Highly Educated Africans Find Themselves Trapped in Cycle of Poverty in America - Politics

Highly Educated Africans Find Themselves Trapped In Cycle Of Poverty ...
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Highly Educated Africans Find

Themselves Trapped In Cycle Of
Poverty In America - Politics
America has long been scrutinized for its policies and legislation
surrounding immigration, and it seems like African immigrants from
sub-Saharan countries are carrying some of the heaviest burdens.
When making the journey across the Atlantic, many African
immigrants have no idea that they are leaving behind more than just
a familiar land.
Those who have reputations as successful doctors and engineers,
those who have worked tirelessly to earn some of the highest
accolades universities have to offer and those who have spent years
climbing their respective career ladders are often leaving those
accomplishments behind as well.
Once they cross the boarder into America, many are forced to
navigate a disheartening transition from economic success to a
financial downfall that leaves them in the unforgiving grasps of
poverty.
Highly educated and successful immigrants from sub-Saharan
Africa are generally underemployed in America, despite a few states
initiating new practices and policies to help curve this troubling
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trend.
This is a story that Nasser Diallo, an immigrant from Guinea, West
Africa, is all too familiar with.
Diallo fled his home after the military sprayed protesters with a wave
of bullets. The former political journalist was covering the
demonstration when the tragedy struck, according to The Root.
When word got out that the military government was looking for him,
he knew he had to leave his home behind. With no transcripts or
other documentation to serve as proof of his extensive professional
background in journalism, his career failed to take off in America.
I had to make a very, very tough choice to go back to school and
restart from scratch, Diallo, who also held a law degree back in
Guinea, told The Root. I didnt have a choice. I was going nowhere.
By the time Im going to graduate, Ill be maybe 50.
Unfortunately, Diallos story is only becoming more and more
common as a part of a system that some experts say has resulted in
widespread brain waste.
Weve all heart about brain drain, Jeanne Batalova, a senior policy
analyst with the Migration Policy Institute, told The Root. This is
brain waste.
MPI reports that 1 in every 5 college-educated immigrants from
another country is actually unemployed or underemployed in
America. This means doctors, lawyers, psychologists, journalists,
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educators, esteemed authors, nurses and other professionals who

have a lot to offer their communities and the economy at large, are
instead being forced into unemployment lines or being asked to
fulfill duties that dont even utilize their degrees or years of
experience in a particular field.
In addition to the cultural barriers and obstacles of racial
discrimination, experts also point to the varying federal and state
requirements for different professions in the U.S. as a culprit behind
the underemployment of these immigrants.
If youre a nurse or a doctor, there are so many federal and state
requirements that you have to fill, Jeff Gross, the director of the New
Americans Integration Institute at the Massachusetts Immigration
and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, told The Root. Its very, very
complicated and time-consuming.
In professions of all types, however, there has always been a greater
value placed on American degrees when compared to other
countries across the globe; thus presenting yet another major hurdle
in the way of highly educated immigrants.
Despite the severity of such a problem, little has been done to
address the issue on a federal level, although states like Michigan
have been slightly more proactive by teaming up with Upwardly
Global.
Upwardly Global is described by The Root as an employment
advocacy agency for immigrants, to craft clear-cut licensing guides
for 20 professions, so immigrants know exactly how to proceed.
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The state has also passed a bill that helps experienced barbers from
other countries launch their businesses in America sooner without
having to fulfill the same amount of instruction hours as someone
without professional experience under their belt.
Another bill, passed in February, was introduced in the Illinois
General Assembly to prohibit anyone from denying someone a
professional license because of their immigration status.
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Highly Educated Africans Find Themselves Trapped in Cycle of Poverty in America - Politics

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