#2. What does it mean to be the child of an immigrant? What tensions are created for children within an immigrant family? Why? Is this as true today as it was at the end of the 19^th century?

Economists are interested in immigration for two reasons: their impact on the labor market and what progress these immigrants are contributing to the United States economy (Edmonston, 1996). There is much discussion about these immigrants in this area of study. These two areas of concern are important because research shows that the labor markets have changes considerably due to the changing contexts of recent immigrants. Not only are the labor markets being changed, but they way homes are shaped and culture bounds are formed (Johnson & Menounos, 2008). This research leads us to believe that further conceptual work is needed for us to determine the role of employers in the labor market and how they employ people, particularly immigrants. This not only involves those who are in the labor market, but also the children of those workers. These children may feel that because their parents are of the lower-class labor market, that they may not excel to anything beyond that.

Studies show that the greatest wave of immigration in the United States occurred during the year 1994 (Abernathy, Barff, Burtless, et. al., 1994). Studies claim that immigration has negatively affected the American Labor Movement (Briggs, 2007). This is because immigration directly affects the size, the composition and the different abilities in the labor market. These involve people from ethnic groups in connection to the labor market (Edmonston, 1996). Because of these negative views on immigration in regards to the economy taking a toll, the children of these immigrants suffer socially.

It has been argued that the children of these immigrants cross cultural boundaries, crossing linguistics from the household and in school. However, these children also have to undergo hurdles such as racism, an economic disadvantage and language assimilation. Most of the time, these children of immigrants come from environments which are not very well-off in socio-economic aspects. This creates a sense of insecurity in the children, at the same time they are battling with issues of belonging (Johnson & Menounos, 2008).

Children are found to be embarrassed by their parents because of linguistic reasons. The immigrant parents are usually seen have very little skills in speaking English, and concerns about belonging as well as being judged rise in children. This negatively affects their self-esteem, and results in the children distancing themselves from the family and from the home (Johnson & Menounos, 2008). The children of these immigrants have a confused sense of belonging. They know that they are not originally from the country in which they are residing, yet all they know is the world around them; most have never been to their homelands. This causes confusion in identity, not knowing where they should really belong (Johnson & Menounos, 2008).

The United States has become a very culturally diverse environment, and this includes areas such as the workplace and the school. I identify coming from a variety of cultural and ethnics groups. Most of the time, the fact that they do come from a different race or have a different ethnic background does not even occur to me. The members of my social circle share a number of things in common, which does not include cultural heritage. They include things such as the same taste in music, the same humor and generally the same interests. The members of my social circle are not limited to these things, some friendships can go deeper, like sharing the same fears, goals and ambitions in life. I believe that it is easier to identify with your peers if you overlook their race or cultural background. People of different social groups or ethnic backgrounds can come together because of one common interest which has nothing to do with their culture. During the end of the 19^th century, immigrants were not as rampant as they were today. Most who carry their cultures in suitcases and bring them to the United States were not openly welcome, unlike today where the minority is actually the majority. These days, in the United states, school curriculums are opening up to cultural diversity. Different cultures also have different ways of organizing themselves and interacting with the environment. The dimensions of diversity come in layers; the inner layer covers the following: age, ethnicity, gender, national, regional or other geographical areas of origin, physical and mental ability, race and sexual orientation. This primary phase or layer of diversity is powerful in society because in brings a big impact on our socialization, experiences, values as well as assumptions. The second layer includes the following: Education, military experience, income, family status,  social class and spiritual practice. This secondary dimension of diversity is important because it contains elements which are more specific, and can lead to prejudice assumptions and discrimination when negative attitudes are not adverse (Smith et. al., 2001). Because of this, immigrants are more welcomed and a certain level of inclusion is seen in the classroom environment.