Aliens​—A Global Problem

“WE GO to Johannesburg to seek money because there is no work here,” said a migrant worker from the rurals of southern Africa. He states: “If there was work here we wouldn’t bother to go to Johannesburg.” His touching explanation describes the dilemma that many aliens and migrant workers face.

But the sheer enormity of migration over the last few decades is frightening some people. (See box, page 5.) The Spanish daily El País reported: “Racism and xenophobia have suddenly reappeared in the new Germany.” Violent mobs, described by the press as neo-​Nazi skinheads, have attacked immigrants.

Some immigration officials admit that they follow a policy of exclusion. An immigration officer in one Asian country declared that his job was to ‘keep foreigners out.’ Also, commenting on the recent influx of refugees from an Eastern European country, Time magazine tells of a high-​ranking official who said: “We don’t want to make them feel too comfortable because we want them to go back.”

Even more scathing were the remarks of a journalist in France who was convinced that the ‘foreigners immigrating there were a menace.’ His reasons? They are of a “different race, [speak] different languages, [and have] different values.” His conclusion? “We should deport as many as we can, [and] isolate the rest.”

With such antialien sentiments surrounding them, it is little wonder that foreigners face a wall of prejudice from local communities who feel threatened by the sudden influx of strangers. Typically, one incensed local Israeli bemoaned the fact that “landlords prefer the Soviet immigrants” because the government provides these with a cash grant when they settle in Israel. As a result, local citizens are forced by rent increases to move from their dwellings.

It is no secret that foreigners often take on the menial tasks that local citizens despise. Consequently, many of the newcomers have to work under harsh conditions for depressed wages​—especially if they are illegal immigrants. In addition, in the workplace aliens often suffer much discrimination because of their foreign status.

Irrespective of who they are or where they try to settle, the majority of immigrants face the painful process of healing their severed roots and forming new bonds for the future. The journal U.S.News & World Report says that aliens “often begin by feeling excluded and overwhelmed.” For some the effort is too great. Concerning these, the report continues: “The tragedy of losing a first home is compounded by the failure to find a second.” For many this sense of dislocation has much to do with the immense task of coming to grips with a new language.

How Do You Say . . . ?

Have you ever had to learn another language and adapt to another culture? What effect did that have on you? Most likely “the net result of your labors is a nagging feeling of incompleteness,” answers Stanislaw Baranczak, Polish immigrant and writer in the United States. Yes, language is essential to being a functioning part of a society. Learning a new language may be a particularly trying aspect of integration, especially for the older adult alien.

For these immigrants, learning a language is often a vicious circle. The journal Aging says that when aliens cannot cope with the language and cultural loss, it often causes depression, which in turn does not permit them to concentrate on the demands of learning the new language. Ultimately, the foreigner becomes more and more reluctant to take on the risk and sometimes humiliation of learning the language. The problem is compounded when the children assimilate the language and culture much faster than their parents do. This often leads to friction and a generation gap in immigrant families, that is, if the whole family migrates together.

Shattered Families

One of the least documented and yet most tragic results of mass migration is the disastrous effect it has on the family unit. More often than not, families are fragmented when either one or both parents leave their children in the care of other family members while they seek better economic prospects elsewhere. The findings of the Second Carnegie Inquiry Into Poverty and Development in Southern Africa comments that this kind of migration “distorts . . . the family structure.” The report documents specific cases of how families have broken up when individual family members have migrated separately.

These are just some of the problems that immigrants face the world over, not to mention the cost of migration, legalizing of the move, and decisions that have to be made about health, housing, education, and other family members.

So, in the face of all these difficulties, why do aliens migrate in the first place?

[Box on page 4]

Partners at Work

WHILE there are certain problems associated with an unbridled influx of foreigners, there is also much evidence to show that in many cases aliens are an asset to their adopted country.

“West Germany and its foreign workers have clearly profited from one another,” says Time magazine, adding that “the steel mills of the Ruhr and the Mercedes assembly lines outside Stuttgart are powered by guest workers.” Also, according to National Geographic, “New York’s garment industry would have collapsed” without the use of immigrant labor.

