Newsletters
Research Finds ‘Brain Waste’ Among U.S. Immigrants
Deanna Hartley, 01-26-2009
More than 1.3 million United States immigrants with college degrees are grossly underutilized, according to recent research by the Migration Policy Institute.
“They are either unemployed or employed in jobs that require very little training, so all the education, experience and skills they have are wasted,” said Jeanne Batalova, policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute.
Batalova also served as co-author of the report — “Uneven Progress: The Employment Pathways of Skilled Immigrants in the United States” — which explores the so-called “brain waste,” or skill underutilization, that characterizes much of the immigrant population.
In fact, many immigrants have a hard time securing employment positions that correspond to their credentials.
“We found that one in five immigrants — instead of working as scientists, engineers, doctors, lawyers — find themselves working as taxi drivers, maids, construction workers and jobs that require no education,” Batalova said.
The research points to a number of factors that could be responsible for the brain waste. The first pertains to language barriers. “We found that immigrants with low English proficiency and skills are twice as likely to be in this situation where they’re underutilized and working in low-skilled jobs,” she said.
Another barrier is the lack of professional networks that could help immigrants secure jobs in their respective fields.
Further, brain waste can be exacerbated by the particular immigration route a person takes. For instance, those in the United States through employment sponsorship tend to fare better than others because sponsorship requires that the immigrant already have a job lined up.
The report outlines two remedial measures that could help alleviate this immigrant brain waste. The first deals with a person’s immigration path.
“From research, we know that work experience matters, language skills matter, professional networks matter,” Batalva said. “Often you acquire them if you studied in the United States as a foreign student [or] worked as a temporary worker.”
Batalova proposes a new type of visa — a provisional visa — that could be granted to immigrant workers and would allow them to find employment and work in the United States and thereafter go through a streamlined process to become permanent residents.
The second measure deals with integration such as developing internship and mentorship programs.
“A mentor might help an immigrant by explaining the basics of how things are done,” Batalova said. “For example, when you submit your resume to a U.S. employer, a one-page, to-the-point resume is expected, not one that includes your picture, your marital status and other irrelevant information in the U.S. context.”
Additionally, immigrants in certain occupations are required to pass qualification exams to attest or affirm their degrees.
“But these exams are in English,” Batalova said. “Even if they have the knowledge and can confirm their degrees, they still have to have a certain level of professional English to be able to take and pass the exam.”
Still, brain waste affects more than just the immigrants themselves. Immigrants who work in well-paying jobs will automatically pay higher taxes.
“But in addition to taxes, immigrants contribute a great deal to productivity and innovation and entrepreneurship,” Batalova said. “So allowing immigrants to find their niche and convert their skills and potential into a valuable asset will help not only immigrants themselves, but also the [United States] economy.”
Conservative Group Challenges Diversity Gift
The American Family Association (AFA) is contesting a $1 million gift for a national workplace diversity program.
According to an article published this month in On Top Magazine, food and beverage giant PepsiCo contributed half a million dollars each to The Human Rights Campaign, the largest gay rights advocate in the United States, and support group Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.
But this move raised concerns with the AFA, a nonprofit organization that stands for traditional family values. The organization maintains that the workplace diversity program is just a forum to force employees to learn about topics such as sexual orientation and gender identity, and to accept gays and lesbians.
On Top Magazine noted a response by Paul Boykas, PepsiCo’s director of public policy, to the AFA: “Among the values promoted by the PepsiCo Foundation is ensuring a work environment that is respectful and where associates are valued for their contributions.”
This is not the first complaint by the AFA against diversity efforts pertaining to gay and lesbian individuals.
When Campbell Soup Co. started running ads in gay publications in its attempt to break into the gay and lesbian consumer market, the AFA made its objections known. Similar objections were raised against McDonald’s for its attempt to reach out to the gay and lesbian community.
