Frogs in a Well: Why Migrate into the "Melting Pot"?

In the North American continent, two wars have taken countries by a storm. One, involving the massive influx of immigrants (many of them unaccompanied minors) from Latin American countries (especially Honduras and Guatemala); two, encompassing Congress, and its failure to surpass political interests in order to pass effective legislation. Though the two issues may at first seem distinct, polemics in both conflicts are involved in a game of "chicken and egg," with both sides implying that the present-day errs and complications are a result of the opposite dispute.

Most of the immigrants come from Spanish-speaking countries in the Northern Triangle. Mexico is excluded, as current immigration laws allow for the immediate deportation of Mexicans across the border without trial.

Since civil war first entered the scene in Latin America, the number of immigrants looking to the US as a haven from violence has been steadily increasing. Mainly, the number of unaccompanied minors that are crossing the border has grown by more than 117%. (51,729 youth migrants were counted entering the country in this fiscal year, beginning October 2013. Hispanics and Asian-Americans make up 2/3 of the immigrant population in the US, while Hispanics comprise 3/4 of the illegal population.) Youth often flee pressure to join one of the local gangs; if they succumb, their family may come under fire from enemy gangs while if they refuse, the offer is likely to turn lethal.

The route of drug trafficking and involved gangs through Central America via the main source countries of many refugees in the US.

Residents of Latin America have reason to fear for their lives. Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador, the three major source countries of refugees and migrants, comprise the Northern Triangle, dubbed the "most violent region not involved in war." Homicide rates in these countries are at a record high, though the UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Trafficking) reports that these rates may not reveal the full extent of violence, as many citizens do not trust the responsiveness of police enough to report crimes. Growing up in such circumstances, many youth are unable to receive education or a stable job, forming the Ni/ni generation, a group of over 20 million Latin American young adults (ages 15-24) that "neither work, nor study." Many such youth join the gang culture for a sense of purpose and protection, but end up heightening the intensity of violence, and force other youth to flee the country.

Members of the "Ni-ni generation," standing in an endless queue for the employment office.

If so many juveniles are bringing unrest to the country by joining gangs, why not abolish the gang culture? Unfortunately, the gang rivalry in Central America causing the loss of so many lives, finds its root in Congress's inability to handle the broadening crisis. The first generation of Hispanics that fled the civil war in their hometowns in the 1980s found itself without financial support, a stable job, nor the acceptance of mainstream Americans. (The lack of institutions to aid assimilation is often blamed on the government's inability to realize the potent impacts of immigration.) The children of these immigrants found solace in forming gangs with others like themselves, a phenomenon for which LA has received the nickname of "gang capital of America." According to early immigration laws, these youth were deported to countries such as Guatemala or Honduras; for many of the gangs, this was the first time its US-born members had ever set foot in the region. Today, these troubled juveniles have created one of the most dangerous territories in the world, an unrestrained gang war zone that makes the violence in the southern US seem like child's play. Gangs such as the Mara or 204th street gangs (named after the LA streets in which they were first established) have gained over 70,000 members each, and continue to resorted to drug trafficking and terror, unchecked by Latin American police forces or law enforcement officials.

If Congress were to pass a 'comprehensive immigration reform' bill, it could take the first steps in reorganizing the current system of handling immigrants, before tackling the unrelenting stream of new refugees.

So which came first? The chicken or the egg; the deficient immigration laws or the influx of Hispanic immigrants? Currently, the White House position states that extreme poverty and the endemic of gang violence paired with the lacking rule of law brought on the current calamity. What better country to seek economic incentives and refuge than the "country of immigrants"? However, according to House Republican (Judiciary Committee Chairman) Robert Goodlatte, "Word has gotten out around the world about President Obama's lax immigration enforcement policies, and it has encouraged more individuals to come to the United States illegally, many of whom are children from Central America." (What's Causing the Latest Immigration Crisis?) There may be a grain of truth in this statement as well. Besides the economic or refuge-motivated incentives, immigrants that cross the border today are discharged to the care of relatives with only an assigned date to appear in court. (Only Mexican immigrants can be immediately deported due to child trafficking laws.) With court appearance dates backlogged 587 days on average due to the lack of immigration court lawyers and judges, many immigrants think of their court appearance notices as proof of their legal status in the US, and contact family members with the false news. Ultimately, it remains to be seen whether Congress and the White House will be able to reach an affirmative decision to stem the flow of immigrants by addressing the cause for their exodus (release of false news or gang crisis), or effectively integrate them into American society.

Flashback: the Gabo Reform (Joseon Dynasty)

Before becoming the Korean empire, the Korean peninsula was under the rule of the feudal system in the Joseon Dynasty. In an uprising called the "Gabo Reform" (named for the year in which it occurred, 1984, according to the Chinese Stems-and-branches calendar), a people's rebellion similar to those that occurred in Western Europe, the commoners and peasants successfully overthrew the traditional hierarchy, abolished slavery, and established several institutions that would contribute to a more democratic society. Similar reforms continued through the start of the 20th century, until Korea was forcefully annexed by the Japanese Empire. Some historians believe that the reforms taking place during this period were influenced by the Meiji Reform that had taken place in Japan. Regardless of the presence of Japanese ideology, the movements comprising the Gabo Reform moved the country greatly in the path toward modernization, a process that was furthered, albeit forcefully, during the Japanese Occupation period.

