A few weeks ago, I was looking up a farm in upstate NY where a friend works. As I searched the internet, the first relevant reference to that farm finally popped up. It was an article about a raid on the farm to arrest undocumented immigrants. I scrolled down to view the comments, and was shocked by the hatred poured out on the page. Hatred for immigrants — both with papers and without — was expressed nakedly and often with vulgarity. But why was I shocked?
My friend at the farm is an immigrant. A documented immigrant who is too focused on creating new lives for his family to complain about the prejudice he encounters. I want these very human stories to play a large role in immigration debates. I want to challenge xenophobia. But after reading those comments, I realized you can’t fight intelligently unless you know who you’re fighting against.
If all the news and information I read fits nicely with my socio-political leanings, then how do I know what to bring to the other side?
I’m curious; when’s the last time you read news and thoughts from the other side? What if we tried to understand the roots of those views instead of indulging our initial ugh… where could we go with that? Would we ever blur the line between us and the elusive other?
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
It is all about respect. You, Zoë, want to get past the “ugh” and try to understand the gut responses that people who express such hate feel for immigrants. The first thing would be to get THEM to explore why they have those responses. Have they had personal bad experiences with immigrants? That is the first question to ask. Another thing is to have them examine their own family’s roots. How close to they to the immigrant experience of their forebears? Do they know about the desperation that causes people to leave everything they know and start somewhere else in order to have a better life for their children? Where is the common ground that we can work on (I believe it is this idea for a better future)? Also, one must challenge their view that there is only so much “goodness.” I call it the pie theory, that there is only so much pie and if the others get a share, then we are all diminished. Everyone knows, however, that America has always been energized by immigrants and that they have been the engines behind this country producing more and more. My advice to people who “hate” immigrants: go work with immigrants. Smile at them. Greet them. Show them your goodness and make them feel welcome. It will be reflected back upon you three-fold. No one wants to integrate into a society that rejects them.
Zoe, this is such a troubling subject to me. It does defy reason. One wonders how people would feel if the price of their lettuce, tomatoes, strawberries, etc. doubled overnight. And, yet, some of my best friends are totally mis-informed or just plain completely unreasonable about it. It doesn’t even matter what their personal experience with gardeners (who have children educated as doctors, scientists, etc) and other personal employees. Go figure.
In my mind, if there is any reform, it should be solely pertaining to employers. If the jobs were not available immigrants would not be here. Very simple, they are meeting a demand.
You know, if someone lacks the intelligence, or the willingness to find out and think for themselves, if they just continue to spread the ignorance through each generation of their family, then there is very little anyone can do. They simply won’t listen. All over the world, in every culture, hate is taught on the knees of grandparents, listening to parents, and following their example. Education is the answer. Until the facts and rational, independent thought are taught as a matter of course in schools, nothing will change.
However, there are many, many ways to make a difference. That is where our energy must be directed.
In a way, I’m lucky because there are people close to me who think “from the other side.” While this is a constant source of frustration (and much heated debate), I have unique access to minds that think in ways that oppose my own. Xenophobia is the perfect term, and I’m glad you used it. I think that’s what it all boils down to — people are afraid of what they don’t know or understand. They’re also terrified of change and want to maintain the status quo, even when it’s outdated. Unfortunately, I think it’s impossible to get through to the vast majority of these people. Better to focus on folks who are on the fence or the younger generation who are much more open to new ideas.
I want to add that bigotry is a big factor. What’s horrifying is that people all around the world continue to teach hatred and prejudice to their children, creating more and more barriers instead of building bridges. It’s heartbreaking.
.-= Melissa Donovan´s last blog ..Proofreading Tips for Better Writing =-.
Here in Spain, immigration is a relatively new thing, especially in the north which has always been culturally closed.
The prejudice I find against South Americans, Romanians (and their Spanish Gitano cultural relatives), and Muslims makes me cringe. Even people who I consider open and left-wing are quite racist. I politely point out their hypocracies (when a Spanish person does something they’re an individual but if an immigrant does anything, the whole culture is the same). The message never sinks in though…
.-= Alex Fayle | Someday Syndrome´s last blog ..A New Take On Time Management =-.
@ Laura – Yes! So I guess the question really is, how do we provoke people to explore these issues, if they think they are “right”? Is it by restraining the “ugh” and listening to what they have to say *before* challenging it? Or perhaps before bringing up the common ground, as you very wisely suggested…
@ Kristina – It’s interesting what you wrote about personal experience. I have read a lot of studies about prejudice and stereotypes, and one interesting point is that many times, stereotypes are technically true for a majority — therefore the major problem arises when people are *not* willing to allow individual information to change their perception. That said, the stereotypes about immigrants are often quite false. I just read a study (I’m forgetting from which org.) that found that in most cases, immigration actually boosts the economy, and more jobs are created. It’s sad how completely backwards public perception can be.
@ Adrienne – Yes, I think education is crucial, and more broadly — infusing true open-mindedness… a willingness to put aside assumptions and truly give a chance to another perspective.
@ Melissa – Ooh, you’re like a spy
. That really is a unique sort of luck. I like what you say about focusing on the younger generation, because there is so much room to expand and challenge ideas when our own ideas are so fluid and constantly evolving.
@ Alex – When I lived in Spain, I too was surprised by the prejudice. It popped up in social settings, from police, on vacation… a lot of Spanish people seemed to be okay with being challenged, but not really particularly motivated to change their stance…
A powerful question! I just yesterday blogged on a discussion I had with a muslim friend and how challenging it can be because we all have a tendency to use “us versus them” thinking. But it is so important that we try to break free of this process. Check me out at stationarypilgrim.wordpress.com.
@ stationarypilgrim – yes, it’s very natural for humans to think in categories … useful in some contexts, but dangerous in others!