Blog Post: A summary of the SHRM website global Diversity article “Poll: Female Immigrants Confront Barriers, Become More Assertive”

In this article posted on July 9, 2009, SHRM online manager/editor Alicia Wright writes of some of the findings contained within a Bendixen & Associates poll of 1,102 women from a number of Latin American, Asian, African and Arab countries.   The poll was released by New America Media in May 2009.

In the latter part of the 20th century women immigrated to America in ever-growing numbers and are now on the move as much as men.  

Female immigrants indicated great obstacles after coming to the United States with many finding it difficult to find comparable professional jobs to those they held in their home countries; when they did find such employment, they reported wages that were less than what they earned previously.

Despite these challenges, many stated that they were more empowered here than they’d been in their home countries.  The poll reveals that many female immigrants experience changes in their roles since living here with almost one third reporting that  they were now the heads of their households or that they were sharing equally with their spouses in various family matters.   Furthermore, many of the polled women felt that they were more assertive now, within and outside of their households.