If you were to sit and observe all of the people that rush past a New York City block in a day, you would most likely conclude that New Yorkers, or people in any largely populated city for that matter, come from unique backgrounds. Just in the borough of Queens alone, there are approximately 800 different languages spoken. It seems to prove time and time again that the United States truly is the “melting pot” of dissimilar ethnic groups, cultures, and religions.
This summer, I spent early June with my grandfather, a Bronx native living in the Financial District of Manhattan. In the city, I met all types of interesting people with fascinating stories to tell. After my trip came to a close, I had time to reflect back on the people I met, and I came across a continuity among them. Of those that were not native to the United States, almost all of them were overqualified for the job positions they were working in. I thought about Michel, an employee that worked behind the counter at a Greenwich Village bakery, who originally worked as an engineer back home in Sardinia. I also thought about Mai, a postal office worker, who formerly worked as a doctor in Taiwan. This made me consider: in this day in age, to what extent is the United States the land of opportunity? And is this opportunity limited to a particular group of people?
According to the Institute for Work and Health, nearly one half of educated immigrants in the United States are either unemployed or in a job for which he or she is overqualified. 37% of employed immigrants with at least a college degree are overqualified for their current job. “It’s sad to look around and see perfectly capable immigrants working jobs they are overqualified for,” said junior Lily Alomari. “This is not what our country should aspire to do; we should focus on putting these people in jobs that are equatable to their skill level. They deserve the equal opportunity that they came to the United States for.” On the other hand, junior Justine Annab justifies why overqualification is such a common occurrence; “Most immigrants do not immigrate for a specific job. When they arrive, it is not unusual that they accept positions below their abilities to get a start in this country.” Although there is a level of desperation that influences immigrants’ job choices, it is not to be said that they should not receive the materials necessary to jumpstart a career within their qualifications.
In recent studies from the Institute of Work and Health, “recent immigrants working in jobs for which they are overqualified are more likely to report declines in their mental health than immigrants who are in jobs suited to their education, experience and expectations.” As many would claim that depletion of mental health is a crisis in our nation, it is safe to say that we should prioritize re-evaluating the opportunities we are offering to our ever-growing population.