Siku ya uchaguzi inapokaribia kwa kasi, mazungumzo ya kitaifa yameangazia mada mbalimbali, mojawapo ya mada maarufu zaidi ikiwa ni jukumu la wahamiaji nchini Marekani. Hakuna shaka kwamba uhamiaji umekuwa na sehemu muhimu katika historia ya nchi hii, hasa kuhusiana na uchumi. Kadiri idadi ya watu inavyoendelea kubadilika, muunganiko wa maoni yanayoshikiliwa na watu wengi na msururu wa taarifa kuhusu uhamiaji katika nyanja ya umma mara nyingi unaweza kutatanisha na kuzua maswali mbalimbali. Kwa mfano, nini ni uhusiano kati ya wahamiaji na uchumi? Je, wahamiaji hatimaye husaidia au kuumiza ukuaji wa uchumi? Je, uhusiano huu unaonekanaje tofauti katika ngazi ya kitaifa, jimbo na mitaa? Chapisho la leo ni awamu ya kwanza katika mfululizo mfupi kuhusu wahamiaji na uchumi utakaoangaziwa kwenye blogu ya NewBridges. Ili kuanza mjadala, tutaangalia nafasi ya wahamiaji katika uchumi wa Virginia na katika Bonde la Shenandoah. Angalia tena kila baada ya wiki chache kwa machapisho tofauti ya blogu yanayoangazia uhusiano kati ya wahamiaji na hali ya uchumi ya nchi yetu!
Wahamiaji na Uchumi wa Virginia
Idadi ya wahamiaji wa Virginia ni kubwa na yenye sura nyingi. Kulingana na utafiti iliyochapishwa hivi karibuni na Taasisi ya Jumuiya ya Madola, Virginia’s immigrant population is the 9th largest in the nation, with over 1 million foreign-born persons residing in the state. These immigrants come from all parts of the world, with the majority coming from Central America and Southeast Asia. Virginia’s immigrant population is an important economic block--with high rates of education, employment, and income, these people contribute to the success of the state’s labor market. Approximately 22 percent of foreign-born residents have a bachelor’s degree as opposed to 21.1 percent of native born Virginia residents. Furthermore, Virginia’s immigrant population tends to have higher rates of employment, with the current statistic resting at 72.8 percent. The average for native-born individuals is slightly lower, at 64.9 percent. Overall, households in Virginia tend to have high median incomes. Immigrant households in Virginia have a median income of $73,420, while U.S.-born households have a median income of $65,485. These statistics illustrate the success of the immigrant workforce in our state, and open up broader questions to ponder.
Hoja moja ambayo hutokea mara kwa mara katika masimulizi ya kuwapinga wahamiaji inategemea wazo kwamba wahamiaji huja Marekani na hatimaye kuwafukuza kazi wenyeji wa asili. Je, jambo hilo linaweza kutokea Virginia, ikizingatiwa kwamba data iliyotajwa hapo juu inaonyesha kwamba idadi ya watu waliozaliwa nje ya nchi ina viwango vya juu vya elimu, ajira, na mapato ya wastani kuliko wakazi wa asili wa Virginia? Bila kufanya utafiti wa kina wa ziada, ni vigumu kusema; hata hivyo, mambo fulani hufafanua nambari hizi. Sababu moja ya msingi ya kuzingatia ni umri ya wahamiaji. Kulingana na takwimu zilizochapishwa na Taasisi ya Sera ya Uhamiaji, wengi wa wahamiaji waliokuja Marekani mwaka wa 2014 walikuwa katika miaka ya kazini, kati ya miaka yao ya 20 na 50. Wakati huo huo idadi ya watu wa Marekani, ikiwa ni pamoja na Virginia, inaendelea kuzeeka, kuingiza watu zaidi katika mfumo wa kustaafu na kutoka kwa nguvu kazi, na kufanya wahamiaji wachanga, wenye umri wa kufanya kazi kuwa rasilimali muhimu kwa uchumi. Kwa kweli, kulingana na Taasisi ya Jumuiya ya Madola, katika ngazi ya eneo hilo, “idadi kubwa ya wakaaji wahamiaji ambao ni watu wazima wenye umri wa kufanya kazi husaidia kusawazisha idadi kubwa ya wakaaji wazee-wazaliwa wa [Bonde la Shenandoah].” Zaidi ya hayo, wahamiaji wengi hufika nchini kwa nia ya kufanya kazi kwa bidii na kutafuta maisha yenye mafanikio. Kazi thabiti ni muhimu kwa wahamiaji kustawi, na inaweza pia kuwa sababu ya motisha inayojitokeza katika takwimu hizi. Hatimaye, wahamiaji ambao wamekuwa nchini kwa muda mrefu zaidi wanaweza kujiimarisha na kuanzisha biashara katika jumuiya zao. Hivi ndivyo hali ya mara kwa mara huko Virginia, ambapo wahamiaji ni sehemu kubwa ya biashara za Barabara kuu katika mikoa karibu na jimbo.
