I don't mind saying that I am worried. The recent explosion of anti-immigrant fervor running rampant through this country has resigned me to fear the worst. With Jan Brewer, governor of Arizona, trying to stoke the fire of moral panic against Hispanics by claiming law enforcement has found bodies with decapitated heads, and the rise of neo-nazi vigilantes wielding guns and searching for immigrants crossing the border, and more states looking to implement similar laws to SB 1070 I don't see how the situation can get much worse--well, other than the eruption of widespread violence. Honestly, (and I apologize for the pessimism) based on the level of hate that has risen to the surface, I don't think violence is out of the question.
But what has disheartened me the most is when the hate is spewed from people within my immediate circle. I'm not talking about family members. We are fortunate to have family who have been incredibly supportive. I'm referring to people that I have come to respect and consider friends. People who have expressed concern for Khalid's situation in the past. Individuals who have met Khalid and have commented on what a nice, respectful person he is.
And yet, even when they know Khalid, his story, how he has been mistreated, locked up, and dehumanized; they can still support a discriminatory law like SB 1070 and spew hateful rhetoric about Hispanics. And I wonder: what good has come from talking about my husband's situation? Why did I put our lives up for scrutiny? I was idealistic and actually thought sharing our story would help temper the hate. But maybe I was wrong. Maybe all the condolences, empathy and well wishes were all lies.
Personally, I cannot make a distinction between my husband and all the Hispanic immigrants in this country. There is no way I can compartmentalize his story and say he deserves to stay in America and yet deny that same privilege to Hispanics. That is exactly what my "friends" are doing when they express empathy for my husband and yet profess disdain for Hispanics. Whatever happens to Hispanics in Arizona can certainly happen to my husband.
The struggle against the SB1070 law is not just to secure human rights for Hispanics--although that is a moral enough cause; it is also to end the dehumanization and inferiority status for all immigrants-- whether they are legal or illegal. All people are sacred and no group-- whether they are white, black, brown, disabled, homosexual, transgendered, etc-- deserves to be singled out by discriminatory laws.
After all, dehumanization and keeping "undesirables" in their place were the reasons behind the statute in apartheid South Africa that made it mandatory for black people to keep documentation. Dehumanization and keeping "undesirables" in their place were the reasons for implementing the Jim Crow laws and certainly dehumanization and keeping "undesirables" in their place was the purpose behind the Holocaust. We can NEVER forget that! And how did all these things occur? How did ordinary people ignore the cruelty that was inflicted? By designating that these specific groups of people simply did not matter.
However, what is particularly terrifying to me is my emotional reaction to this recent phenomenon. I've never considered myself a hateful person and I don't believe anyone would characterize me as such. I've certainly disliked some people in my lifetime but never hated anyone. But now, sometimes I feel so disillusioned, so frustrated, so sick of the stereotypes, the ignorance that runs rampant and unchecked through the immigration debate that I feel hate. It's not a good feeling. And I'm ashamed.
But then I remember, it is just this kind of feeling--unadulterated hate-- that is fueling this anti-immigration fire in this country. A hate so fiery, irrational and uncontrollable that it threatens us all: whether we are citizens, legal or otherwise. We are all in danger.
At least I have acknowledged and named my hate. Now I can conquer it. By conquering hate I can ensure that it will not spill over and adversely affect anyone else. I wish we would all acknowledge and conquer our hate. If we did, our world would be a lot less volatile.
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