Foreign Affairs

No matter how you feel about working with people from different cultural backgrounds, it’s important to remember although their customs and communication styles might be different from your own, they have the right to work and be respected, the same as you.  Workers who seek employment in the U.S. from other countries should be allowed to integrate into the workforce, sharing space and functions without having to shed their personal identities for the sake of fitting in. On the job, those from different backgrounds have the same right to maintain their cultural identities as those workers from within the local community. 

But what about before they are hired? 

Let’s make three assumptions before going any further:

• The individual has the necessary skills and training to fill a competitive employment role and make a positive contribution. 
• The individual has the right to work in the U.S. either via a Green Card or appropriate work and residency Visa.
• The individual is already a “resident alien” and not here with an H-1B work visa and its presumed legitimate employment offer and specialty employment status.

For many seeking work in the U.S. there are multiple obstacles.  One of the biggest and obvious obstacles can be language differences.  Not everyone arrives to U.S. with the same level of English language skills, and for those with little-to-no English, that’s a pretty large barrier to gainful employment.  It’s hard to interview and fill out applications and related forms when you don’t understand the language.  Some applicants might speak and understand English to one degree or another, but their ability to read and write might be less than optimal.... (read more here)