I have avoided it. I have pushed it away. Because I want to write about things that are design related or the creative process, or lettering or my current project. Today it got to me. So, if you don’t want to read a short essay about how I feel regarding American politics, immigration, or Gaza, please stop here and I will see you next week. I will not be any wiser. I have no way of knowing if you stop half way or if you read the whole thing. So, you are safe.
If, on the other hand, you want to read what is in my heart, I welcome you. Keep in mind that this is an essay and as such it is my reaction to what I have seen on the news and social media. I will ask you though that you refrain from sending me messages designed to instruct me because unless you are a minority, you can’t see or feel what I see or feel. That is the truth. Now that you are warned, keep going. Hehe!
I often think that to appreciate and understand how we, in the US, are perceived in the world, we should find and read international sources. Whether that is by reading online newspapers or reading from independent journalism platforms that are not bought by corporations. These smaller sources aim to be neutral. They tell you what happened and you make up your mind. One source I like a lot is RocaNews.
The word American means so many things. Is there another word that evokes so many different reactions? From ignorance, close mindedness, monolingual, consumerism, freedom, patriotism, whining, prosperity, growth, political power, economy strength, propaganda, independence, technology, democracy, and now we might need to add a few more words to this experimental type of government that is the United States. Yes, there are indeed many reactions to the word American. Growing up in a commonwealth of the United States, I got to experience the bittersweet and sometimes devastating impact of the United States’ international and domestic politics. And trust me, it is worth educating oneself.
In my travels to other countries, I often try to catch the news here and there. Taking a quick look at some news or a newspaper has shown me how we are perceived. Our conflicts are not dissimilar to other countries. There is severe prejudice towards immigrants—not often or necessarily towards tourists though we are not immune to it. The prejudice is palpable sometimes. On one occasion while at a store in Germany the cashier yelled at me in German because I was holding the line. I had no idea of what I was doing wrong and she was not having it. Another occasion in Spain a taxi driver who did not think I understood, yelled at Tyson for supposedly slamming the door. My look would have disintegrated him if that were possible. In Greece, the sentiment against Nigerians was so negative that everywhere I went I was warned. The police were on the lookout to take them in if they were caught selling in the streets. In solidarity the Nigerians developed a whistling system to alert the others nearby. Never saw merchants collect their merchandise as quickly and effectively than the Nigerians trying to avoid the cops. It was impressive.
We are not unique in the US when it comes to our willingness to embrace prejudice and racist practices. No, that does not mean it is okay but it means the problem is deeper than nationalities or countries. We are however living through and witnessing some of the worst some of us have lived or seen through in their lifetime. I do not need to name what is happening but it is worth saying it because it is so devastatingly cruel. Gaza is being methodically annihilated and erased through sheer cruelty. That is not a fair or an even playing field fight. That is an alarming supremacy over another nation. A fight that shows no compassion for the weak, the ill, the children, or simply put, humanity. It is heart breaking and it is terrible. One wonders how come a nation that knows what is like to be targeted and almost wiped out from the earth can consider and enact practices that they, their nation suffered? The perpetrators of such historical crime had their reasons to justify their actions. Israel has their reasons now as they claim. Each party has had reasons in macro and micro scales but we need to know when enough is enough, and when to stop. It is about mighty time it stopped.
Similarly, we on our own soil have engaged in actions we have condemned. Are we not the best when it comes to judging other countries? Look at us now. We are witnessing a display of power and cruelty that has no shame, no mercy, and no discernment. Most people would say that deporting criminals is fair. But we are beyond and past that. We are deporting people even those with TPS (temporary protection status) or people with green cards, or people who fit a profile. People are snatched from the streets and taken by force. Masked agents with no name tags are deployed and capture people even with extreme physical force. Similar to something I read about happening in Argentina when I was growing up and always found terrifying. Yes, your mind might justify this by saying they are illegal. I ask you, is that how you want to be treated if caught doing something in disagreement with an authority? Make no mistake. The methods are as crucial as the reasons behind the methods. Today is the immigrants. Tomorrow it could be Christians. Is that how you’d like to be treated if tomorrow we wake up and Christianity is deemed illegal? Because in approving the methods you are indeed approving them for yourself and your family. Not to mention that the people detained are taken to private, for profit prisons. It is about money, not about a true pursuit for justice.
I am an American citizen by birth. My citizenship however, is an act of Congress. Some have argued it is not constitutionally guaranteed. This means that at any point another act of Congress can revoke it. If you are thinking, “that would never happen”, well think again. It can happen. Look around. Things are chaotic. It does not seem that those of us with a certain color or tone in our skin are safe. Or maybe I am being unreasonably cautious. I much rather stay unreasonably cautious than waking up one day and poof!
I do not write this with glee. I am profoundly sad. To see people embrace cruelty in such a way that we are willing to treat others with such contempt profoundly disturbs me. We were warned though so I should not be surprised. Jesus said in Matthew 24 that due to the increasing evil in our midst, our love will grow cold. Are we there? Have we lost all sense of care for humanity? Yet, there are some who are willing to take a stand like the case of Youman Wilder, the founder of Harlem Baseball Hitting Academy, who stood up for his kids in the team.
May we all have that courage.
Love,
Alma