Ryan blog #4

I was having a conversation with someone I know - not necessarily a friend or someone I communicate with on a regular basis - in which the topic of immigration came up. This acquaintance mentioned that she was glad her hometown didn't have a large immigrant population. This type of exchange isn't necessarily uncommon in Nebraska, but to me -- even considering the attempt at inclusiveness in the LJS articles -- we must to some extent confront two (very) basic realities on the subject of refugees in Nebraska and probably the United States as a whole. In spite of accepting a number of refugees from various parts of the world (see image), we must consider the possibilities that:

1) we (meaning the dominant culture in the United States) do not want them to be here, especially if they are seen as an economic inconvenience
2) there are forces working against members of out groups like refugees in the United States that they are neither in a position to understand or control

Martin and Nakayama visit this concept when they discuss the critical approach to understanding intercultural transitions. Specifically, they note that "[s]ometimes immigrant workers are seen as necessary but are not really welcomed into the larger society because of their class (which is often fused with racial differences)" (Martin and Nakayama, 2012, p. 348). The emphasis these articles place upon employment is a testament to the influence of class on communication: the reason these 'immigrants' need to learn the language is so they can get a job. The motivation for communication is participation in capital. Immigrant and refugee workers often are seen by business as low-cost, low-risk unskilled labor hires and are both portrayed as such and treated as such.

If not, then, well, they can go away. We put pressure on these groups to get a job when the language barrier (not to mention adaptations to cultural norms, a possible horrifically violent past, and other issues refugees can face that make adaptation to a new region difficult) makes this difficult and honestly a small aspect in coming to terms with new culture.

Another interesting way class plays a role in the issue of refugees in the United States is mostly ignored by the articles, but the truth is that a vast majority of marginalized populations from unstable/violent states lack the means to escape. It is much, much easier for someone with a certain amount of privilege (particularly class privilege) to pay for an international move. So, the citizens of violent states that are the least well-off may, for structural reasons like poverty or race, lack access to the possibility of refugee status.

These all influence adaptation into the culture because they demonstrate that there are certain forces particular to the United States (and the home nation of any given refugee) working against the transition into the United States- it is not so much a question of acclimating into culture (something I'd never be able to understand, having never had to do so), but rather the way that refugees and immigrants are portrayed and treated, which is heavily influenced by contextual factors that make adaptation particularly difficult, both to achieve and to understand.

Works Cited

Martin, J.N., & Nakayama, T. K. (2012). Intercultural communication in contexts (6th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw Hill.