Welfare reform policies do not take these differences into account Welfare reform causes acute emotional stress, on a daily basis, for recipients and their children. Undocumented people are scared. They are afraid to access benefits and request fair treatment Immigrants and refugees believe that a good education is key to a better future for themselves, their families, and their work. The immigrants and newcomers we spoke with had a broad definition of education. For them, it included further study of English, computer training, getting a Bachelor's degree and seeking advanced degrees and training Immigrants and refugees have both positive and negative experiences as they settle into the United States.
Some newcomers experience discrimination or different treatment.
Many workers say that they need computer training in order to keep up with their jobs or to be competitive in seeking new jobs Older workers and those who are not used to electronic equipment have special training needs Because of increased use of computers, there is greater sharing of office work between classified and professional staff. Newcomers are aware that they are treated differently than native-born workers and job seekers and attribute it to discrimination, racism, language bias, or abuse due to problems with legal status Workers in many job classifications experience a lack of respect in the workplace. Disrespectful treatment and discrimination based on class, age, education, race, nationality, and gender have a negative effect on workers on the job Management styles that utilize fear, distrust, intimidation, blame, and punishment were often noted Many workers said that they felt there were barriers in hiring and promotion that left them trapped in classified positions Workers described a number of changes that threaten or eliminate jobs and therefore affect morale. We include them here as one document.