Social Work and Immigration Policy

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, while all immigrants are obviously not Middle Eastern in origin, the impact of September 11 on the national consciousness concerning immigration policies in general has resulted in a severe backlash against all immigrants, creating one of the toughest debate on how best to provide social welfare services. The author points out that, to ensure that all people in the U.S. are provided with minimum levels of social services, the social work community must organize on the national level and secure the assistance of key legislators who are in the best position to effect the changes in policy. The paper recommends that the national social work organization should provide legislators with personal and empirical observations about the importance and urgency of this issue for people who would come to the United States seeking gainful and legal employment.

Table of Contents
Introduction
Review and Discussion
Identification of Improvements Needed in the Existing Policy
Analysis of Published Empirical Data that Impacts Arguments.
Description of Current Political and Social Issues.
Proposed Policy Practice Strategy using Legislative Advocacy.
Identification of Actions Needed to Implement the Strategy.
Proposed Timeline for Strategy Implementation.
Phase One
Phase Two
Discussion of the Policy Practice Skills Required by the Strategy.
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The terrorist attacks of September 11 were carried out by 19 Arab noncitizens, and many Americans have reason to believe that other Arab noncitizens are linked with these nationalities. The fear that pervades the American consciousness today is directly reflected in how the mainstream public views policies concerning immigration. "Citizens, it is said, are presumptively loyal; noncitizens are not. Thus, it is not irrational to focus on Arab noncitizens. Moreover, on a normative level, if citizens and noncitizens were treated identically, citizenship itself might be rendered meaningless". The part played by mainstream media and its impact on immigration laws have been pronounced; however, perhaps even more fundamental for the purposes of the provision of timely and effective social work services is the new mindset that emerged after September 11 that created two distinct and unmistakable categories for Americans: there is ?us,? and then there is ?them.? "

More papers on Social Work and Immigration Policy:

• Research Paper # 56782 : "Mexican Immigration to Los Angeles"
• Book Review # 129122 : "David Shipler's "The Working Poor"
• Essay # 45548 : "Ideological Assumptions of the British Welfare Regime -1945 to Present"

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