The Changing Face of Immigration to America – Yahoo! News
The Changing Face of Immigration to America – Yahoo! News.
New American Media recently conducted an investiagation to understand better who are the immigrants in America today. U.S. Census data indicates that over 50% of immigrants to the U.S. are women and other surveys find that most immigrants live in families with children.
What some might find surprising is the power of American culture and its influence on the newcomer women. For example, 73 percent of immigrant women consider themselves more assertive in America than they had been in their home countries, and 33 percent of women immigrants consider themselves the head of their household, up from 18 percent in their home countries. Fifty-seven percent of these women also report that many of their responsibilities in the United States are handled by men in their home countries: 82 percent indicated that they share family financial decisions with their husbands or handle them by themselves, and 91 percent indicated a similarly proactive role in family planning.
This suggests that American culture is transforming female immigrants. Over 90% of them say they wish to become U.S. citizens in order to secure the future of their families.
As legislators and politicians debate and wrangle on immigration reform–very likely later in 2009–they should keep in mind that immigrant women may, in fact, be some of their strongest allies. They are motivated by their love of family to make America their home.
I WANT LIFE IN USA