Being an American citizen married to a “documented alien in removal” has its challenges, for sure. Between reporting to Homeland Security offices in Albany twice a year, constantly worrying about how the next batch of anti-immigration laws will affect your life, and dealing with the inevitable trolls who stalk the posts of pro-immigration bloggers and insinuate that only low class, stupid and desperate women/men would marry an “illegal” alien, can turn a person’s hair silver overnight.
Now, I’ve written about the error in using the term “illegal” in referring to immigrants in the past, but it bears repeating again. Most immigrants have not done anything illegal (i.e. crossing the border without inspection nor have most of them ever committed a crime.) In fact, a substantial number of immigrants have only committed a civil violation by overstaying-- not a criminal one; based on U.S. immigration law. To elaborate: overstay is a civil violation constituting an immigrant who has remained in the U.S. after a VISA has expired. Even the term “undocumented” does not accurately describe all immigrants. For instance, my husband has all his documents (i.e. worker’s permit, passport and a social security number) so he cannot be referred to as “undocumented”. Therefore, the characterization of all immigrants without a green card as “illegal” is inaccurate.
None of my friends who blog about deportation could be characterized as low class, desperate, and especially-- not stupid. The women (and men) I have known who are dealing with separation or deportations of a spouse are the smartest, bravest, strongest and most socially aware people I know. I am proud to call them friends and am thankful that they are a part of my life…even though many miles separate us all.
The wonderful connections I’ve made to people who are going through a similar experience are one of the bright spots in the everyday struggle of dealing with deportation. A fellow blogger remarked: “the whole process of dealing with the immigration system in the U.S. is so dehumanizing that the personal connections we foster online with people going through similar situations is mentally and spiritually healing.”
It can be easy to be consumed by anger and fear when you are dealing with the possible separation of you from your spouse. I remember when Khalid and I were going through the most precarious time in our marriage; just after the denial of his second circuit court case and the deportation mandate was issued. Whenever Khalid was late getting home from work, those minutes before he walked through the door were fraught with fear, anxiety and hopelessness. I was so afraid that ICE had apprehended him at work and sent him to detention. If this had happened I would not have been notified. I would not even know where they had taken him. Perhaps I would be one of the lucky spouses that would get a call from my husband or a lawyer days later telling me where he was being held. Otherwise, it is likely that I would not know any specifics until after the deportation process was completed and he arrived in the country of his birth.
Despite all of this turmoil there are positive aspects to this situation: besides making wonderful friendships. The whole immigration system is designed to tear the American citizen and deportee apart. However, a curious thing happens. Amidst all the negativity, barricades, hateful rhetoric and discriminatory policies the bonds between the couple entwine, grow thicker and become stronger. Love stubbornly grows where hate has wrought devastation. This seems to be a universal truth.
I am aware that since my husband and I have gone through this painful process that we do not easily take each other for granted. Many of the petty annoyances that plague my friends’ relationships do not affect us. When threatened with separation you treasure every moment you spend with the other person. Precious time cannot be wasted on insignificant disagreements you will likely forget a week later. You learn to love deeply, completely and forgive easily. Indeed, this seemingly fragile love becomes the strongest antidote to hate.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
An alien with no name
Khalid is an immigrant who has no name. Seems strange to write that. All of you are probably thinking: "Well, of course he has a name. You just wrote it in the first sentence: K H A L I D.
Perhaps the semantics I used is confusing. What I meant to say that he has no label. You know, those humiliating, derogatory, inaccurate labels that get placed on immigrants in this country. Words such as "illegal", "border jumper", "undocumented", "unauthorized worker", etc.
I got to thinking about this curious fact when I was being interviewed for the radio program PRI's: The World. The interviewer referred to him as an "undocumented" immigrant--but that isn't a true characterization either. Of course--I was relieved that she didn't use the term "illegal". Luckily she understood that it was a derogatory term and did not apply to a substantial number of immigrants residing in this country.
However, despite recognizing the word "undocumented" as inaccurate, I didn't correct her because I had no idea what term would be appropriate in describing Khalid's immigration situation.
The term "undocumented" refers to a specific type of immigrant who does not have legal documentation in order to work in the United States. Khalid is "documented"; meaning that he has all his papers--a worker's permit, social security number and passports (well--until the DHS confiscated them and subsequently lost them.) and came here under a student VISA.
I suppose the most accurate designation that could be applied to Khalid is "alien" but even that doesn't quite fit. He has been in the United States so long now that he has lost all trace of a foreign accent and has completely acclimated to American culture: so much so that he loves American football,unhealthy native cuisine; high in fats, carbohydrates and sugar, and Hollywood movies filled with dizzying spectacle but low on content-- and like all American men who fear being emasculated, he hates the color pink. You can't get more American then that.(Surely I jest!)
However, this curious fact that I had no label to attach to my husband's situation bothered me. So, one night, while we were sitting in the living room watching "America's Got Talent" (a guilty pleasure!) I turned to him and asked "What are you called?"
