Xenophobia

[dagas_isa]

So, I've read a certain post that's been going around, and I find myself frustrated and, because of the timing and other personal circumstances, needing to say something. I resent the original post for digging up these feelings and being all around horrid in its xenophobia (and accompanying racism and Islamophobia), and while I do appreciate those speaking out against her, talking about assimilation, racism, and xenophobia, and find their words and accompanying conversations important, I also find many of them hard to read, considering recent personal circumstances.

So I will say this, in relation to U.S. immigration policy and assimilation.

It's not like the U.S. immigration policy actually makes it easy for people to assimilate or become invested citizens of this country. Not in the slightest, and it's only gotten more difficult in the past decade. There is also no such thing a "standard American" nor is there a "standard Immigrant" nor is it for anyone to judge who "belongs here" and who "doesn't belong here" especially as it applies to large demographics of people. Not by ethnicity, not by religion, not by social class, and not by country of birth.

Nor do you get to continually raise the bar of what it means and what it takes to be an American and then accuse those who don't fit your definition of failing to meet that bar and therefore not "belonging" here.

ETA: I think I've distilled the essence of what's bothering me both in the original post, and what's missing in the posts I've seen so far.

So, okay, some people believe that in order to belong here, immigrants should have to assimilate into the larger culture, to the point of giving up their religious beliefs and cultural identity in order to become "one of us". The other posts I've seen on this topic very rightly say that assimilation shouldn't be necessary, and that the expectation is harmful. I don't disagree with any of that. In fact, as part of a 'perfectly assimilated' immigrant family, I want to add one thing:

Even with perfect assimilation, (a.k.a. white, Anglophone, culturally Christian) the idea of being a "real American" is still out of reach for members of my family and getting harder to obtain. So when certain people argue that complete assimilation is necessary to be a "real American", right now my first response is a knee-jerk "Fuck You."

Comments

[senmut]

There is a history of immigration waves in this country, same as any other country that's had noticeable imports of people.

The most recent 'wave' is almost always universally despised/feared/ridiculed.

Normally by the actual previous wave or their children.

All we can do, one by one, is embrace that people are different, universally, and learn to, if not accept, then at least tolerate said differences and keep an eye on the future we need to build instead of wallowing in the hate and distrust we currently live in.

[dagas_isa]

I know the pattern, which really doesn't make sense because if your immigrant wave didn't ruin the country than the next one won't.

[owlmoose]

I got into a conversation recently with a friend who brought up this exact issue: the US has been built by immigration from the beginning, so why is it scary to us? I didn't come up with a good reason then, but thinking about it now, it seems that each wave of immigrants is more and more different from the white mostly-English mostly-Protestant men who set up the original structures of this country -- different races, different cultures, different religions. Might that be part of why the reaction to immigration has gotten no better over time, and in some ways maybe worse?

[senmut]

The Colonial Americans hated the German and Irish waves just as strongly as I have seen modern America react to the Southeast Asians, the Latin Americans, and more recently (or overlapping, as it goes back to my childhood) the Near Easterners.

I think, in some ways, it has more to do with being afraid that all you built for yourself in the 'new' country cannot withstand too much pressure from 'newer' influences.

[owlmoose]

I think, in some ways, it has more to do with being afraid that all you built for yourself in the 'new' country cannot withstand too much pressure from 'newer' influences.

I agree with that, too, especially given that the children and grandchildren etc. of immigrants are just as likely to succumb to the same fear.

[chronolith]

Nor do you get to continually raise the bar of what it means and what it takes to be an American and then accuse those who don't fit your definition for failing to meet that bar and therefore not "belonging" here

This is particularly what upsets me. Moreover, this is what gets retroactively applied against indigenous communities for better what the fuck factor.

[dagas_isa]

Yeah, I think there's something even more fucked up when assimilation matters more for determining what's a real American, than say, where people and their ancestors are from.

Of course, one can assimilate almost perfectly, and still be screwed, but say between my family (who are immigrants, but assmilated) and indigenous people, I know who will be more regularly pressed to prove they belong here.