Reflecting on the vile dehumanizing rhetoric of
anti-immigration.
I rarely post on Facebook and I especially don’t post politically. The last time I did was during the Black Lives Matter movement and it was primarily because I was watching de-humanizing activity that was contributing to the oppression of African Americans who were crying out. Once again I am seeing similar de-humanizing messaging followed by similar oppression and violence against people that don’t fit a white, European profile, many of them of African descent. Once again I feel convicted to speak up, now in blog form. My goal is not to shame or blame or anything, but to just encourage people to step back and think critically, humanize those being dehumanized, and examine whether you participating in something that generates hate, violence and pain.
This topic is immigration and I cannot stand this anti-immigrant rhetoric, lies being spread, and the scapegoating of issues and problems on immigrants coming to the United States. It has to stop.
Up front I will say and acknowledge as we all should that the United States does have an immigration problem. Our immigration system has a lot of issues and needs a lot of work. If you are inclined to blame this issue on one party or another, I would remind you that this issues has been critical through numerous presidencies. Go back and watch Reagan and Bush address it in a primary debate. They did it, by the way, with humanity and compassion. Not demonization.
We are also not the only country with this issue right now, nor historically. And as always, throughout history, there are people that seek to demonize and scapegoat entire cultural and ethnic immigrant groups (See Hitler, Adolf: Nazi Germany). As always, it leads to hate crimes, violence, oppression and fear. If these are things you don’t particularly care for, read on.
I’m about as “American” as they come and can claim in the most patriotic fashion my roots in our country. I have direct descendants that sailed on the Mayflower. I have Irish immigrants that came to Boston, participated in the Boston Tea Party, fought at Bunker Hill and followed Washington throughout the Revolutionary War. I’ve had descendants work in the Underground Railroad, fight in the Civil War and all the way to WWII, with the men I called ‘Grandpa’. I can fly an American flag with absolute pride in my family history. AND YET, I have to remember and recognize some VERY important facts.
First, unless you are Native American or African American, most likely your ancestors, like mine, immigrated to this country in search of opportunities and a better life. They most likely did so because of oppression or famine or economic disparity in their countries of origin, as many of my Irish ancestors struggled with the famous potato famine. They came here, worked their asses off, tried to build generational wealth, and made this country better because of it. It is the very reason I believe this country is great and why people like Bono of U2 describe America as “one of the greatest ideas in human history.”
Second, this “land of opportunity” came at the expense of an entire people living here, most of whom are now gone because of it. My ancestors, as amazing as they are, participated in taking this country by force, with lies, propaganda, death and disease. They may not have realized it, agreed with it, participated directly in it or were aware of what they were participating in . But it is part of our history. We are ALL immigrants with the exception of the native Americans, most whom are dead or in poverty. The only other immigrants that are an exception to this are those who were brought here against their will and forced into slavery. As amazing as the United States is, in order to unite the colonies, they had to compromise and accept slavery in the southern states.
This is our history and these are the “original sins” of our country. We have to reconcile this like any other crimes or mistakes we’ve made in our personal lives. We have to take responsibility and accountability.
The primary method in the process to these terrible things is to de-humanize, other and blame those being oppressed and harmed. Creating untrue myths and fearful stories about Africans and African Americans has allowed people to justify hateful and harmful behaviors, including the belief they were less than human. This same thing is happening now. Saying that the Haitians in Springfield are all illegal (they are not), are all from prisons and insane asylums (what the…?), and are eating your pets is just disgusting. Creating that kind of fear putting those images in people’s heads, knowing it isn’t true, is de-humanizing and absolutely harmful. It is pure hatred. And it is intentional.
This same tactic has been used throughout history (including against European immigrants like the Irish, Italians, etc) and is currently being deployed against so many immigrants from Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. So many of these immigrants are living in dangerous oppressive governments or neighborhoods overtaken by cartels and are making these dangerous journeys for the same hopes and dreams your ancestors made. Many of their government situations have been directly affected by the U.S., American policy, and colonization.
Europe has the same struggles and is using the same anti-immigrant strategies with people coming up from Africa and the Middle East. So much of the struggle in many African countries is a direct result of European colonization, but when those people flee to the colonizers, they are dehumanized, criminalized and marginalized.
We are doing the same on our side of the world, where we for years supported autocrats and dictators to defend democracy against communism. We have different “othering” and dehumanizing narratives we use and spread against people immigrating from Asian countries as well, with a long horrible history to go along with it. Japanese survivors of Internment camps during WWII must shake their heads in sadness and horror listening to similar talk and rhetoric now against other immigrants from a country that vowed they would never do that again.
Bottom line. This is part of a much longer story, a much longer thread, and we have to take accountability and responsibility for our part. If we want to ignore that or pretend it is not true, and we are buying into or sharing stories that are false and dehumanizing that lead to hatred and violence against immigrants and people of color, then we are repeating a long shameful history.
This is not simply a Republican or Democrat thing. Both have the same history. Currently the proverbial torch and this rancid strategy is being taken up by Trump and J.D. Vance. The only way to truly respond to our immigration issue is to lean in relationally, listen and love those fighting for the dream while exploring ways to create a humane and just process for those seeking that dream to enter the country. Understand the human being in front of you, their struggles, and what we share. Respond in love and compassion, kindness and concern. Please do not participate in hate or support it in any way.
In my leukemia treatment, I am surrounded by immigrants and second and third generation sons and daughters of various different countries, many non-white. They are magnificent in their care of me. They and their families have worked hard to be in the position they are in. Many are responsible for the research and technology and medical breakthroughs that are currently saving my life.
Immigrants and the drive, dream and hope for opportunity make this country amazing and give it the opportunity where all the cultures and peoples of the world can come together in peace and love. It’s an incredible idea that no one owns, everyone shares, and happens only when we love each other and work together. We have a responsibility to commit to this because of the native Americans we stole it from who died, the Africans brought here against their will to make this happen, our ancestors marginalized and oppressed who risked their lives for their children to have the dream and the countless soldiers who gave their lives to protect this idea and this dream of freedom.
Humanize. Always humanize.
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