Immigration, COVID-19, & Xenophobia In Pandemic Response
For likely as long as America has existed, immigration has been an issue in some form or fashion. For normal citizens, immigration ends up being a problem of identity and trust. They may face questions such as, “Those immigrants can’t assimilate into our culture,” or “How do we know they’ll respect our values and ideals?”
For politicians, however, immigration often is an excuse to foment xenophobia and appear tough on those who may harm the country. Xenophobia, while volatile, is useful as a reaffirmation of strength and as a distractor from internal issues in society.
Are people upset that wages have been low? Tell them immigrants are the reason. A slight spike in crime? Some undocumented immigrants must be at fault. While these accusations are almost never based on reliable statistics, the desired effect is normally achieved.
COVID-19 has led to a worldwide uptick in xenophobia, but probably no more so than America. So how have immigration, xenophobia, and the pandemic intersected? We explore that and much more in our latest blog!
American Xenophobia
American xenophobia has its roots in the racialism forming under feudal Europe. There, the backbone of what would be racial capitalism and pseudoscientific justifications for oppression.
The current brand of xenophobia had its start during the Mexican-American War, where the U.S provoked a war with the aim of acquiring new land. To support the war, the United States would spread propaganda to the public about Mexicans. The papers would warn about Mexicans, or swear that the United States would protect the culture from them.
These attitudes never truly went away. Long after the war, Americans would have a steady current of xenophobia that was directed towards Mexicans and other groups from Central and South America. The xenophobic ideas tended to revolve around the taking of jobs, changing of culture, and fear of disease; ideas that are not too uncommon today.
Typically when the economy is unsteady or there is some sort of political strife or disturbance, xenophobia will spike. The coronavirus emerged in an environment where economic growth was already stalling and the nation was more divided than ever before. In this environment, COVID-19 was a catalyst like no other.
Fanning The Flames: The Trump Administration
While the flames of xenophobia have raged for centuries, there have always been actors fanning those flames. In a fashion, no other president could muster, President Donald Trump has fanned the flames with ease.
In fact, Trump’s campaign announcement was a xenophobic attack on immigrants from Mexico, accusing them of being rapists and bringing crime to what one could imagine as pristine Caucasian neighborhoods in his mind.
That was part of a rally that spurred one of the most unlikely presidential victories in United States history. It was a relief for many, but an event filled with dread and regret for millions more. Among those millions were those working in immigration who knew that the Trump administration would be terrible news.
One of the first orders of business for the Trump administration was an attempted “Muslim ban.” This ban affected several countries, as it was born from an outright hatred rather than any tangible national security threat. For years, this administration has attacked immigration to try to slow it down or outright halt it.
COVID Restrictions
For COVID, however, the Trump administration took drastic steps to address the coronavirus once they finally acknowledged its severity. On June 22nd, the administration suspended the entry of certain H, J, and L noncitizens in a bid to protect the labor market.
Not only do individuals with these visas actually bolster the economy, but proper sanitation systems could have made this immigration remain viable. Further, the administration was paradoxically not very concerned with stopping the spread internally, which lends to the idea of blatant xenophobia.
Earlier in April, the White House decided to suspend the entry of new immigrants who don’t already have an approved immigrant visa. This was an incredibly broad order and one that eventually had to be amended and narrowed somewhat.
There were some amendments to these proclamations, but they still never made much sense given the lack of urgency from the White House. Even businesses contested these proclamations, seeing it as reducing access to experienced workers. If there was no benefit to the economy or pandemic effort, then it was likely due to the issue of xenophobia.
What Can Be Done?
Unfortunately, it seems like no matter the administration, a current of xenophobia will run through America. However, that means that we must always work to help out the immigrants of our country.
One amazing thing you and your family can do to help is vote. While voting has its limitations, it is one way to change immediate leadership. Up and down the ballot, elect people who are keen on making immigration work better, not worse.
Knowledge is also a key to combating a bad, biased system. Many immigrants are unaware of their own rights and are taken advantage of by ICE, CBP, or immigration courts. With more immigrants armed with knowledge, it could help them protect their rights.
Finally, having an expert legal team in your corner can greatly improve the outcomes as an immigrant. Our law office attempts to do our part by fighting on behalf of each and every client.
Trust Rios, Parada, & Seañez To Fight For You!
Working in immigration, our staff knows all too well the discrimination that immigrants can face. Our team is motivated to work with our clients and achieve the best possible outcome we can.
Call our office today to learn more about how our team can help you!