I always found the conversation surrounding immigration in this country to be odd, if not absurd. This is not because I do not believe we should have a sound immigration policy. Indeed, having a strong immigration policy can be a matter of life or death for a nation; just ask the Native Americans. For me, however, the absurdity arises not in having the conversation, but when the conversation is juxtaposed to American history. This is particularly true when the conversation turns, as it did this past weekend, toward exclusion of people based on race, religion or ethnicity.
Although the saying may seem cliché, it is still true: America is a country of immigrants. In one respect, America is no one’s true home, except the Natives. Most of us are either immigrants or descendants of immigrants (both forced and voluntary). Within the American historical imagination, we like to depict our immigrant status as a point of pride and proof of our acceptance of others. The statute of Liberty is a monument to this. In reality, immigration control has always been a matter of power, money, xenophobia and cultural preservation. We are welcoming to the degree one’s presence does not interfere with our bottom line or disrupt our way of life, culturally speaking. America asks not “can we be a place of refuge for you?” Rather the question is, “Will having you here affect our bottom line and can we trust you to conform or not disrupt our culture?” This is certainly part of the calculation with the present immigration ban.[1]
To be sure, issues of safety factor into this calculation. However, theses concerns are tangential at best, if not an outright farce. For instance, from the seven countries banned, not a single immigrant from those countries has been responsible for an act of terrorism in recent American history. If fear of terrorism was truly the issue, then why not ban immigrants from those countries with a history of producing anti-American terrorist like Saudi Arabia? Also, why are there no immigration bans on countries that host the president’s hotel? If American safety is important, then why not address the actually causes of most American deaths, like gun violence?[2] In other words, if safety is the biggest concern, then why has the president implemented an executive order that does not make us safer?
The truth is, the most disastrous and dangerous immigrants are not trying to come to America, but have already arrived. They were not Muslims, but white settlers. Least we forget, America as we have come to know it, began with the arrival of undocumented immigrants who returned their hosts’ kindness by pillaging and massacring most of the Natives. They then forced millions of Africans to immigrate here as slaves after the Natives died from the cruelty of American slavery. Our immigrant nightmare is not an apocalyptic story that the president must save us from, but rather the story of our founding.
The irony is that the descendants of these same settlers now stand ready to enact policies that prevent others from doing what their ancestors did. They fail to realize that they are the legacy of what they claim to fear and abhor. But this is the greater irony of bigotry and prejudice. It blinds you to the truth that you are more connected to the thing you claim to hate and fear than you realize. Indeed, if you look closely you may discover that the monster you fear does not live outside of you, but is harboring within. Yes you have a right to feel safe, but as long as you continue to only look outward, you will never address the monster within that is slowly corroding your heart. This president’s policies are a sad reminder of the corrosion occurring in the American heart. Nevertheless, I hold on to hope that our heart can change as long as lover’s of justice refuse to remain silent.
–Until Next Time–
Palooke
[1] I actually suspect that financial reasons are the driving force of the Muslim ban. My suspicion is that the president is merely using people’s fears to accomplish his financial objectives.
[2] See Nowrasteh, Alex, “Americas’ Fear of Foreign Terrorists Is Overinflated.” https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/americans-fear-foreign-terrorists-overinflated; King, Shaun, “KING: To Stop Mass Shootings, Consider Banning White Men.” http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/king-stop-mass-shootings-banning-white-men-article-1.2678026.
