Family Immigration

     Family Immigration isn't something that is commonly heard about. I never really imagined how difficult it would be to immigrate into another country. When I think of immigration, I think of individuals coming from one country to another, whether that be illegally or legally. I never really stopped to think of how families immigrated. It's a process that is very difficult and takes time.

    In my Family Relations class we were able to talk more about what happens when a family tries to immigrate into another country. We were able to role play and go over a scenario of what would happen. In this scenario we had a family that consisted of a Dad, Mom, brother, and a sister. A long with the extended family of an Uncle, Aunt, cousin, and Grandfather. This family lived in Mexico, where they lived next to each other. They are very close and do many family things together. The father then immigrates to The United States to start working so that he can send money back to his family. This process takes years before they finally have enough to immigrate over to join their dad. The uncle then wants to do the exact same thing leaving his family behind until he can bring them over. There were so many things just by going over this scenario that made you realize how hard it is to immigrate over as a family. You may not see your loved ones for years before you finally immigrate. The roles of the family change while trying to adjust to the father being gone. The son may step into the role of the man of the house, while the mother may step up to provide for the family. After immigrating you risk the chances of getting deported back. There are so many things that could happen. 

   After immigrating to the states, it can become hard for families to stay and deal with finances and hardships. Recently there was a study done where data from the Urban Institute's Well-Being and Basic Needs, Survey, a nationally representative internet-based survey that was conducted in December 2020 to see the effects, hardships, and the financial problems reported by immigrant families. Hardships and financial worries are common for those in families with nonpermanent residents, the group of immigrant families with children can also report to avoiding programs because of immigration concerns. More than one quarter of adults had experienced problems trying to pay for bills for their houses, cars, and other needs.(Many Immigrant Families With Children Continued to Avoid Public Benefits in 2020, Despite Facing Hardships, 2021).

    There are so many people and families that would sacrifice anything to come to the states to live the "American Dream." Families may leave their middle class status to have no status in a different country. A lot of families may have a good paying job, good house, and a good education. They put that all at risk to move their family in hope that it is the best thing for them. 

    Doing this activity in class really made me open my eyes to the different situations these families face everyday. It's mademe more interested in learning more about the stories of families who decide to immigrate. I could never imagine my dad leaving to another country and not seeing him for years. I don't think I would ever be able to leave behind everything I knew just to pick up and leave. A lot of these families will leave not knowing what to expect, or where they are going, or even if they are going to make it or not. These families do this everyday in hope of immigrating eventually. 

References

Many Immigrant Families with Children Continued to Avoid Public Benefits in 2020, Despite Facing Hardships. (2021, May 26). Urban Institute. Retrieved January 29, 2022, from https://www.urban.org/research/publication/many-immigrant-families-children-continued-avoid-public-benefits-2020-despite-facing-hardships