One of the social issues that sparked my interest in social work is the language barriers undocumented immigrants face on a daily basis. Immigration is an important aspect in social work because there is an immense amount of undocumented immigrants in need of assistance. The NASW code of ethics states, “Social workers are sensitive to cultural and ethnic diversity and strive to end discrimination, oppression, poverty, and other forms of social injustice.” (“National Association of Social Workers,” 2017). This demonstrates how ending discrimination is important in the code of ethics, in this instance it would be towards undocumented immigrants. Additionally, that is why helping undocumented immigrants is significant because they are generally afraid to voice their opinions because of the language barriers.
Growing up in a Hispanic household gave me first hand experience on what it is like being from a different country, and not knowing the best of English. Immigrants face daily issues, from being afraid to speak on abuse, or accessing services in fear of deportation. For example, I would want to advocate for Hispanic mothers and children who have experienced abuse. My empathy towards this group started because of my personal history with an abusive father who suffered from alcoholism. “Empathy involves thinking about a person and the challenges he or she is facing and coming to understand what it is like for that person to have that experience.” (Cameron & Keenan, 2013, p.