U.S. records reveal bias against Muslim and Black citizenship applicants
A new study from the Scientific America revealed that Black people and and people from Muslim-majority countries are more likely to be denied U.S. Citizenship.
The inequities in the immigration system are blatant. From the stats, women are favoured over men, white people are favoured over people of colour, and non-Muslims are favoured over Muslims.
What are the reasons for this inequity?
To become a US citizen, “applicants must file a 20-page-long N-400 form, pay a fee of $725 and fulfil other requirements, such as proving residency, U.S. civics knowledge, English-language ability and submitting to a criminal background check.”
A new study from the Scientific America revealed that Black people and and people from Muslim-majority countries are more likely to be denied U.S. Citizenship.
The inequities in the immigration system are blatant. From the stats, women are favoured over men, white people are favoured over people of colour, and non-Muslims are favoured over Muslims.
What are the reasons for this inequity?
To become a US citizen, “applicants must file a 20-page-long N-400 form, pay a fee of $725 and fulfil other requirements, such as proving residency, U.S. civics knowledge, English-language ability and submitting to a criminal background check.”
A more arbitrary and subjective test for citizenship is the “good moral character” requirement which leaves way for bias to creep.
Other influences are of course systemic, such as the fact that law enforcement disproportionately targets Black people, which raises the chances of a criminal history that could feed into the “good moral character” determination. As well as the fallout from 9/11, which has long exacerbated islamophobia and the criminalisation of black and brown people.
Sometimes it can be hard for people to grasp just how ‘subtle’, seemingly unconnected events reinforce biases that have significant implications in real life from the workplace and beyond, just like this situation. It’s critical that we identify and manage our bias, so we can make better decisions that celebrate and reward the people who really deserve it.
Learn more about Understanding Bias in your company with our consultants.
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