He turned to look at me with a quizzical expression on his face and replied "what?" (This is not an unusual trajectory for our conversations.)
I re-framed the question..."you don't fall under the designation of illegal; and undocumented doesn't fit either-- so what term is officially used to describe your situation?
He thought for a moment and said "technically I am called "a documented alien under removal.'"
Wow, that doesn't exactly roll off the tongue! No wonder news people and pundits choose to use the words "illegal" and "undocumented". At least they are simple!
My point here is not to disparage those immigrants who fall under the term "undocumented". My point is to illustrate the myriad complexities inherent in being an immigrant in contemporary America and how they are simplified by misleading and oftentimes inaccurate labels that are woefully inaccurate in describing an immigrant's status.
There is a scientific principle called "Occam's Razor" which loosely has been summarized as "all things being equal the simplest explanation tends to be the right one." (My apologies to any scientists reading this post who are actually versed in this principle and recognize this is a simplified understanding.)
People who are caught up in this diabolic immigration system and the complex situations it engenders will never adhere to this notion of "Occam's Razor". There is never anything simple about the process of being an immigrant in this country. Nor should there be any simplifications in the language used to describe them. Terms such as "illegal", "undocumented", "alien" are ( as I stated earlier) "woefully inaccurate."
In this current era of compounded complexities perhaps the whole idea of "Occam's Razor" is misleading. There doesn't seem to be much simplicity--at least not in our little corner of the world.
Perhaps the semantics I used is confusing. What I meant to say that he has no label. You know, those humiliating, derogatory, inaccurate labels that get placed on immigrants in this country. Words such as "illegal", "border jumper", "undocumented", "unauthorized worker", etc.
I got to thinking about this curious fact when I was being interviewed for the radio program PRI's: The World. The interviewer referred to him as an "undocumented" immigrant--but that isn't a true characterization either. Of course--I was relieved that she didn't use the term "illegal". Luckily she understood that it was a derogatory term and did not apply to a substantial number of immigrants residing in this country.
However, despite recognizing the word "undocumented" as inaccurate, I didn't correct her because I had no idea what term would be appropriate in describing Khalid's immigration situation.
The term "undocumented" refers to a specific type of immigrant who does not have legal documentation in order to work in the United States. Khalid is "documented"; meaning that he has all his papers--a worker's permit, social security number and passports (well--until the DHS confiscated them and subsequently lost them.) and came here under a student VISA.
I suppose the most accurate designation that could be applied to Khalid is "alien" but even that doesn't quite fit. He has been in the United States so long now that he has lost all trace of a foreign accent and has completely acclimated to American culture: so much so that he loves American football,unhealthy native cuisine; high in fats, carbohydrates and sugar, and Hollywood movies filled with dizzying spectacle but low on content-- and like all American men who fear being emasculated, he hates the color pink. You can't get more American then that.(Surely I jest!)
However, this curious fact that I had no label to attach to my husband's situation bothered me. So, one night, while we were sitting in the living room watching "America's Got Talent" (a guilty pleasure!) I turned to him and asked "What are you called?"
He turned to look at me with a quizzical expression on his face and replied "what?" (This is not an unusual trajectory for our conversations.)
I re-framed the question..."you don't fall under the designation of illegal; and undocumented doesn't fit either-- so what term is officially used to describe your situation?
He thought for a moment and said "technically I am called "a documented alien under removal.'"
Wow, that doesn't exactly roll off the tongue! No wonder news people and pundits choose to use the words "illegal" and "undocumented". At least they are simple!
My point here is not to disparage those immigrants who fall under the term "undocumented". My point is to illustrate the myriad complexities inherent in being an immigrant in contemporary America and how they are simplified by misleading and oftentimes inaccurate labels that are woefully inaccurate in describing an immigrant's status.
There is a scientific principle called "Occam's Razor" which loosely has been summarized as "all things being equal the simplest explanation tends to be the right one." (My apologies to any scientists reading this post who are actually versed in this principle and recognize this is a simplified understanding.)
People who are caught up in this diabolic immigration system and the complex situations it engenders will never adhere to this notion of "Occam's Razor". There is never anything simple about the process of being an immigrant in this country. Nor should there be any simplifications in the language used to describe them. Terms such as "illegal", "undocumented", "alien" are ( as I stated earlier) "woefully inaccurate."
In this current era of compounded complexities perhaps the whole idea of "Occam's Razor" is misleading. There doesn't seem to be much simplicity--at least not in our little corner of the world.
A worker's permit is not the holy grail
In light of all the celebrating regarding Obama's proclamation that the government will be reviewing all current deportation cases and granting worker's permits to qualifying immigrants I wanted to take some time to explain what it means to have a worker's permit. I feel this will be helpful information to the thousands of immigrants who will--hopefully--gain a workers permit over the next few month as a result of this new policy. There are certain things a worker's permit entitles an immigrant to; and certain things it doesn't. I don't want to rain on anybody's
parade but I feel it is better to be armed with knowledge rather than just optimism.
