As Election Day nears, Brazilian writer Paulo Friere’s words stay in my thoughts: “While the problem of humanization has always been humankind’s central problem, it now takes on the character of an inescapable concern.”
These words serve as a powerful reminder this election cycle to vote for a candidate who will support humane immigration laws.
Maine, and the United States as a whole, has always had a deep-rooted “problem of humanization,” but I’ve only recently encountered it up close.
I began to understand the concept of dehumanization this past year when I worked at the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project in Portland. The experience was memorable, and I interacted with immigrants from all over the world. I was able to bear compassionate witness to their stories and enjoy their warm personalities.
Unfortunately, many Americans do not have similarly enduring connections with immigrants. This past year, I observed, both nationally and locally, how a disappointing share of Americans treat immigrants and other marginalized populations – adopting a mentality that otherizes, ostracizes and ultimately aims to eliminate human dignity.
When listening to the contemporary political rhetoric, one hears tones of this dehumanization. With this mindset, some Americans view immigrants solely as drains on funding and threats to security instead of human beings seeking a better life or fleeing persecution.
This deeply frightens me, and I believe that if the American public does not do everything it can to combat a culture of dehumanization, the current administration will continue to implement truly horrific policies geared toward tearing the fabric of America apart.
Immigration has always been and continues to be at the center of this fabric. The country’s history is overflowing with symbols of diversity and tales of a land of fresh opportunity. Contemporary polling data substantiate that 75 percent of American adults think that immigration is a good thing: 85 percent of Democrats and 65 percent of Republicans.
But this support also existed before the 2016 presidential election, when 72 percent of Americans believed that immigration was good for the country. Given clear majorities of support, and given the nation’s intrinsic connection with immigration, how did the country elect someone who made stripping legal status and deportation a priority? How did the current assault on immigrants begin?
Perhaps the current administration’s anti-immigration agenda does not reflect the attitudes of the American public. Maybe polling cannot accurately relay complicated feelings toward immigration. It’s also possible that immigration is low on people’s political priorities.
Each is a plausible explanation, but they stem from a larger issue. The real culprit behind complacency toward the current administration’s policies is dehumanization – a cancer that has always plagued the U.S.
Without direct interaction with immigrants, or any marginalized population, many are not afforded the opportunity to experience another culture. Similarly, many never come face to face with the tangible ramifications of this administration’s actions. Complacency is a more appealing option because, ultimately, our lives are calmer when we don’t have to envision the forced deportation of a person – ripping a young mother away from her son as he sobs, not knowing where his mother is going, what is going to happen to her or if he will ever see her again.
The administration’s actions have been unforgivable, but they are only the beginning. What will happen when over 300,000 people who have lived in the U.S. with legal status for decades are forcibly deported because temporary protected status has been terminated? What will happen when thousands of innocent men, women and children are denied asylum and forced to return to a dangerous home country? What will happen to the 700,000 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients who struggle to thrive in a country they have never known?
Americans, and residents of Maine in particular, cannot adopt a mentality that otherizes, ostracizes, and dehumanizes marginalized communities. In its place, Mainers can remember the country’s deep connection with immigrants and that, first and foremost, they are human beings.
If you want to help, you can vote Tuesday for candidates who will defend immigrants – including independent Sen. Angus King and Democrats Janet Mills, U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden. You can also contact office-holders like Republican Sen. Susan Collins – (202) 224-2523 – and demand permanent, long-term solutions such as pathways to citizenship for DACA and temporary protected status, as well as completely reworking a broken asylum system. Lastly, Mainers can contact the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project – (207) 780-1593 – and see how they can assist.
Most importantly, the best place to start is with simple interaction.
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