Occupational Therapy - 2015

11 Access Denied: Barriers for Unauthorized Immigrants Pursuing the American Dream Kristin S. McMillen, OTD-S Millions of immigrants from all around the world are living in the United States without legal authorization. Most have come in search of a better life for themselves or their children, with the belief that through enough hard work, they can achieve the “American Dream.” However, upon arrival, many unauthorized immigrants face cultural, eco- nomic, and political barriers that limit their opportunities for community participation and lead many individuals to live their lives in fear. This paper aims to: (a) explore the barriers encountered by unauthorized immigrants in the United States; (b) consider the occupational significance of these barriers; and (c) discuss potential solutions and the importance of advocacy for immigration reform that will lead to improved living and working conditions and occupational justice for all. Keywords: Unauthorized immigrants, barriers, occupation, participation, justice Many individuals from around the world who find themselves living in undesirable economic, political, or social conditions wish to come to the United States, viewing it as a land of opportunity, where the “Ameri- can Dream” of happiness, success, and prosperity is available to all who are willing to work hard enough to achieve it (Samuel, 2012). This dream has prompted millions of people to seek residency in the United States over the last several decades; however, legal residency is not freely available for the taking. Nevertheless, millions of individuals have attempted to take matters into their own hands and have immigrated without the proper au- thorization (Bailliard, 2013; Warren & Warren, 2013). Unauthorized immigrants are a large and di- verse population that has come to the United States from all over the world. As of 2012, there were approxi- mately 11.4 million unauthorized immigrants living in the United States (Baker & Rytina, 2013). Roughly 8.9 million individuals, or 78% of the total unauthorized immigrant population living in the U.S. originated from countries in North and Central America, while approx- imately 1.3 million came fromAsia, 700,000 from South America, 300,000 from Europe, and 200,000 from other regions around the world. Seventy-three percent of un- authorized immigrants are between the ages of 18 and 44 years old, and 53% are male. Although they can be found living in all 50 states, California (2.82 million), Texas (1.83 million), Florida (730,000), and New York (580,000) are home to the largest populations of unau- thorized immigrants (Baker & Rytina, 2013). As many as 45% of the unauthorized immi- grant population originally entered the United States through legal means, either by using Border Crossing cards, or tourist, student, or business visas, but then they remained beyond their legally approved length of stay. However, the remaining 55% or so of unauthor- ized immigrants crossed the U.S. borders from Mexico or Canada without ever having had legal authorization in the first place (Pew Research Center, 2006). For the many unauthorized immigrants who attempt entry through Mexico each year, the journey is particularly challenging. In addition to leaving their home country, family, and friends behind, many incur large financial expenses as they pay thousands of dollars to be smug- gled across the border. These border-crossing attempts are often grueling, forcing immigrants to endure harsh conditions, with little food, water, or rest for days (Basu, 2014). They also face very real dangers of being kid- napped, held for ransom, sold into prostitution, abused by their smugglers, apprehended by authorities, or even losing their lives en route (Cave & Robles, 2014; Naz- ario, 2002). For those who are able to successfully enter the United States, the challenges continue, as they im- merse themselves in a new language and culture, search for jobs and places to live, and are governed by unfamil- iar laws that are typically not in their favor. Literature Review To gain a better understanding of these and other bar- OCCUPATION: A Medium of Inquiry for Students, Faculty & Other Practitioners Advocating for Health through Occupational Studies November 2015, Volume 1, Number 1