My husband has had a worker's permit for years while he has fought his case in the U.S. immigration judicial system. It was granted to him as part of the fees he had to pay to file his appeals. Now, because he cannot be deported and we no longer have any legal avenues left to fight his deportation, he has to apply for a worker's permit every year that he resides in the U.S. This is quite costly and is currently over $400.00 a year. The government reserves the right to increase these fees at anytime. Most years that Khalid has filed for a worker's permit the fee has gone up.
According to the DHS officer who handles Khalid's case, an immigrant who has a worker's permit shows up as having the same status as a citizen in the government's e-verify system. Theoretically speaking that seems to be a positive situation. However, whenever Khalid has applied for another job--unless it's a retail position--the employer always asks if he is a U.S. citizen. Khalid tells the truth and says no. Then comes the inevitable questions..and to make a long story short he is never called back for an interview.
Luckily, my husband already has a stable job as an electrical technician and they are well aware of his immigration status. However, he is not fairly compensated for his electrical knowledge or degree and could get paid a substantial sum more if he could find another job in electrical engineering. In order to make ends meet he has to work two jobs: one as an electrical tech and another in a retail store.
To make a long story short a worker's permit oftentimes only allows an immigrant to procure a very low wage job. It is, in no way, akin to having a green card. Most employers nowadays only want to hire a green card holder, or a citizen. Activists cannot rest until our immigrant friends and family are given an adjustment of status. Anything else is essentially a waste of our time.
parade but I feel it is better to be armed with knowledge rather than just optimism.
My husband has had a worker's permit for years while he has fought his case in the U.S. immigration judicial system. It was granted to him as part of the fees he had to pay to file his appeals. Now, because he cannot be deported and we no longer have any legal avenues left to fight his deportation, he has to apply for a worker's permit every year that he resides in the U.S. This is quite costly and is currently over $400.00 a year. The government reserves the right to increase these fees at anytime. Most years that Khalid has filed for a worker's permit the fee has gone up.
According to the DHS officer who handles Khalid's case, an immigrant who has a worker's permit shows up as having the same status as a citizen in the government's e-verify system. Theoretically speaking that seems to be a positive situation. However, whenever Khalid has applied for another job--unless it's a retail position--the employer always asks if he is a U.S. citizen. Khalid tells the truth and says no. Then comes the inevitable questions..and to make a long story short he is never called back for an interview.
Luckily, my husband already has a stable job as an electrical technician and they are well aware of his immigration status. However, he is not fairly compensated for his electrical knowledge or degree and could get paid a substantial sum more if he could find another job in electrical engineering. In order to make ends meet he has to work two jobs: one as an electrical tech and another in a retail store.
To make a long story short a worker's permit oftentimes only allows an immigrant to procure a very low wage job. It is, in no way, akin to having a green card. Most employers nowadays only want to hire a green card holder, or a citizen. Activists cannot rest until our immigrant friends and family are given an adjustment of status. Anything else is essentially a waste of our time.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Bait-and-switch
Back in 2007,before the second circuit court hearing, the lawyer that was handling Khalid's case called to inform us of some good news. At least it seemed to be good news at the time; basically it was an answer to our prayers: the government was allowing Khalid to adjust his status to that of legal permanent resident. We couldn't be happier. I remember being in the kitchen preparing dinner when Khalid rushed in with an enormous smile on his face.
He said "guess what?"
I replied "what" in an unenthusiastic manner thinking that Khalid was excited only because of a big fishing trip coming up.
"Rather than going through with the second circuit court case, the government is allowing me to adjust my status!"
"What?" I repeated in a bemused tone.
After he sufficiently convinced me that I had heard him correctly I remember breaking down and sobbing. Khalid could not understand my reaction. I was supposed to be happy not wailing like a mad woman.
"I hope your crying because you are happy?" he asked doubtfully.
"Yes, yes I'm happy. I just can't believe they are allowing this to happen! It seems too good to be true."
It wasn't until a few months had passed, and after subsequent consultations with other lawyers that my foreboding was found to be completely warranted.
Due to some procrastination and mistakes the lawyer we had at the time did not file for adjustment of status by the government dead line. Of course we were devastated and resigned to preparing for the approaching hearing of Khalid's second circuit court case in July. Essentially, we were preparing for the worst.
After speaking with another lawyer months later it was plain that we had been duped by the government's offer of adjusting Khalid's status. If we had filed the adjustment of status waivers during that time period we would have been unequivocally denied. Because Khalid would not even be considered for that waiver until 15 years after his "conviction" of reckless endangerment had taken place (As a reminder: Khalid was convicted--actually railroaded-- of reckless endangerment after attempting to defend himself against some thugs that were threatening him while he was working as a taxi driver in Utica back in 1994.)It would be another six months before he would officially became eligible to file for the waiver.
In fact, not only would we have been denied, but there would have been no other option other than having Khalid travel oversees and reapply for the adjustment of status in his native country of India. Of course, we all know that would be impossible since India does not recognize Khalid as a citizen and therefore will not issue him a passport or the travel documents.
