Although many Americans believe that racism is a thing of the past, immigration scholars continue to see evidence that racial identity shapes how people are treated by the US immigration system. Take the two contrasting news stories as a short case study.
Excellent article Austin. I was thinking about how the media has elevated and honored Ukrainian moms for sending their children with notes written in pen on the kids backs or cell phones. I read an article about a child who walked to the next border but when you compare the narrative to Central American women sending their children across the river at the southern border or looking to get to America for a better life they’re evil and something is wrong with them. How we witnessed the treatment of Haitians proves once again there is an underlying cancer in how and who we help because of how others look.
The racism in the broken immigration system makes me crazy. Yes we should be welcoming Ukrainians; however, there are equally horrific situations from which others, whose skin happens to be brown or black, are fleeing. They are either returned to a country that can no longer support them or stuck at the border in extremely dangerous situations. "Credible fear" should be an actual benchmark.
The racism at the border (and at other nations' borders) is blatant and, sadly, endorsed and accepted by most of America, including those in power. A consequence of the US's unequal treatment at the San Ysidro and other crossings at the southern border is resentment by brown and Black refugees toward Ukrainian and Russian refugees/asylum seekers in Tijuana and other cities. Tension already exists between brown and Black refugees there, and this will lead to further tension and, most likely, violence in encampments and ports of entry. But Americans couldn't care less. How many Cameroonian or Haitian or (etc.) flags do you see flying from front porches in America?
I think there is clearly something to this idea of racist treatment of refugees but there is also consideration of the reason Ukrainians are displaced versus Haitians.
Traditionally US and EU and UK asylum policy favored political or war-based refugees versus economic migrants or even migrants damaged by natural disaster.
I am not necessarily justifying the approach but offering some basis for the disparity in treatment.
You could unspool this back to the root causes Western policymakers are so keen to resolve in the (misguided) pursuit of mitigating push factors. In the last 6 weeks, 3 international donor conferences were held to fund 1. humanitarian programming in Afghanistan, 2. humanitarian programming in Yemen, and 3. reception of displaced Ukrainians in Europe.
Guess which 2 fell short of their funding goals and which one exceeded expectations? (Hint: it's the one that will fund programming in the region that already had the resources to host and provide.)
I don't think I'll be convinced that the CBP treats every migrant "equally" until I see them turn back a white Haitian or allow a black Ukrainian in without a hassle.
Great post. In addition to current events, the US immigration system and our laws actually have overtly racist origins--Gabriel Chin wrote a very interesting article on the Naturalization Act of 1790, but I'm not sure if it's been published yet. There's a related article here: https://www.bu.edu/bulawreview/files/2020/09/CHIN.pdf.
Excellent article Austin. I was thinking about how the media has elevated and honored Ukrainian moms for sending their children with notes written in pen on the kids backs or cell phones. I read an article about a child who walked to the next border but when you compare the narrative to Central American women sending their children across the river at the southern border or looking to get to America for a better life they’re evil and something is wrong with them. How we witnessed the treatment of Haitians proves once again there is an underlying cancer in how and who we help because of how others look.
The racism in the broken immigration system makes me crazy. Yes we should be welcoming Ukrainians; however, there are equally horrific situations from which others, whose skin happens to be brown or black, are fleeing. They are either returned to a country that can no longer support them or stuck at the border in extremely dangerous situations. "Credible fear" should be an actual benchmark.
The racism at the border (and at other nations' borders) is blatant and, sadly, endorsed and accepted by most of America, including those in power. A consequence of the US's unequal treatment at the San Ysidro and other crossings at the southern border is resentment by brown and Black refugees toward Ukrainian and Russian refugees/asylum seekers in Tijuana and other cities. Tension already exists between brown and Black refugees there, and this will lead to further tension and, most likely, violence in encampments and ports of entry. But Americans couldn't care less. How many Cameroonian or Haitian or (etc.) flags do you see flying from front porches in America?
I think there is clearly something to this idea of racist treatment of refugees but there is also consideration of the reason Ukrainians are displaced versus Haitians.
Traditionally US and EU and UK asylum policy favored political or war-based refugees versus economic migrants or even migrants damaged by natural disaster.
I am not necessarily justifying the approach but offering some basis for the disparity in treatment.
You could unspool this back to the root causes Western policymakers are so keen to resolve in the (misguided) pursuit of mitigating push factors. In the last 6 weeks, 3 international donor conferences were held to fund 1. humanitarian programming in Afghanistan, 2. humanitarian programming in Yemen, and 3. reception of displaced Ukrainians in Europe.
Guess which 2 fell short of their funding goals and which one exceeded expectations? (Hint: it's the one that will fund programming in the region that already had the resources to host and provide.)
I don't think I'll be convinced that the CBP treats every migrant "equally" until I see them turn back a white Haitian or allow a black Ukrainian in without a hassle.
Great post. In addition to current events, the US immigration system and our laws actually have overtly racist origins--Gabriel Chin wrote a very interesting article on the Naturalization Act of 1790, but I'm not sure if it's been published yet. There's a related article here: https://www.bu.edu/bulawreview/files/2020/09/CHIN.pdf.