By Jack Cumming
Many of the lowest-paying jobs in senior living are filled by people for whom English is not their first language. America has long been a nation that welcomed immigrants. After all, aside from the Native Americans, we all have immigrants in our heritage. Moreover, naturalization, the process by which new arrivals become citizens, has been legislated since 1790, when a law stipulated that a person must be at least 21 years old and have lived in the U.S. for at least two years to become a citizen.
Immigration Complexity
In recent years, immigration and naturalization laws have become increasingly complex, and they are often less than welcoming for individuals drawn to the U.S. as the land of economic opportunity. We have even seen birthright citizenship called into question. These developments caught the attention of residents at Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads. I know Goodwin House. I’ve visited it, and many of the residents are retired civil servants committed to competence and goodwill in government.
Joan Lewis, a Goodwin resident, recently reported on a residents’ initiative at Goodwin to help immigrants working there. This is consistent with LeadingAge’s policy position in support of immigration reform to help meet senior living workforce shortages. [Source] Ms. Lewis’s report appeared in the fall issue of the LifeLine newsletter of the National Continuing Care Residents Association.
Sixty-four Goodwin Living employees with legal status are reported as having deportation risk because they are not yet U.S. citizens or green card holders. Many have “Temporary Protective Status,” which was created by Congress while George H. W. Bush was president. The status applies to people from certain countries as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security.
Concerned Residents
Residents at Goodwin Living were concerned. Many impacted immigrant workers come from countries that revere elders, making them especially well-suited to caring for aging residents. That led the residents and cooperating management to take action last January to respond to the developing worker deportation risks.
- Goodwin Living retained an immigration attorney to host information sessions for immigrant employees, their families, and residents. There were follow-ups to help vulnerable employees navigate the complexities of the evolving situation.
- Leaders undertook a media outreach program to draw awareness to this developing situation and the hazard it presents for aging people needing services.
- The Goodwin Living Foundation accepted donations to help fund citizenship application fees, which had doubled to $725, beyond the means of many low-income immigrants.
- Residents provide tutoring to help employees prepare for the citizenship exam.
The result is outstanding. More than 200 Goodwin Living employees and their immediate family members are now citizens or on the path toward citizenship. Residents fund the process and support employees throughout. This could be a culture-affirming process if adopted by CCRC residents, managers, and executives nationwide.