The naked truth: the government lied to us and had no intention of adjusting Khalid's status. Instead, the government's intention was to deny his claim and make sure that he could never file the waiver again while residing in this country.
So, I think that I should be forgiven if I react to the recent "happy" news making its way through all the Facebook immigration groups with the skepticism inherent to anyone who has had lengthy experience in dealing with government promises of immigration reform. I just don't believe it until I see it.
If you would like to read about the details of this latest promise I included a link at the bottom of this post.
If it's true then I'm very happy for the my friends who will benefit from this program. But Khalid and I have been fighting this anti-immigrant ideology for far too long (for Khalid its been almost ten years now--for me six years!) that we don't easily fall for the government's bait-and-switch techniques. There always seems to be an ulterior motive in the background of all their promises.
Hopefully, THIS time we will be wrong.
http://news.change.org/stories/major-progress-administration-to-grant-deportation-relief-amidst-mounting-criticism
He said "guess what?"
I replied "what" in an unenthusiastic manner thinking that Khalid was excited only because of a big fishing trip coming up.
"Rather than going through with the second circuit court case, the government is allowing me to adjust my status!"
"What?" I repeated in a bemused tone.
After he sufficiently convinced me that I had heard him correctly I remember breaking down and sobbing. Khalid could not understand my reaction. I was supposed to be happy not wailing like a mad woman.
"I hope your crying because you are happy?" he asked doubtfully.
"Yes, yes I'm happy. I just can't believe they are allowing this to happen! It seems too good to be true."
It wasn't until a few months had passed, and after subsequent consultations with other lawyers that my foreboding was found to be completely warranted.
Due to some procrastination and mistakes the lawyer we had at the time did not file for adjustment of status by the government dead line. Of course we were devastated and resigned to preparing for the approaching hearing of Khalid's second circuit court case in July. Essentially, we were preparing for the worst.
After speaking with another lawyer months later it was plain that we had been duped by the government's offer of adjusting Khalid's status. If we had filed the adjustment of status waivers during that time period we would have been unequivocally denied. Because Khalid would not even be considered for that waiver until 15 years after his "conviction" of reckless endangerment had taken place (As a reminder: Khalid was convicted--actually railroaded-- of reckless endangerment after attempting to defend himself against some thugs that were threatening him while he was working as a taxi driver in Utica back in 1994.)It would be another six months before he would officially became eligible to file for the waiver.
In fact, not only would we have been denied, but there would have been no other option other than having Khalid travel oversees and reapply for the adjustment of status in his native country of India. Of course, we all know that would be impossible since India does not recognize Khalid as a citizen and therefore will not issue him a passport or the travel documents.
The naked truth: the government lied to us and had no intention of adjusting Khalid's status. Instead, the government's intention was to deny his claim and make sure that he could never file the waiver again while residing in this country.
So, I think that I should be forgiven if I react to the recent "happy" news making its way through all the Facebook immigration groups with the skepticism inherent to anyone who has had lengthy experience in dealing with government promises of immigration reform. I just don't believe it until I see it.
If you would like to read about the details of this latest promise I included a link at the bottom of this post.
If it's true then I'm very happy for the my friends who will benefit from this program. But Khalid and I have been fighting this anti-immigrant ideology for far too long (for Khalid its been almost ten years now--for me six years!) that we don't easily fall for the government's bait-and-switch techniques. There always seems to be an ulterior motive in the background of all their promises.
Hopefully, THIS time we will be wrong.
http://news.change.org/stories/major-progress-administration-to-grant-deportation-relief-amidst-mounting-criticism
Monday, August 15, 2011
Letter to a troll
I'm really quite flattered that you have taken the time to read my blog and have written comments. Despite your curt comments to the contrary, you must really find the contents of the blog quite fascinating.
How do I know it's you? Well, you always write two to three short sentences of biting rhetoric that really doesn't have any relevance to the subject of my blog post. I'm sure you spend a great deal of time in the shadows of internet obscurity reading the blogs of people with whom you disagree; writing curt comments and feeling quite proud of yourself for insulting people who have already experienced a copious amount of pain and sorrow. No doubt, this makes you feel powerful and superior.
What does this tell me about you? Quite a lot really. It tells me that apparently you have a lot of free time on your hands. Most people are far too busy with their lives to bother stalking the blogs of people with whom they share little in common. I cannot understand the purpose behind your comments. Are you trying to end my marriage? Are you intent on showing me the error of my ways? Do you think your comments will change how I live or see the world? I honestly don't know why you would spend so much time on people you obviously feel are beneath you.
What I am sure of: When I married Khalid I did not marry down as you incinuate--I actually married up! I will leave that exclamation to stand alone without further comment.
I am also sure of one other thing: in order to say the things that you do it is obvious that you do not have love in your life. There is nothing more wretched then not feeling loved and cared for. I know how that feels. I did not know how it felt to be loved until I meet Khalid at the ripe old age of 38. His love completely changed my life and my world for the better. Although my life is not easy-- nor uncomplicated-- it is full and rich. I would not change one minute of the time Khalid and I have spent together.