Economists recognize the valuable contribution these migrants make to their host countries. Despite suffering gross prejudice, Turks, Pakistanis, and Algerians in Europe have learned to adapt. “They make do,” says U.S.News & World Report, and will continue to do so “until Europe . . . discovers, for straight economic reasons, that it needs them.”

Desperately desirous of succeeding in their new countries, foreigners tend to be more self-​sufficient and less reliant on government social support systems than locals are. “Nothing is so unfounded as the charge that immigrants go on welfare,” said one U.S. immigration adviser who handled the cases of more than 3,000 aliens.

Often, entire neighborhoods have been renovated by foreigners who seek to improve their surroundings. When South Africa experienced a sudden influx of Portuguese refugees after war broke out in Angola and Mozambique, entire suburbs in Johannesburg were taken over and upgraded by the Portuguese community.

[Box on page 5]

Some Major Migration Statistics:

▶ 4.5 million migrants, including 1.5 million North Africans, form 8 percent of France’s population

▶ In just one sector of the Mexico-U.S. border, 800 Border Patrol officers arrest, on the average, 1,500 illegal immigrants every night

▶ Some 20 percent of Australia’s population is foreign-​born

▶ A million Poles may be working illegally in Western Europe

▶ In a recent year, 350,000 men legally migrated to South Africa on contract work. The number of illegal foreigners is about 1.2 million

▶ At least 185,000 Soviet Jews immigrated to Israel in 1990

▶ Over 900,000 Southeast Asians have moved to the United States since 1975

▶ Every week, at least a thousand people emigrate from Hong Kong

Aliens​—Why Do They Migrate?

“NO ONE could imagine the sort of perils we face in Third World countries . . . and the hardships we face here just trying to make it and support our families back home.” Thus wrote Elizabeth, an African immigrant, to the editor of the National Geographic magazine. Her words reveal the very crux of why millions of people are willing to forsake their roots to start life anew in a strange country.

Of course, each immigrant has his or her own story to relate. Some, like the woman mentioned above, may have migrated to escape the hard living conditions that exist in their countries of origin. In his book Population, Migration, and Urbanization in Africa, William Hance explains that such factors as disease, insect infestation, soil exhaustion, drought, flooding, famine, war, and tribal strife are the prime causes for today’s mass exodus from Africa. Other parts of the earth with similar desperate conditions have also become the spawning grounds for migration.

However, sociologists have identified the desire to escape oppressive living conditions as only part of the reason for today’s migratory trends.

Push-​Pull Effect

The attraction toward countries that offer a better opportunity in life is also a strong motivation to move. This, together with the desire to escape bad conditions, produces what is recognized as the push-​pull effect. Local adversities tend to push and the foreign advantages tend to pull, or draw, the person to migration. Take the case of Nguyen Van Tue, a typical Vietnamese refugee in Japan. Although he suffered much while coming to grips with being a foreigner, Nguyen admits: “I am content. I have my family with me and we are alive and well in a country that has freedom and enjoys peace.”

Economic attraction is one of the strongest factors that encourages migration. In discussing the Italian community of one English town, author John Brown says in his book The Un-​melting Pot: “Their prime object has always been to make money.” He adds that they did this by working “hard and well.” When one examines the extreme disparity between wage levels of different countries, it is little wonder that people migrate. Commenting on Mexican workers in the United States, National Geographic reveals that “an hour of work south of the [U.S.] border brings a fifth to a tenth of the wage it commands in the United States.”

The Pull of Family and Friends

Of course, many move simply to be closer to family and friends who have preceded them. Many Soviet Jews, for example, have migrated to Israel because they feel that there is safety in numbers. Some were even prepared to take their chances in the strife-​torn West Bank.

Encouragement from friends and relatives influences many to emigrate. Australia has been recommended to many prospective emigrants. Now nearly 22 percent of its population are foreign born.

While on a visit from the United States, one emigrant from Barbados told his friend: “You think you [are] all right here,” but he asserted that his friend was “wasting . . . time” remaining on the island. Many years later, his friend admits that these words sowed the seed of discontent, eventually causing him to emigrate.