Nyuso za Biashara Kuu za Mtaa wa Virginia
According to a 2016 study by The Commonwealth Institute, while immigrants constitute only 12 percent of Virginia's population, they make up 34 percent of Main Street business owners in the state. The Commonwealth Institute defines Main Street businesses as “the local shops and services that provide for a variety of everyday needs and that generally have a physical storefront,” including grocery and convenience stores, beauty salons, restaurants, and laundromats. The increase in immigrant-owned Main Street businesses in our state parallels the mwenendo wa kitaifa--from 2000 to 2013, 100 percent of the growth in Main Street businesses was because of immigrants. In fact, this expansion took place in 31 out of the 50 major largest metropolitan areas in the country, which includes regions of Virginia such as Richmond and Arlington. Growth in the Main Street business sector has contributed to neighborhood revitalization and economic advancement in areas across the country and the state.
Huko Virginia, asilimia 75 ya wamiliki wa mboga ni wahamiaji, pamoja na asilimia 66 ya huduma za nguo na asilimia 65 ya vituo vya petroli. Wamiliki wa biashara wa Mtaa Mkuu wa Virginia pia ni tofauti, wakiwakilisha asili nyingi za kikabila. Korea, India, Vietnam na Uchina ni nchi zilizo na uwakilishi wa juu zaidi katika biashara za Barabara Kuu ya Virginia, huku nchi zingine kutoka Amerika ya Kusini, Ulaya na Afrika pia zikijumuishwa katika mchanganyiko huo. Asilimia 40 ya wamiliki wa biashara wa Mtaa Mkuu wa kigeni ni wanawake, ambao wanawakilisha mitazamo ya ujasiriamali ya wahamiaji wengi wanaoishi Virginia. Kwa mfano, ndani ya jumuiya ya Harrisonburg biashara kuu kadhaa za barabarani zinaendeshwa na wahamiaji, ikiwa ni pamoja na maduka ya mboga kama vile Food Maxx International Market na La Morena, na migahawa kama vile. Boboko Indonesian Cafe. Uwepo wa biashara zinazomilikiwa na wahamiaji wa Main Street huongeza msisimko wa kitamaduni kwenye bonde na wakati huo huo kukuza uchumi wa eneo hilo.
Michango ya Kiuchumi katika Bonde la Shenandoah
The 26,000 immigrants in the Shenandoah Valley are an asset to the local economy. Immigrants who own Main Street businesses in the Valley, such as those mentioned before, are exemplary of the entrepreneurial mindset in the area. Approximately one out of every 11 entrepreneurs in the Valley is an immigrant, which totals about 2,000 self employed individuals. Other immigrants in the area contribute to the economy through their work in sectors such as manufacturing, professional and scientific services, retail, construction, agriculture, and health care. The immigrant population in the Shenandoah Valley is highly employed; however, many immigrant households receive relatively low incomes in comparison to the native-born households in the same area. In fact, many immigrant households live below the poverty line, spend large amounts of their paychecks on rent, and face challenges gaining access to health insurance. While these challenges can be straining, the Valley is a comfortable place for immigrants to live--more so than other areas of Virginia, like the Washington, D.C. and Richmond metro areas, where the cost of living is much higher.
Ni muhimu kwa wakazi wa asili na wazaliwa wa kigeni wa Virginia na Bonde la Shenandoah kuelewa michango ambayo wahamiaji hutoa kwa uchumi wa serikali na wa ndani na kuwasaidia kustawi. Kuanzia kwa wamiliki wa biashara wa ndani hadi wafanyikazi katika tasnia ya utengenezaji, kazi ambayo wahamiaji hufanya ni muhimu kwa serikali na nchi.
Angalia tena baada ya wiki mbili kwa chapisho lijalo katika safu hii, ambayo itaangazia ujasiriamali wa wanawake ambao wamehamia Merika!
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Kuhusu mwandishi: Lindsay Wright ni mhitimu wa 2016 wa Chuo Kikuu cha James Madison, ambapo alihitimu mara mbili katika Mafunzo ya Mawasiliano na Kihispania. Kwa sasa anamaliza mafunzo ya ndani ya miezi tisa katika NewBridges, ambapo anatayarisha maudhui ya blogu na kupata uzoefu wa kufanya kazi na wateja. Katika wakati wake wa mapumziko, Lindsay hufurahia kusoma, kupika, na kutumia muda nje katika Bonde zuri la Shenandoah.