil, K. B., & Henning-Smith, C. (2018). Racism and health in rural America. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 29(1), 35-43. Web.
Markham, L. (2017). The far away brothers: Two young migrants and the making of an American life. Crown Publishing Group (NY).
Menjívar, C., & Perreira, K. M. (2019). Undocumented and unaccompanied: Children of migration in the European Union and the United States. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 45(2), 197-217. Web.