March 2015 Immigration News At a Glance
Written by Kara DeDonato
In honor of International Women’s Day, celebrated on March 8 every year, the March news digest focuses on women immigrants in the US before turning to local immigration news here in New York.
Women immigrants in the US
On March 20, the Migration Policy Institute published a ‘Spotlight’ report, entitled “Immigrant Women in the United States.” The report notes that the number of women immigrants in the United States has steadily increased over the past half-century. Women now make up 51 percent of the US immigrant population, a percentage higher than the global average (48%). More women than men immigrate to the US from Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America. As reported in this NBC News article, Asian women immigrants in particular are becoming “the face of American immigration.” Immigrants from Mexico and Central America, however, are more likely to be men.
The report provides further information on the key socioeconomic characteristics of the population of women immigrants in the US, including English proficiency and educational attainment, employment and poverty, citizenship and immigration status, and more. It offers comparisons with the socio-economic characteristics of both native-borns and immigrant men.
Nearly half of women immigrants have limited English proficiency, and a third of women immigrants in the US lack a high school education, compared to only 11 and 9 percent among native-born men and women, respectively.
While women immigrants have nearly the same levels of employment as native-born women (56% compared to 59%), they are more likely to be counted as members of the ‘working poor’ and fare worse on poverty scales. The report notes that single parenthood is a strong predictor of poverty. Close to 30 percent of single mothers, whether native-borns or immigrants, are in poverty.
Women immigrants are more likely to become naturalized citizens than immigrant men. This Latin Post article discusses how women immigrants are the driving force of naturalization in their families, and proceeds to highlight the difficulties they face as they try to assimilate into US society. Women immigrants are at greater risk of violence in their homes and of exploitation at work, and often feel they have limited options of recourse due to their legal status.
Zooming in on New York City immigration news
New York State and New York City were at the center of several developments pertaining to education for immigrants during the month of March. The Guardian chronicled here the fight of CUNY Dreamers, a student group advocating for the rights of undocumented students, and for access to financial aid for higher education in particular. In New York State, it is estimated that only 5 to 10 percent of undocumented high school graduates are able to attend college due to a lack of financing options. Immigrants and student advocates are working to change this reality.
In March, about 150 Dreamers received a tuition reimbursement from the City University of New York. Due to their immigration status, they had paid higher out-of-state tuition fees, despite their qualifying for in-state tuition by law.
But the end of the month also saw a negative development for undocumented students, as on March 24 the proposal to include and link the DREAM Act with an education tax credit in New York State’s budget was dropped (for more information, see The New York Times and Capital New York). In response, a group of about 50 undocumented students in New York City launched a hunger strike that lasted until the end of the month (see Gothamist, CBS New York, Observer). This Refinery 29 article covers the story and profiles two young women immigrants leading the protest.
Elsewhere in New York, the Hempstead Union Free School District joined several other districts in relaxing the documentation requirements necessary for children to be enrolled in school. This will enable many immigrant children, who had previously been unable to enroll, to receive an education.
Additionally, in recognition of the diversity of New York City students, Eid holidays, celebrated by Muslims, will now be added to the NYC Public School holiday calendar.
To end on another positive note, twenty women immigrants were honored by Mayor Bill de Blasio on International Women’s Day. Women leaders across the city, working in professions ranging from medicine to business, were recognized for their accomplishments and service as role models for their communities.
