There is a strong bond between citizenship, identity, and culture. Culture is a significant factor in constructing the identity of a citizen, as is nationality and a sense of belonging. Immigrants, illegal aliens, refugees, marginalized groups, and even indigenous peoples are questioned on the validity of their belonging to a nation. But who is entitled to be a citizen?
Globalization describes the trend of certain ideas and beliefs spreading to the rest of the world. This issue has redefined political and territorial identities and led to the migration or displacement of large numbers of people from Africa, Asia, and Latin America to the West as either refugees or labour migrants. Many economically rich countries thrive off of the labour of legal and illegal immigrants.... (more)
There is a strong bond between citizenship, identity, and culture. Culture is a significant factor in constructing the identity of a citizen, as is nationality and a sense of belonging. Immigrants, illegal aliens, refugees, marginalized groups, and even indigenous peoples are questioned on the validity of their belonging to a nation. But who is entitled to be a citizen?
Globalization describes the trend of certain ideas and beliefs spreading to the rest of the world. This issue has redefined political and territorial identities and led to the migration or displacement of large numbers of people from Africa, Asia, and Latin America to the West as either refugees or labour migrants. Many economically rich countries thrive off of the labour of legal and illegal immigrants.
Whether the newcomers experienced forced displacement or migration by choice, they are faced with an uphill battle to fit into a new society and culture. The general population more easily accepts newcomers with money and class privilege, as opposed to poor immigrants; however, even highly educated and qualified immigrants can’t easily find employment in their profession.
On top of this, there are also people who are stateless - those that have no official citizenship anywhere. This issue arises when people are denied citizen status or have their citizenship rights revoked. This is a growing problem and there is currently no solution offered to help this group of people.
Western governments have recently been criticized for promoting a culture of fear and suspicion targeted at racial and ethnic minorities (through racial profiling and special registration) to support their military and foreign policies. However, the fear of ‘the other’ existed long before the threat of terrorism. Many people believe immigrants steal jobs from ‘real’ citizens, and bring foreign ideologies and customs that threaten national security and cultural identity. In the United States, the term for opposition to immigration is 'nativism', which distinguishes between Americans who were born in the United States (descendents of immigrants) and those who have immigrated themselves. These tensions are also seen in Canada, New Zealand and Australia. In the current political situation, the significance of citizenship and belonging has never been more relevant. (
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