Known as the land of opportunity, the United States has had a long history of immigration, from the first Spanish and English settlers to arrive on the shores, to the waves of immigrants from Europe in the 19th century, to immigration in the present day. Many had to overcome numerous obstacles along the way, first escaping from their oppressed or tyrannical nations, then overcoming the attitudes against them once they arrived, and finally, adapting to a lifestyle that was completely foreign to them. As many of these immigrants struggled everyday to improve their quality of life, there are many native born individuals who take the opportunities they have as American citizens for granted. In Los Angeles County for example, where there are apporximately 80,000 homeless each night, where as much as 85% are either White or African American (in certain areas). Granted some can be ill or disabled, but that is an incredibly high percentage considering that most are in the same position, for instance, as Mexican immigrants crossing the border illegally with only the clothes on their back. This phenomena brings one to question why it is that immigrants, such as Latinos, Asians, and Europeans are able to stay out of the streets, despite the many disadvantages they face, while many native born can not.
The value of work has become synonymous with the American way of life, as it allows individuals to function integrally as a valuable part of society. There is a widely shared belief that through hard work, along with courage and determination, one can achieve prosperity. Risking their lives along the way, millions of immigrants arriving at the shores or crossing borders arrived with this same belief, which is known as the “American Dream”. An integral part of this notion is the concept of “work ethic”, a cultural norm that is based on the belief that work has an intrinsic value. Leaving behind the poor quality of life at home, these new immigrants wanted to embrace this promise of financial security and constitutional freedom they had heard existed so widely in the United States. In the late 19th and early 20th century, many Latino, Asian , and European immigrants ventured into the city of Los Angeles in search of their own American Dream. They worked hard in low paying, low quality jobs, and despite facing constant critisism and discrimination, many were able to make the best of their situation and created the best life they could, for themselves and for their families.
Latino immigrants crossing the border today come in search of a better life here in Los Angeles: “In Los Angeles, Hispanics—overwhelmingly Mexican—far outnumber other groups. In the year 2000, 64 percent of the Hispanics in Los Angeles were of Mexican origin, and 46.5 percent of Los Angeles residents were Hispanic, while 29.7 percent were non-Hispanic whites” (Huntington). Upon their arrival, Mexican immigrants have nothing more than the clothes on their back and maybe some money they had saved up prior to their trip. Many come with no money at all, as some use up their life savings to make the trip across the border. Once they settle into the city, the number of employment opportunities available is extremely limited, as many employers will not hire illegal immigrants. Some are hired despite being illegals, and many of these Mexican immigrants are taken advantage of at work: “it is shamefully common for many immigrant men and women to simply not get paid for the honest work they perform. There are some unscrupulous employers who take advantage of the special vulnerability of immigrant workers by routinely paying less than promised or not paying them at all”. Those not able to gain employment are forced to sell produce or flowers under the Los Angeles freeway overpasses and street corners. Some wait outside storage and moving facilities hoping to earn a days wage while others work in landscaping or janitorial services. Most of the jobs are difficult, dirty, and some are demeaning, but yet these immigrants continue to do them as their livlihood, both economic and social, depend on them.
Many Whites and African Americans, who have every opportunity available to them as American Citizens, find themselves homeless in the city of Los Angeles: “Estimates of US citizenship rates for the Los Angeles County homeless adult population range from 82% to 86%”. Many of them were born in the city and were initially housed in and/or around the community in which they are now homeless. When compared to the average illegal Mexican immigrant, they would be in the exact same financial and even social position. So why is it that they do not strive to improve their quality of life by any means necessary? A commonly citied cause of homelessness given by researchers and government agencies is that they lack a proper education, resulting in low paying jobs which keep them below the poverty line. In reality, 48% of the homeless population in Los Angeles has graduated from high school, compared to 45% of all Los Angeles County residents. What this tells us is that the proportion of homeless that graduated from high school is higher than that of the entire county. There is also an astounding 10% of homeless who have completed college, earning a BA or higher. On the other hand, many Asian immigrants, particularly Koreans, arrived in the 1970’s and 1980’s with an average of 3 years of college education. Upon their arrival they had a very difficult time translating their education into jobs, but their persistence and hard work paid off, as they were able to take advantage of many of the entrepreneurial opportunities which began to surface.
Since there is clearly no correlation between education and homelessness, why is it that only 16 to 20 percent of all homeless in Los Angeles are employed? Many scholars believe that since work ethic is a cultural norm, it must be instilled early on in childhood, and as they mature, their attitudes towards work will become internailized: “Like other cultural norms, a person's adherence to or belief in the work ethic is principally influenced by socialization experiences during childhood and adolescence” (Hill). Therefore, their lack of work ethic can be directly attributed to not learning how to place proper values on work at an early age. In Los Angeles, the percentage of families that are homeless is growing exponentially, with estimates ranging from 25% to 45% each night. Even more shocking is that the average homeless family, typically headed by single mothers, has 2 children. Many of these children will be raised with similar values, and very few will be able to escape the poverty: “Unaccompanied youth, many clustering in the Hollywood area, represents an important group, with annual estimates hovering between 4,800 and 10,000”.
Other scholars argue that the shift from the traditional work ethic values began with the rise of industry, as assembly line production and manufacturing facilities swallowed up many of the countries skilled workers. The aftermath of World War II saw the greatest shift of these values as many Americans became preoccupied with their material possessions, giving rise to the consumer culture we see today: “consumed by desires for status, material goods, and acceptance, Americans apparently had lost the sense of individuality, thrift, hard work, and craftsmanship that had characterized the nation” (Reisman). Although this shift in work ethic has actually spurred people’s desire to achieve the American Dream, the Dream has become, “more of an entitlement rather than something to work towards”. As a result, many Americans no longer covet a vision for the future that includes time, sweat, and ultimate success, but instead they seek a shortcut to success.
Some proponents believe that our society incorrectly places a stereotype on homeless for not following the American work ethic. They feel that the homeless do in fact work, as they search for food and beg for spare change. Although this can be considered as work, it is more for survival rather than improvement, and it is performed at the expense of others. This becomes more evident when looking at incidences occurring everyday in Los Angeles:
“I remember an instance when I was walking through the downtown area and I was approached by a white homeless male asking for change. On that same street are dozens of Latino families selling all sorts of things, from small trinkets to produce, anything that can be turned into a few dollars. I remember thinking to myself, ‘how can this guy have the nerve to ask me for change when there are 8 year old children around him trying to earn money for their parents’.” (Flores)
The notion of Work Ethic can explain many of the inequalities that are found in the City of Los Angeles today. Prior to the civil rights movement, race played a major role in defining how jobs and communities were organized, but today, it bears no real significance. Social classes are no longer separated by color, but rather, are defined by an individual’s determination to succeed. Today we live in a global economy where we are exposed to different cultures from around the world. Many native born American’s are constantly looking for shortcuts to success because those are most likely the values they inherited growing up. When they realize that no shortcut exists, many choose to give up, contributing to the growing poverty level of Los Angeles.