Immigrant Language and Integration Agency

A Step Towards the Future

Overview

The Immigrant Language and Integration Agency or ILIA is a new governmental agency that aims to aid immigrants to the US via language services, careers, and other related areas. This agency’s goal is to cooperate with incoming people and help ensure their livelihoods as well as integration as productive members of society who can provide for themselves, their children, and rightfully receive governmental benefits. This is an especially lacking area in current governmental programs therefore the idea is to become more comprehensive.

In recognizing these new immigrants as immigrants equal to all those already residing in the US, these people will retain their basic human rights as a guarantee of the federal government. By assimilating immigrants into society not only do they benefit, but the US economy will as well. This agency will not only benefit immigrants, but natives who have lived in the US for many years.

Addressing Prejudice

Prejudice has had a significant impact on American politics for far too long, yet this agency recognizes its presence and aims to disprove these ideas regarding immigrants to the US.

There is an inherent idea within the US that since those that currently reside within the border have been there longer that they have undeniable rights to their land. While they may have been there longer, migration has been a part of Homo sapiens way of life since the beginning. Migration as well as interdependence are the main reasons our ancestors thrived across the globe. They must not be disregarded in modern-day as obsolete--but instead as vital for the continuation of civilization and human rights.

Since many modern-day Homo sapiens now lead largely sedentary lives it has been forgotten that people are simply people. Human DNA only varies by approximately 0.1%--meaning we are all 99.9% identical. Any discriminatory characteristics used today are based upon this miniscule and insignificant genetic variance. Any person(s) arriving to the US should be treated as neighbors who offer new knowledge, not hostile invaders.

There is an additional viewpoint in existing citizens that these immigrants will take jobs away from the lower income workforce, yet many studies have determined that the opposite is true. Immigration to any given area has been shown to improve the economy, increase wages of the lower-skilled workforce, increase demand for all types of workers, and increase overall GDP.

People are all one in the same. Migration was a defining feature of our past; migration will be a defining feature of our future.

Goals & Services

This agency has several goals which will unite the American people under a common goal, bolster the economy, and improve the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands if not millions of all types of immigrants coming to the US across the globe in the coming years. These services will ideally result in immigrants developing a sense of belonging in this new society and therefore become cohesive instead of abrasive with the existing population.

Provide Aid Via Language Services

Since many immigrants to the US may not be arriving from an English speaking country or one where English is taught as a second-language, a language barrier poses a large threat to many immigrants' ability to integrate into society. If they are unable to communicate they are unable to become productive members of a largely English-speaking society.

Courses will be provided to those facing this barrier through the utilization of existing volunteer groups which would be compensated for their contribution in the betterment of immigrant's adaptability. Since the organizations are already in existence with infrastructure this transition would not be unnecessarily difficult nor detract from services provided to any existing US citizens.

Provide Aid Via Career Services

Learning to navigate new economic waters in a new culture also presents a significant challenges for immigrants. Career specialists will work with immigrants depending upon several criteria:

Prior education
Existing Skillset
Willingness & Ability to Learn
Previous job experience
- Dependent upon whether they arrived from a small farming village or densely populated urban region etc.

In assessing what each person has to offer, they can be aided and placed accordingly. This will have the added benefit of bringing new perspectives into many different sectors and therefore boost long-term economical growth. All this without harming the low-skilled existing workforce but improving the livelihood of the low-skilled workforce. See here and here for more information.

Special Preference Careers

In consideration of the fact that many people will be migrating due to climate change induced environmental impacts this agency shall direct immigrants towards jobs and careers relating to sustainability as well as decarbonization. Depending upon the assessed skillset of each person they may be directed towards renewable technologies development, efficiency improvements in these technologies, public outreach, renewable technology installation and management, etc.

Since the renewable energy industry is only projected to increase in the coming years, this is a reliable economy that will be creating many new jobs. This is a stable, ideal choice for people looking to improve their livelihoods.

Provide Aid Via Temporary Housing

An additional service to be provided by this agency would be temporary housing for those engaging in the language courses or searching for a steady source of income. If people were to arrive in a new country with no basic needs such as shelter, food, and water the likelihood of them locating decent, legal work decreases markedly. Providing aid in this way is an investment into future economical output by those who successfully achieve legally-paid positions.

Possible creation of new housing/cities

Since so many are anticipated to migrate it is likely entire new cities will be required. This agency will cooperate with city planning services such as the American Planning Association in order to avoid immigrants becoming fixed in slums outside of productive cities. This could also be achieved by collaborating with local governments to provide the best service for that specific region.