Language in the immigrant labor market

2007 ◽  
pp. 104-162
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
Immigrant Labor

Cultural Judgments

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harald Bauder
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Social Reproduction ◽  
Asian Immigrants ◽  
External Representation ◽  
Cultural Representations ◽  
Immigrant Labor ◽  
South Asian Immigrants ◽  
Market Structures

No one would seriously argue that South Asian men drive taxis because of their navigational superiority or that South Asian women are preternaturally inclined to sew. However, cultural representations of a more subtle nature are a common ideological tool to organize the labor market and match immigrants with particular jobs. Stereotypical perceptions of the cultural characteristics of immigrant workers can typecast immigrants into certain occupations. Yet, cultural labor market processes typically involve more than stereotypes. They include processes of social and cultural distinction aimed at reproducing prevailing labor market structures. In other words, the subordination of immigrants in the labor market elevates nonimmigrants into a position of relative superiority. Cultural judgments differ from the processes involving norms and conventions discussed in the previous chapter. The latter relate to internal, group-particular structures of engagement and prioritization that guide the behavior of immigrants. The former, on the other hand, involve the external representation of immigrants by nonimmigrants. Though conceptually distinct, the two processes are related in the manner in which they occur in the everyday. Group-particular norms and conventions often provide the basis for critical judgment by people outside the group. Emphasizing processes of cultural judgment links the segmentation of immigrant labor to the forces of social reproduction. It does not simply attribute segmentation to the characteristics of immigrants themselves. The focus in this chapter is on representation of embodied cultural markers and performances, such as clothing and speech patterns. I use the example of South Asian immigrants to examine how exactly these characteristics relate to the segmentation of immigrant labor. The human body can be seen “as a surface of inscription” (McDowell and Sharpe 1997: 3) that is subject to the reading and interpretation of employers and other labor market actors. It creates distinct labor market identities for South Asian immigrants that imply a special suitability for certain occupations. For example, one respondent remarked that the concierge of the office building in which she worked as a consultant asked her to sign the janitor’s book every day. Office workers are usually not asked to sign this book.

New Evidence on the Impact of Legal Status on Immigrant Labor Market Performance: The Spanish Case

Labour ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catalina Amuedo-Dorantes ◽  
Miguel A. Malo ◽  
Fernando Muñoz-Bullón
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Market Performance ◽  
Immigrant Labor ◽  
The Impact ◽  
New Evidence

Revealing Talent: Informal Skills Intermediation as an Emergent Pathway to Immigrant Labor Market Incorporation

10.1068/a4238 ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 205-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nichola Lowe ◽  
Jacqueline Hagan ◽  
Natasha Iskander
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
Immigrant Labor

scholarly journals Occupational Recognition and Immigrant Labor Market Outcomes

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herbert Brücker ◽  
Albrecht Glitz ◽  
Adrian Lerche ◽  
Agnese Romiti
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
Labor Market Outcomes ◽  
Immigrant Labor ◽  
Market Outcomes
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