So, my dear troll: this is the wish I have for you: I want you to find love--the kind of deep, heart seering love that makes your knees weak, your head spin and your veins pulse. I want you to be inspired to lay your life down for someone, to give up your selfishness and petty desires for the needs of someone else, to become a better person. I bessech you to be willing to show your ugly scars, demons and humbling insecurities to someone. Most of all, I wish you the kind of love that alters the very essence of your being, challenges your preconceived notions of reality, and gives you the courage to leave everything familiar behind.
If you experienced this kind of love you would not need to feel powerful or superior to anyone else. Purhaps you would be inspired to make this a better world for others rather than spending an unprecedented amount of time tearing others down.
One can only hope.
How do I know it's you? Well, you always write two to three short sentences of biting rhetoric that really doesn't have any relevance to the subject of my blog post. I'm sure you spend a great deal of time in the shadows of internet obscurity reading the blogs of people with whom you disagree; writing curt comments and feeling quite proud of yourself for insulting people who have already experienced a copious amount of pain and sorrow. No doubt, this makes you feel powerful and superior.
What does this tell me about you? Quite a lot really. It tells me that apparently you have a lot of free time on your hands. Most people are far too busy with their lives to bother stalking the blogs of people with whom they share little in common. I cannot understand the purpose behind your comments. Are you trying to end my marriage? Are you intent on showing me the error of my ways? Do you think your comments will change how I live or see the world? I honestly don't know why you would spend so much time on people you obviously feel are beneath you.
What I am sure of: When I married Khalid I did not marry down as you incinuate--I actually married up! I will leave that exclamation to stand alone without further comment.
I am also sure of one other thing: in order to say the things that you do it is obvious that you do not have love in your life. There is nothing more wretched then not feeling loved and cared for. I know how that feels. I did not know how it felt to be loved until I meet Khalid at the ripe old age of 38. His love completely changed my life and my world for the better. Although my life is not easy-- nor uncomplicated-- it is full and rich. I would not change one minute of the time Khalid and I have spent together.
So, my dear troll: this is the wish I have for you: I want you to find love--the kind of deep, heart seering love that makes your knees weak, your head spin and your veins pulse. I want you to be inspired to lay your life down for someone, to give up your selfishness and petty desires for the needs of someone else, to become a better person. I bessech you to be willing to show your ugly scars, demons and humbling insecurities to someone. Most of all, I wish you the kind of love that alters the very essence of your being, challenges your preconceived notions of reality, and gives you the courage to leave everything familiar behind.
If you experienced this kind of love you would not need to feel powerful or superior to anyone else. Purhaps you would be inspired to make this a better world for others rather than spending an unprecedented amount of time tearing others down.
One can only hope.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
When the Universe laughs...
In a recent post I was talking about letting go of shame and fear and getting serious about working for immigration reform. Its curious how--when you've finally gotten brave and decided to do something different in your life-- how quickly opportunities present themselves. Either that or the Universe just has a mischievous sense of humor and just likes to make you do things that you swear you would never do!! However, I like to look at in a positive light so I much prefer my first explanation.
Not long ago I was contacted by a reporter from PRI the World who was interested in interviewing me for a radio broadcast that was focusing on the expanding blogging community of American citizens who were dealing with the deportation of their significant other. I could not refuse so I agreed to do it.
Last Friday an affiliate in Syracuse came by to tape me. Britta, the interviewer, was a wonderful person who, coincidentally, had a lovely Australian accent. Darn..I wish I had a cute accent. I can't even fake a cute accent. Ah well...I digress...
The whole process went smoothly and was quite pleasant. There was only one technical difficulty and that involved rechargeable batteries that decided they wanted to give up the ghost during my more eloquent moments. (I swear I heard some cackles coming from above...)
Honestly, I was slightly nervous. I was speaking for a lot of people: people who I admired; who were dealing with the same difficulties I was facing-- and they are all dear friends that I didn't want to let down. It was a lot to live up to. All in all I think it went well. I will just have to wait until the final product is done. The anticipation is killing me!
Not too bad for an awkward, easily embarrassed and shy young girl who grew up in rural New York. I hear the Universe laughing..but at least this time, I'm in on the joke and can laugh along.
Not long ago I was contacted by a reporter from PRI the World who was interested in interviewing me for a radio broadcast that was focusing on the expanding blogging community of American citizens who were dealing with the deportation of their significant other. I could not refuse so I agreed to do it.
Last Friday an affiliate in Syracuse came by to tape me. Britta, the interviewer, was a wonderful person who, coincidentally, had a lovely Australian accent. Darn..I wish I had a cute accent. I can't even fake a cute accent. Ah well...I digress...
The whole process went smoothly and was quite pleasant. There was only one technical difficulty and that involved rechargeable batteries that decided they wanted to give up the ghost during my more eloquent moments. (I swear I heard some cackles coming from above...)
Honestly, I was slightly nervous. I was speaking for a lot of people: people who I admired; who were dealing with the same difficulties I was facing-- and they are all dear friends that I didn't want to let down. It was a lot to live up to. All in all I think it went well. I will just have to wait until the final product is done. The anticipation is killing me!
