How do first generation immigrants overcome these barriers? 

Poor English skills prevent first-generation immigrants and refugees from upward mobility. As Touazeng, who immigrated to the United States from Laos as a teenager, mentions, “It was difficult to find a job because of language. Because you are already old when you come to the U.S., you have an accent when you speak. One time they [employers] said if you had spoken English effectively and fluently, we could have hired you. But because of the language barrier, we can’t hire you.”

However, despite the obstacles they face coming to an unfamiliar and foreign environment, many see their immigrant background as an advantage. For Danielle Vang, her cultural background has allowed her to adapt to different situations and challenged her creativity in solving problems. She recounts, “Something I learned from myself when I transitioned to all these different schools: I need to learn how to adapt and speak the language of those around me. If I don’t, I am going to be left behind, or I’d be fighting for some sort of battle that no one is going to care that I am trying to fight for.”