Often, unfortunately, only the rosy part of the picture is presented to the prospective emigrant. Said Ron, a young man who moved to Canada to escape the rising unrest in South Africa: “Friends and relatives tend to tell you all the great things . . . and understandably omit the negative things.”

Whatever the motivation for migration, more often than not, the alien suffers much. As the full implication of the move dawns on them, some strongly desire to return home. So, how can a foreigner successfully adapt to his new environment while coping with homesickness, severed family ties, culture shock, language differences, and a host of related problems?

[Blurb on page 6]

Economic attraction is one of the strongest factors in migration

[Blurb on page 6]

“I am content. I have my family with me and we are alive and well in a country that has freedom and enjoys peace.”​—A Vietnamese in Japan

[Blurb on page 7]

When one examines the extreme disparity between wage levels of different countries, it is little wonder that people migrate

[Picture on page 7]

To the new immigrant, everything seems strange and difficult

Aliens​—How Can They Cope?

“LOOK,” retorted 17-​year-​old Jaroslav, tired of being teased because he is Ukrainian, “my parents came here [as] refugees.” He explained that they had lost their own country and that even if they wanted to, they couldn’t go back now. This experience, documented by author John Brown in his book The Un-​melting Pot, reveals the typical struggle for acceptance that many immigrants and aliens have to endure. This youth found out the hard way that being apologetic about his foreignness did not help matters. He finally decided to use the ‘take me as I am’ approach​—and it worked!

Prejudice, suspicion, and intolerance are realities that aliens have to face. But if you are a foreigner, there are positive steps you can take to help you cope with the transition.

Motives and Attitudes

With the knowledge that you are going to run into prejudice and possible rejection in your new life, you can adjust your reactions accordingly. Rosemary, an English immigrant in Japan, speaks from firsthand experience. “Do not get upset when local people make biting remarks about your home country,” she warns, adding: “Resist the overwhelming urge to defend yourself, your country, and your background. Given time, people will judge you for your everyday attitudes and conduct and adjust their prejudices. It may take years.”

Remember, the local community is very sensitive about your motives for wanting to live in their country. An Awake! correspondent in Germany, which now has large numbers of Eastern European immigrants, says: “The problem of adjusting to life in a new country depends upon one’s motive for emigrating. Those who do so for good reason, desirous of making the new country their home, generally have an incentive to learn the language and fit in as best they can. Those who consider their move to be only temporary or who are motivated solely by thoughts of economic advantages are soon disillusioned. They therefore put forth little effort to adjust, leading to frustration both for them and for those who deal with them.” Of course, this does not mean that immigrants should never return to their home countries if that is what they desire.

Nevertheless, the attitudes and motives of a foreigner can make or break the process of assimilation. If you are an alien, recognize that among locals there is, as U.S.News & World Report puts it, a strong belief that “strangers dissolve the ethnic glue that holds nations together.” But as you prove your worth as a foreigner and make your contribution, your hosts will find it much easier to accept and even befriend you. As Rosemary, the immigrant mentioned earlier, explains: “They want you to be a foreigner, but they also want you to like what they like.”

Some of the problems that you as an immigrant will face can be anticipated, if not avoided, by learning as much as possible about your prospective destination. Reading, studying, and speaking to others concerning the country, customs, and culture can go a long way in preparing you for the culture shock that you will inevitably experience.

Of course, legalizing your move is essential to gaining the respect of the local populace. In the eyes of many, illegal aliens are a nuisance and a threat. At best they are viewed as cheap labor, just waiting to be ruthlessly exploited. Successful immigrants say that it pays to try your best to legalize your presence. When being interviewed by immigration authorities, a clean, neat presentation is essential in making a favorable impression. Show a cooperative attitude. Do not be evasive.

But there is much more that you, the alien, can do to ease the pain of adopting a new country.

Broaden Out

The natural tendency of most newcomers is to huddle together in their own communities. For example, in New York City, entire neighborhoods are predominantly of one nationality​—little Italy, Chinatown, the Jewish sector, to mention a few. Such communities provide essential support services that make the immigrant feel at home​—a launching pad to explore new horizons.