Not too bad for an awkward, easily embarrassed and shy young girl who grew up in rural New York. I hear the Universe laughing..but at least this time, I'm in on the joke and can laugh along.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
London is Burning and Black Boys on Mopeds
I am sick of watching faux news on television. And no…I’m not just talking about Fox News. In this curious era of distracting spectacle, misleading rhetoric, censorship and smoke and mirror campaigns Fox News is not the only institution propagating innuendos and half-truths. For years the potent cocktail of raw and comprehensive news broadcasts has been slowly watered down by the media’s intentional use of superficial language designed to keep the public ignorant of the deeper significance of events in this increasingly precarious, globalized, and turbo-charged capitalistic world.
These simplifications belie the complexity and interconnected relationship between cause and effect and mask the root causes of human behavior played out upon the intricate backdrop of racism, poverty, increasing inequality and the systematic dismantling of social safety nets. As a result of politically sanctioned jargon, words are manipulated to downplay or exaggerate significance at the whim of policy makers. “Protestors” and “activists” become “reactionaries” or “fanatics”. Rich people are no longer referred to as “wealthy” but rather as “job creators”( an erroneous misnomer because it is actually small business owners that create the most jobs. The grotesquely rich are more apt to invest/hoard their money than use it to create jobs for the working or middle class.) Immigrants are often labeled “illegal” regardless of their actual status. Citizens who want to limit military intervention or who support gay marriage are labeled “bleeding heart liberals.” The concept of impartiality is completely alien to the moguls of mainstream, contemporary media. Everything has a spin: a spin that favors the law makers, the wealthiest citizens and the corporations; but simultaneously devalues or demonizes the interests of the working class.
The precipitous for this rant was a feature on NBC’s Nightly news about the riots in London. In particular I objected to the word “thugs” used in the description of the rioters/protesters which designated all those involved as engaging in “criminal activity.” Subsequent research illuminates the fact that that the night began with a peaceful demonstration of people protesting the violent and excessive force of police used against an unarmed man who was shot dead. In fact, the citizens of Tottenham ,for many years, organized peaceful protests, sit ins and other events to draw attention to their plight. Despite their efforts the media largely ignored them—that is—until they turned violent.
Tottenham has an impoverished history-- unknown to most of NBC’s viewers. Since the 1980’s—it has been a destination for immigrants from across the globe including African-Caribbean, Ghanaians, Colombians, Kurds, Turkish and Albanians to name a few. As most people know—or should know—immigrants are often segregated from native people in dilapidated urban areas. These centers become an inescapable geography of invisibility, vulnerability and hopelessness. People confined to these precarious geographies are marginalized in various ways because of their skin color and presupposition to poverty and simultaneously subjected to stringent scrutiny and police harassment.
According to Wikipedia “Tottenham has the highest unemployment rate in London and the 8th highest in the United Kingdom, and it has some of the highest poverty rates within the country”. Writer James Illingsworth states: “IT'S NO coincidence, of course, that these events are taking place in the poorest neighborhoods of London and other major cities. Youth in these areas have grown up in a climate of poverty and racism, facing regular police harassment, along with unemployment rates for youth that were already sky-high before the current economic crisis hit.” Of course, you won’t hear sentiments like this on American mainstream news. According to the press these people are “thugs” and “criminals”. According to Illingsworth the British media-- along with the ruling class-- has a similar message. He goes on to say: “The ruling class reaction to the unrest has been typically hypocritical and reactionary. Politicians, police commanders and media pundits alike have denounced the rebellion as "mindless criminality" .
Calling these individuals “thugs” without illuminating the back-story of the social, cultural and political catalysts that have caused the poor and working class to resort to violence is grievous at best, and journalistic negligence at its worst. People do not normally resort to violence and rioting unless nothing else has worked to alleviate their suffering. The world deserves to know what has caused this tragedy. Labeling these people as “thugs” and “criminals” does nothing to solve the problem—it only serves to cement their position as undesirables and therefore disposable.
I am reminded of a musician popular in the 1980’s: Sinead O’Connor, She wrote a song called Black Boys on Mopeds…which—interestingly enough deals with this very subject. She eloquently and distinctly characterizes this situation; one that has been going on for at least thirty years with the following phrase:
“England's not the mythical land of Madame George and roses
It's the home of police who kill black boys on mopeds
And I love my boy and that's why I'm leaving
I don't want him to be aware that there's
Any such thing as grieving.” ~Sinead O’Connor
I want to end this post by invoking James Illinsworth one last time”
“And when the tensions in people's lives--racism, increasing poverty, alienation and immiseration--reach a boiling point, those in power lecture about how "violence is wrong," without ever once acknowledging the daily violence in the lives of the poor and working-class people.”
