Culture

Culture is how a population of people function side by side with a system of beliefs. I don't know enough about other cultures and subcultures to tell you precisely what some culture differences are between various parts of the world, but I do know that they vary a lot. To the point where some people when placed in another culture with shut down entirely because of the culture shock.

Amid families, culture can and does become a problem. We are very well aware of immigration in the U.S. and other countries, or at least that it exists. Statistics show that the large majority of these immigrants are families. But because of the legal resistance, they don't always move from one place to another at one time, and it can take a toll on them.

Let's discuss some of these issues. First, what if a dad has moved to the U.S. and has a job, and his family follows months later? What will that do to their dynamic? Well for one, it will take away the father's authority in the family. Without a dad there for a while, the children and the mom will attempt to fill the gap, establishing new roles that disrupt the peace when there is no space for him.

How about we switch to economics? With immigrants taking any job they can get in another country, they're frequently not paid very much. This is great for the businesses, but is highly damaging to the family, as the parents won't have the time and money to provide the kids with the support they need. The family will essentially be abandoned, in spite of the fact they are contributing to society.

And of course there is the age-old issue of culture mix. Do you keep your shoes on in the house or take them off? Do you celebrate this holiday or give it up? What a family keeps or loses from their original culture can affect them in hundreds of ways that we wouldn't even consider initially. That's why America is such a mixing pot. Because some standards of culture have been kept and some have not.

Now why do we care? For those of us who have not immigrated to the United States (or wherever is receiving immigrants in the world) why do we need to know about these people's issues at all? It's because it actually influences society a lot. Many claims are made against immigrants for bringing crime and poverty into the country. This is partially because of the family.

Take our first example of the separation of the father. This family may be legally "together" but it created a dynamic similar to a single mother household. Without a strong father figure, statistics show that the children will grow up to make more negative decisions including teen pregnancies and crime rates.

Regarding economics, if this family is struggling to support their family, the neglect could cause again, the same issues as in the previous example, or even help lead to poverty as they don't know how to get better jobs and climb a rigged ladder of society and business. They will participate in draining government funds and so everyone will struggle for it.

Now these evidences may seem to support stopping immigration, but the truth is, it's no better in many of the countries they come from. There, the pay is equally bad if not worse, they are frequently less safe, and success is frequently defined by drugs or violence.

No I don't mean to suggest we block them out, I mean to suggest that we do what we can to establish a stronger foundation of families. What can we do to make sure that we are not focusing so much on the parents that we ignore the growing population? Is there a way that we can keep families together and stable, on either side of the border? Let me know your thoughts.