Unfortunately, at this point some turn inward and cut themselves off from opportunities and advantages that could really help them. “If rejection and distance of the host culture becomes the preferred mode of coping with the new . . . way of life,” says the journal Psychology of Women Quarterly, “the adaptation process may never be successfully completed.”

In contrast, most aliens who have been broad-​minded enough to take the plunge into their host societies report that their lives have been greatly enriched as a result. A group of American students who spent a number of weeks doing a cross-​cultural study on the Micronesian island of Guam commented on the broadening effect this had on their view of other cultures. “I look at differentness with interest and curiosity rather than as a threat,” admitted one student. Another said: “I am beginning to look at my culture in perspective. . . . I am questioning values and things I have previously taken for granted. . . . I could learn from them.”

However, to succeed in unlocking the doors of opportunity, there are certain basic prerequisites that must be met.

Keys to Integration

“Learning the language of the host country leads to faster and easier adaptation . . . because it allows the immigrant a closer interaction with [the] mainstream.” Thus recommends the journal Psychology of Women Quarterly. But be warned! Learning a language is not an easy process. “Initially I had a hard time,” recalls George, an immigrant in Japan. “They would laugh when I made a mistake but would not help me.” Undeterred, George took a portable radio wherever he went and listened to Japanese broadcasting. He adds: “I found that lots of reading helped me get to know the language.”

The language of a nation is the gateway to its culture. While you may eventually be able to pick up the language, a new culture is far more difficult to assimilate. This is where a degree of balance is called for. An alien who wishes to succeed must be prepared to grapple with learning the new culture, while in the process keeping his own personality and self-​respect intact. As Yugoslav writer Milovan Djilas put it, “a man can abandon everything​—home, country, land—​but he cannot abandon himself.” Striking that balance presents a big challenge.

Family Unity

Each person reacts differently to a new environment. Understandably, older people find that their native culture and language are deeply ingrained. However, children assimilate language and culture much faster. Before long, they may take on the role of interpreters, and their parents often find themselves in the position of students. This unnatural reversal of roles often leads to conflict within the family. Parents may feel that they are losing respect, while children become resentful that their parents’ ‘old-​fashioned’ culture is being imposed upon them. So how can foreign families cope with these increased pressures?

For one thing, parents should take into account the effect the new environment has upon their children. This means making the effort to integrate along with their children​—not expecting them to live in one culture yet be loyal to another. This concession takes insight on the part of immigrant parents, but it does much to defuse tensions at home. One Bible principle puts it this way: “By wisdom a household will be built up, and by discernment it will prove firmly established.”​—Proverbs 24:3.

Likewise, children should recognize that although their parents come from a different culture, they have been through the school of life and are therefore far more experienced. Proper respect given to them goes a long way toward securing a peaceful family life.

Thus, despite the complexities of integration, there is much that you, the alien, can do to turn the experience to your advantage. A successful young Portuguese immigrant named Tony sums it up this way: “Although I experienced many difficulties, in the long run, I have been enriched. Understanding two languages and cultures has given me a much broader outlook on life.”

[Box on page 10]

How Can Aliens Cope?

Do . . .

▶ learn the language

▶ accept and come to understand the new culture

▶ conform to local customs

▶ study your new environment and ask questions about it

▶ make an effort to integrate as a family

▶ cooperate with the authorities; do your best to legalize your status

Do Not . . .

▶ withdraw from your host community

▶ consider your own culture superior

▶ make money and possessions the first thing in your life

▶ expect your children to cling to your original culture

▶ look down on your parents because they have a different background

▶ migrate separately from your family, if you can avoid it

[Picture on page 9]

If you learn the language of your new country, you will broaden your contacts

Aliens​—How Can You Help Them?

JOURNALIST Günter Wallraff disguised himself as a Turkish worker and labored in a German steelworks. When he revealed his findings regarding the treatment of foreign, or guest, workers, the public was both shocked and enraged. He documented case after case of blatant discrimination and degrading prejudice aimed at foreign workers. In one instance, he witnessed Turkish workers being ordered to work in a dangerous area despite emergency sirens and flashing red lights. When one man became frightened and wanted to leave the area, he was threatened with loss of his job.