These simplifications belie the complexity and interconnected relationship between cause and effect and mask the root causes of human behavior played out upon the intricate backdrop of racism, poverty, increasing inequality and the systematic dismantling of social safety nets. As a result of politically sanctioned jargon, words are manipulated to downplay or exaggerate significance at the whim of policy makers. “Protestors” and “activists” become “reactionaries” or “fanatics”. Rich people are no longer referred to as “wealthy” but rather as “job creators”( an erroneous misnomer because it is actually small business owners that create the most jobs. The grotesquely rich are more apt to invest/hoard their money than use it to create jobs for the working or middle class.) Immigrants are often labeled “illegal” regardless of their actual status. Citizens who want to limit military intervention or who support gay marriage are labeled “bleeding heart liberals.” The concept of impartiality is completely alien to the moguls of mainstream, contemporary media. Everything has a spin: a spin that favors the law makers, the wealthiest citizens and the corporations; but simultaneously devalues or demonizes the interests of the working class.
The precipitous for this rant was a feature on NBC’s Nightly news about the riots in London. In particular I objected to the word “thugs” used in the description of the rioters/protesters which designated all those involved as engaging in “criminal activity.” Subsequent research illuminates the fact that that the night began with a peaceful demonstration of people protesting the violent and excessive force of police used against an unarmed man who was shot dead. In fact, the citizens of Tottenham ,for many years, organized peaceful protests, sit ins and other events to draw attention to their plight. Despite their efforts the media largely ignored them—that is—until they turned violent.
Tottenham has an impoverished history-- unknown to most of NBC’s viewers. Since the 1980’s—it has been a destination for immigrants from across the globe including African-Caribbean, Ghanaians, Colombians, Kurds, Turkish and Albanians to name a few. As most people know—or should know—immigrants are often segregated from native people in dilapidated urban areas. These centers become an inescapable geography of invisibility, vulnerability and hopelessness. People confined to these precarious geographies are marginalized in various ways because of their skin color and presupposition to poverty and simultaneously subjected to stringent scrutiny and police harassment.
According to Wikipedia “Tottenham has the highest unemployment rate in London and the 8th highest in the United Kingdom, and it has some of the highest poverty rates within the country”. Writer James Illingsworth states: “IT'S NO coincidence, of course, that these events are taking place in the poorest neighborhoods of London and other major cities. Youth in these areas have grown up in a climate of poverty and racism, facing regular police harassment, along with unemployment rates for youth that were already sky-high before the current economic crisis hit.” Of course, you won’t hear sentiments like this on American mainstream news. According to the press these people are “thugs” and “criminals”. According to Illingsworth the British media-- along with the ruling class-- has a similar message. He goes on to say: “The ruling class reaction to the unrest has been typically hypocritical and reactionary. Politicians, police commanders and media pundits alike have denounced the rebellion as "mindless criminality" .
Calling these individuals “thugs” without illuminating the back-story of the social, cultural and political catalysts that have caused the poor and working class to resort to violence is grievous at best, and journalistic negligence at its worst. People do not normally resort to violence and rioting unless nothing else has worked to alleviate their suffering. The world deserves to know what has caused this tragedy. Labeling these people as “thugs” and “criminals” does nothing to solve the problem—it only serves to cement their position as undesirables and therefore disposable.
I am reminded of a musician popular in the 1980’s: Sinead O’Connor, She wrote a song called Black Boys on Mopeds…which—interestingly enough deals with this very subject. She eloquently and distinctly characterizes this situation; one that has been going on for at least thirty years with the following phrase:
“England's not the mythical land of Madame George and roses
It's the home of police who kill black boys on mopeds
And I love my boy and that's why I'm leaving
I don't want him to be aware that there's
Any such thing as grieving.” ~Sinead O’Connor
I want to end this post by invoking James Illinsworth one last time”
“And when the tensions in people's lives--racism, increasing poverty, alienation and immiseration--reach a boiling point, those in power lecture about how "violence is wrong," without ever once acknowledging the daily violence in the lives of the poor and working-class people.”
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Not giving a fuck
I'm apologizing up front for the foul language. Perhaps I really shouldn't do that because it will defeat the purpose of this post. Which is, ironically, unclear to me at the present moment. I will trust myself to make some semblance of sense when this post is completed. Please stay tuned...
Recently-- in fact-- just a few minutes ago I came across a wonderful old blog post of a photographer named Brandon Stanton. His blog is called "Humans of New York" and he randomly wanders the streets of New York looking for interesting humans to photograph (well, not just New York because this particular blog post was referring to a trip to Chicago).
One night he came across a big, flamboyant and beautiful drag queen named Cyon Flame. Part of Cyon's appeal was his apparent fearlessness. Here was a large black man-- wearing an elaborately bejeweled,feathered and sequined scarlet headdress, matching corset and glittering high heeled platform boots-- languidly and confidently strolling down the middle of a busy Chicago street.
The photographer, a confessed heterosexual man, expressed his respect for gay people in the following passage taken from his blog:
"...at some point in his or her life, every gay person has to look society straight in the eye and say: “I’m gay, and I really don’t give a fuck what you think.” And that isn’t an easy thing to do. If everyone had that kind of courage, there’d be a lot less frowning faces on the subway. There’d probably be more people dancing on floats, half-naked, covered in metallic body paint, and waving peacock feathers in the air. Because you can’t really be free until you don’t give a fuck. And not giving a fuck is just about the hardest thing there is to do. And every gay person has to do it. And I respect the hell out of that. Always have."
