by Zain Jaffer
I’m not a political person. Like millions of people, I prefer to go about my own business and speak up only when it is absolutely necessary. On the topic of migration, I would like to put in my two cents worth.
Everyone around the world is free to dream. America has always marketed itself as the Land of Milk and Honey, where if you step off a boat (or a train or plane) to migrate here, there is nothing stopping you from succeeding if you work really hard and follow the law.
I myself am an immigrant. I believe in America’s promise. Although I came from the UK which is also a great country, I felt that America’s promise beckoned to me. There are millions of us who went here to cash in the check for that promise.
However every promise of fulfillment also has a corresponding responsibility. I believe that part of that responsibility is to follow the laws of the land if you migrate here. Now I know that migration is a very complex topic but sometimes we tend to complicate things when these can be simple.
Right now there is a backlash against migration which is spilling over from an anti illegal immigration feeling to impact even those with legal and birthright citizenship, even H1B visas. I am not a lawyer, and cannot attest that the legal system is perfect, but personally I followed the law just like countless others. The birthright citizenship question has been brought up in Trump’s recent pronouncements, and that will likely be litigated in the courts.
The recent election of President Donald Trump rode on several issues. Migration is a major one. Even in Britain, the policies of Labor under Prime Minister Keir Starmer is also under attack for the perception of skewing too much in favor of certain groups of immigrants. So globally migration, and not just illegal immigration is under attack particularly by locals in countries like the US and the UK, who feel that their culture and livelihoods are threatened.
A few things come to my mind. First, I believe that when you migrate to a foreign country, it is expected that you assimilate into that culture, and not the other way around. Sure it is fine to bring some of your home country values and culture with you, and it even enriches your new country. But to totally reject the values and culture of the new country you migrated to begs the question, why did you even leave your home country in the first place?
The second thought that I have concerns the government and the policies of the people in power at a given time. Why on earth would you allow for totally borderless migration that would overwhelm the hospitality of the locals? Would you not expect a pushback if illegal migrants are housed and fed in expensive hotels, while military veterans who served their country are homeless on the streets? It is common sense to expect that the locals would get angry right?
I hope this is not simply a question of creating new voters in certain places to assure a hold on political power. With all the negative emotions that this excessive influx of migrants have brought, to find out that is the case would be at the least disappointing. Probably more than that.
Personally even if I share a commonality with someone from my home country who migrated, but not the method, I would not have much sympathy for someone who took shortcuts. Simply put, those who did not follow the law, abuse their new adopted country’s hospitality, are putting those who did the hard work of legally migrating at risk.
Again I would have preferred not to comment on this topic, but sometimes if we do not exercise our right to say what we mean or want, we could lose that right.
Migration is a good thing. Let me say that again. Migration is a good thing. Like many medicines are actually poisons administered in the right dose, and many poisons can be medicines in the right dose.
Not to justify those who are here illegally, but most migrants are hardworking and many pay taxes. They do many jobs that locals are unwilling to do including farm picking, hotel and restaurant work, and other menial manual jobs.
However those who cause trouble and have criminal intentions in mind should definitely be jailed and deported.
Just like any good thing, if you abuse migration or spin it out of control, it becomes viewed as a bad thing.
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