Wallraff’s experiences graphically expose the plight of immigrants. As sympathetic citizens become more aware of the problems foreigners face, many wonder what they can do to help the immigrant and his family.

Take Us as We Are

Avoid prejudice. Nothing more quickly creates a wall of suspicion and intolerance between the local citizen and the alien than does blanket prejudice. “[Culture] distorts our view of how other people do things, especially when their ways differ . . . from our accepted norms,” says writer Ben Levitas in his book Tribal Life Today. He says that these differences “often lead us to be critical of the way that others act.” Helen, a Korean immigrant in Canada, clearly remembers the day her teacher angrily shouted at her for failing to perform a task that the class had been asked to do. “She didn’t realize that I couldn’t understand her,” says Helen, who felt very hurt at the time.

Misunderstandings and preconceived notions about other nationalities are often based on fiction rather than on fact. Authors Mildred Sikkema and Agnes Niyekawa-​Howard in their book Cross-​Cultural Learning & Self-​Growth, tell of one American professor who tested his new foreign students by telling them a joke. He would then watch to see their reaction. If they failed to laugh, the students would immediately be sent off to English classes. “[The professor] did not seem to realize,” say the authors, “that understanding an American joke requires familiarity with American culture as well as language . . . What people from one culture may consider funny may be perceived by [others] as poor taste.” Such well-​intentioned actions on the part of locals betray a lack of insight in dealing with aliens.

If you accept the alien just the way he is, without prejudice, he will appreciate you for it. Such a course is in harmony with a guiding principle expressed by Jesus: “You must love . . . your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27) Yasushi Higashisawa, a lawyer in Tokyo, Japan, who has much to do with aliens, recommends that “close contact with people of other cultures is the best remedy for prejudice.” This type of contact enables the immigrant to be helped in many other ways too.

Practical Assistance

There is much the foreigner wants to know about his new country​—how to obtain housing, learn the language, get the children into a school, make use of health and social services. You can save him much unnecessary trouble and effort by sharing with him what you know.

For example, can you help the foreigner to locate agencies or organizations that will help him to adjust to the language and the culture? Or can you perhaps accompany an immigrant woman on her first few shopping trips to help her identify foodstuffs and household items? What about offering advice to an immigrant family going through the often complicated formalities concerning their legal status, obtaining employment, filling out tax forms, and the like?​—See footnote in box.

Someone to Lean On

It is always helpful to ask yourself: ‘If I were in another country, how would I like to be treated?’ “All things . . . that you want men to do to you, you also must likewise do to them,” said Jesus in the famous Golden Rule. (Matthew 7:12) Having a friend to lean on through the trying experience of adjusting and adapting is a help that many aliens would appreciate. Such hospitality on the part of the local resident brings mutual benefits. Another Bible principle states: “There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.”​—Acts 20:35.

If you are one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, the best gift you can give an alien is the prospect of a united brotherhood. You will almost certainly be able to find some upbuilding printed matter to share with him in his native language.

Of course, the responsibility for successful migration lies primarily with the alien. But with a little forethought, there is much you can do to make him feel at home, thus allowing the migration experience to be less traumatic, even satisfying.

[Blurb on page 11]

“We assume that people of another culture . . . see, feel, and think as we do. . . . Much misunderstanding is caused by the assumption that our own reactions are universal.”​—Cross-​Cultural Learning & Self-​Growth

[Blurb on page 12]

Said a student after spending time on the island of Guam: ‘I have become more tolerant of new or different ways of doing things.’​—Cross-​Cultural Learning & Self-​Growth

[Box on page 12]

You can help the foreigner to . . .

▶ settle in by being a hospitable neighbor

▶ deal with officials while legalizing his presencea

▶ fill in tax formsb

▶ contact organizations that teach local culture and language

▶ obtain accommodations

▶ make use of medical and social services

▶ get the children into school

▶ shop for needed items at the right prices

▶ find employment

[Footnotes]