The phrase that really knocked me the side of the head is "you can't really be free until you don't give a fuck."
Stop for a moment and think about it for a moment. It's absolutely true. Pure freedom relies on the individual's ability to be authentically themselves, regardless of the opinions or negative reactions of others. And the sad fact remains that authentic people often make other people uncomfortable.
of course, I got thinking about my own life and particularly the immigration issues my husband and I have been dealing with. When you are facing--however remotely-- the prospect of being separated from your loved one just about any subject can refer back to immigration: even a blog post about a drag queen who doesn't give a fuck!
It occurs to me that despite everything my husband and I have been through; despite being as honest about our situation as possible; and despite believing that I really don't care what other people think-- I still do--and far too often. Consequently I fear that I have not given my best effort in fighting against anti-immigration sentiment in this country. Certainly, there have been brief peaks from behind the closet door of self-induced yet culturally sanction shame. I've done a few speeches, written a monologue, sporadically manged a blog about immigration, etc. But there is so much more I could do--if only I could stop caring what people thought. If only I could manage the derogatory remarks of people who prefer to wallow in their ignorance rather than cultivating empathy.
Part of the problem is anger. I still have not let go of my anger. As a result, every time someone says something negative or ignorant about immigrants my eyes bulge out of my sockets, my head spins around, smoke comes out of my ears and my face turns purple. This is not attractive nor constructive. What I need to do is cultivate love, even in the face of irrational hate.
Actually, what I need to do is balance both love and the ability to be true to myself and my convictions.(aka "not giving a fuck!")
Now I feel is the perfect time to do that. I am ready to let go of my anger, embrace love and fight for what I believe in. On the horizon I see opportunities presenting themselves.In the immortal words of J.K. Rowling "It's gonna be a bumpy ride."
Recently-- in fact-- just a few minutes ago I came across a wonderful old blog post of a photographer named Brandon Stanton. His blog is called "Humans of New York" and he randomly wanders the streets of New York looking for interesting humans to photograph (well, not just New York because this particular blog post was referring to a trip to Chicago).
One night he came across a big, flamboyant and beautiful drag queen named Cyon Flame. Part of Cyon's appeal was his apparent fearlessness. Here was a large black man-- wearing an elaborately bejeweled,feathered and sequined scarlet headdress, matching corset and glittering high heeled platform boots-- languidly and confidently strolling down the middle of a busy Chicago street.
The photographer, a confessed heterosexual man, expressed his respect for gay people in the following passage taken from his blog:
"...at some point in his or her life, every gay person has to look society straight in the eye and say: “I’m gay, and I really don’t give a fuck what you think.” And that isn’t an easy thing to do. If everyone had that kind of courage, there’d be a lot less frowning faces on the subway. There’d probably be more people dancing on floats, half-naked, covered in metallic body paint, and waving peacock feathers in the air. Because you can’t really be free until you don’t give a fuck. And not giving a fuck is just about the hardest thing there is to do. And every gay person has to do it. And I respect the hell out of that. Always have."
The phrase that really knocked me the side of the head is "you can't really be free until you don't give a fuck."
Stop for a moment and think about it for a moment. It's absolutely true. Pure freedom relies on the individual's ability to be authentically themselves, regardless of the opinions or negative reactions of others. And the sad fact remains that authentic people often make other people uncomfortable.
of course, I got thinking about my own life and particularly the immigration issues my husband and I have been dealing with. When you are facing--however remotely-- the prospect of being separated from your loved one just about any subject can refer back to immigration: even a blog post about a drag queen who doesn't give a fuck!
It occurs to me that despite everything my husband and I have been through; despite being as honest about our situation as possible; and despite believing that I really don't care what other people think-- I still do--and far too often. Consequently I fear that I have not given my best effort in fighting against anti-immigration sentiment in this country. Certainly, there have been brief peaks from behind the closet door of self-induced yet culturally sanction shame. I've done a few speeches, written a monologue, sporadically manged a blog about immigration, etc. But there is so much more I could do--if only I could stop caring what people thought. If only I could manage the derogatory remarks of people who prefer to wallow in their ignorance rather than cultivating empathy.
Part of the problem is anger. I still have not let go of my anger. As a result, every time someone says something negative or ignorant about immigrants my eyes bulge out of my sockets, my head spins around, smoke comes out of my ears and my face turns purple. This is not attractive nor constructive. What I need to do is cultivate love, even in the face of irrational hate.
Actually, what I need to do is balance both love and the ability to be true to myself and my convictions.(aka "not giving a fuck!")
Now I feel is the perfect time to do that. I am ready to let go of my anger, embrace love and fight for what I believe in. On the horizon I see opportunities presenting themselves.In the immortal words of J.K. Rowling "It's gonna be a bumpy ride."
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