Studies have suggested that immigrants are exploited and face discrimination in the United States labor market. However, little is known about the sense-making process of immigrant job seekers as they pursue employment. Although prior research has reviewed the experiences of immigrant employees, the management literature scantily examines their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors as they search for employment. This article aims to fill that void by introducing a conceptual framework explaining why and how immigrant job seekers are exploited by highlighting the acculturation strategies, as moderators, they utilize. Individual differences in recruiters’ attitudes, other-group orientation, and human values are also discussed as potential moderators that could influence employers’ motivation to exploit The article concludes with practical implications for the framework and suggestions for future research.
