Immigrant Opportunity, Entrepreneurship, and Rights in America

Introduction

Many people from all nations come to America — or eagerly wait for the opportunity to do so — drawn by the promise of a better life. America provides unique opportunities for ambitious individuals, regardless of national origin, who are striving to succeed in their chosen profession. Although other cultures are very hardworking and possess a physical stamina that never fails to amaze native-born Americans, pursuing the American Dream is not for the emotionally weak or fainthearted. The American economy provides the opportunity, but just as with native-born citizens, immigrants must work hard for it; and sometimes that requires persistence, dedication, and the ability to endure many disappointments. Those who do reside in America have opportunities they will never find anywhere else. The purpose of this report is to examine the many different opportunities — including education, employment, and entrepreneurship — that immigrants have in America.

Constitutional Rights and Equal Opportunity

The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees that every U.S. citizen or naturalized citizen will not be discriminated against or denied opportunities based on race. Everyone will be granted the same privileges in the United States that are granted to other Americans. The objective of these laws was to protect minorities, as well as people over forty, women, and pregnant and married women. Congress determined that individuals with these characteristics are most susceptible to discrimination and need special legal protections for their natural rights. Many people believe that only minorities are discriminated against, but this is not necessarily true.

Even with the guarantee of equal rights for all citizens, many minorities were still not receiving equal privileges due to their inability to communicate effectively in English. All of the education, experience, and knowledge one possesses has limited potential if communication remains a barrier. Communication is mandatory if official business agreements and contracts are to be truly fair to both parties. If immigrants come to America without fluency in the English language, many opportunities are automatically denied to them. Many immigrants will opt to turn away from investments, major purchases, franchises, and many other privileges this country has to offer because it is less frustrating to accept a lower quality of life than to attempt to communicate with highly educated citizens on a professional level. In these cases, immigrants are not deliberately denied equal rights, but they are missing out on the equal opportunities and privileges promised to them upon receiving citizenship. Only recently has this been recognized as an indirect violation of their constitutional rights. To address this problem, many bilingual programs are now being offered to immigrants who do not speak English. Many of these programs are free and available to both adults and children.

In many cases, citizenship in America requires the ability to communicate in English on an academic and professional level. As one commentator noted, "America is very strict in having as a condition of citizenship the ability to communicate in English. Americans don't think that insults anyone, only enriches them" (Kelley, 2002). America is notably one of the few countries that does not require proficiency in at least one other language upon completion of basic education. Many of the bilingual programs offered specialize in allowing students to preserve their native language while also learning English.

More often than not, it is one's demeanor — not one's abilities — that determines wages, equality, and fairness. If an immigrant wishes to participate in any activity, whether business or recreational, they have a right to have conditions explained to them in a way they can understand. Taking precautions to allow immigrants to preserve their native language is essential to maintaining their true identity. Although an immigrant's equal rights are not always deliberately denied due to language barriers, the emotional impact of rejection and damaged self-esteem can feel just as harmful as deliberate discrimination.

Entrepreneurship and Business Ownership

Once immigrants become fluent in English, many more opportunities open to them. Just as there are programs offering English as a second language, there are programs that help immigrants establish successful businesses. One such program is the Berkeley Foundation, started in 1999 by business and community development leaders. Its objective is to assist new immigrants who lack access to economic services but possess ambitious dreams.

The foundation has helped many immigrants who were trained for higher-skilled professions but found themselves working as housemaids or janitors. In their original countries, they obtained education for white-collar professions, but were unable — for reasons including language barriers, lack of persistence, or discomfort mingling with other Americans — to translate those skills into comparable work in America. In order to help immigrants utilize their skills, the foundation provides training in financial literacy, marketing, and technology over a course of approximately three years. To qualify, immigrants must have lived in the United States for at least five years and must be willing to make a long-term commitment. As the company director explained, "We want people who are committed to building their life in this country; it's important they have roots here already" (Sarker, 2002).

Upon becoming citizens, immigrants have the right to own and operate their own businesses — and this includes women. In some other countries, women have no individual legal status; their status depends on their husbands. In America, everyone is encouraged to establish their own identity. A woman, upon marriage, retains the freedom to choose a professional direction independent of her husband's. "Throughout American history, this country has benefited tremendously from the extraordinary contributions made by the ingenuity, work ethic, and profound sense of patriotism of legal immigrants" (Frost, 1999). Immigrants, regardless of gender, are allowed and encouraged to contribute the unique aspects of their own cultures to this country. Only in America can such a wide variety of services and products from all nations be found side by side — manicure and pedicure shops, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Middle Eastern restaurants, oriental home décor stores, and clothing boutiques that reflect distinct cultural identities. The immigrants who open businesses that are extensions of their own heritage bring other cultures to the American public. These businesses tend to have an increased chance of success in larger, metropolitan areas.

One of the most accessible entry points for immigrants seeking to purchase their own franchise is the hotel and restaurant industry. As one source noted, "The restaurant is the single largest employer of immigrants in the nation" (Jackson, 2002). Hotel chains are the second largest employers of immigrants in the United States. While these businesses represent valuable opportunities for immigrants just starting out — offering conditions they might not have found in their home countries — they are not always associated with the best working conditions or compensation. Because of the low pay and low status of many such jobs, workers may not know their basic rights and are sometimes taken advantage of. Restaurants and hotels serve as a useful starting point, but American labor protections and economic opportunity offer paths to far better outcomes for everyone.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the rights of immigrants may be somewhat affected by recent political developments, but not entirely eliminated. The opportunities that drew immigrants to America will still be available to them. There will still be foundations — such as the Berkeley Foundation — that continue to help immigrants obtain the knowledge needed to apply their skills and training. Activist rights groups will still exist to protect immigrants from discrimination. No one truly knows how to handle a challenge like the one America faced after September 11, because nothing like it had been encountered before. On closing, America will continue to be the country that brings together people of all nations and gives them the opportunity to succeed, to achieve their dreams, and to realize their ambitions.