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The Visible & Muffled Minority

Koreans, historically, are unwelcoming to foreigners. Before the country was forced open to Western influences under Japan's dominion, it had maintained a strict closed-door policy to all contact but trade and cultural exchange with neighboring China and Japan. This policy was gradually cemented into the Korean mindset following French and American campaigns against Korea in the mid-19th century. In retaliation for the execution of its first missionaries sent to Korea (an act motivated mostly by the humiliation brought on by foreign powers in the Opium Wars), the French deployed a naval mission to the hermit kingdom. Though the French forces were forced to retreat, Korea lost many valuable books and national treasures to plundering, and it remained sore from this encounter throughout its first interactions with the US and other Western powers.

The Paris Foreign Missions Society in the 19th century. The four missionaries on the left were later martyred in Korea.

Today, almost no trace of such hostility remains in the Korean economy, which in 2011 was ranked 7th and 9th in total international exports and imports, respectively. However, Korea is still characterized by a populational homogeneity that has only now begun to diversify with the influx of foreign migrants. As a member state of the prestigious 20-50 club, an exclusive group of countries (7 total) with a per capita income exceeding 20,000 USD, and a population of over 50 million, Korea provides an ideal environment for many investors, foreign workers, and exchange students. While Western travelers described local hospitality as "their most distinctive impression of Korea," Koreans have been known to discriminate and treat poorly visitors from other Asian countries, especially those that come to the country with purposes beyond tourism or temporary study. At the crux of this conflict is the rising presence of foreign marriage migrants and long-term laborers.Laborers, especially those from South Asia, are leased to enter the country under the competitive "Employment Permit System Recruitment," a system that delegates immigrants jobs in manufacturing, construction, agriculture, and fishery that have often been classified as "DDD" (dirty, dangerous, demeaning). Even after entering Korea, such laborers are only guaranteed two 4.5-year residencies, just short of the 5 year requirement for permanent residency. Unfortunately, such unfair policy is merely a reflection of Korean sentiment, which is piled high against immigrants.

One of many Korean visas issued to foreigners entering Korea for work. Continual restrictions on the issuance of visas has not discouraged foreigners who compete fiercely for the coveted legal acknowledgement.

Another group facing strong persecution in Korea is migrant spouses. While 86% of laborers are male, nearly all entering spouses are Asian women, following their husbands to a foreign land, where they are often shunned for their distinct appearance and inability to speak Korean. Many of these women follow their husbands for the rich economic opportunities in Korea, which can translate to remittances for struggling family members back home. Unfortunately, children of these "multicultural families" often face the brunt of prejudice. Despite identifying as Korean, many are shunned by their peers and teachers due to their mixed bloodline; those unable to afford school are often under-educated and unable to speak proper Korean or gain a high paying job. Unlike in other destination countries, migrants in the Korean Peninsula are isolated from mainstream Korean society for life, and the government is only now beginning to enact infrastructure protecting foreigners' rights.

Foreign wives assimilate to a new life in Korea through cultural immersion activities such as making the side dish kimchi.

In 2008, the Korean government released an "Act on Support for Multicultural Families." Recognizing the increasing percentage of "multicultural families," the legislature sought to organize efforts at integrating foreign mothers and their half-Korean children into regular society, while also defending migrant laborers' rights against work-related prejudice. Recently, several NGOs in the country have released a myriad of suggestions specifically targeting youth integration into the economy/society. The proposed solutions include, but are not limited to translating official documents and educational guidebooks into common minority languages(also provides jobs for immigrants), creating a government-funded network of multicultural families to allow greater communication and representation, providing extra Korean language classes especially for resident aliens (can be founded in partnership of the Office of Education and local community colleges). However, none of these solutions have yet been  implemented, and current infrastructure reveal a disinclination for the maintenance and funding of integration programs. So why do foreigners continue to flock to the Korean Peninsula? Beyond the obvious economic reasons, immigrants to Korea gain access to a much broader job market, and comparatively equal opportunities regardless of gender. Koreans are grudgingly tolerant of foreign laborers, for not only do they fill the undesirable "manual labor" roles, but the current system encourages temporary stay, which provides migrant labor on a temporary basis, meeting the seasonal demands of industries such as agriculture or fishing, without the obligation to provide for their welfare. Additionally, Korea has one of the world's lowest birth rates, at a meager 1.3 children per woman (Ministry of Health and Welfare). Korea's population is estimated to continue decreasing over the next few decades, due to a social environment in which women are more often choosing to work, instead of getting married and rearing the next generation. In this manner, migrant wives have been instrumental in providing children for many young Korean males who find themselves without a partner.

Korea's quickly rising foreign population. Statistics have risen significantly since this study was conducted in Dec. 2011.

Korea, previously a country unmentioned on world maps, is now one of the most appealing destination nations for international migrants. Where the US was once the paragon for economic opportunity, the Korean Dream is now fueling the paths of many migrants, especially in Southern Asia. Though the government and people are encountering many obstacles in accommodating the new residents, Korea must recall the policy decisions of other destination countries, including the US and Canada, and gradually build an environment of not only tolerance, but respect.