Great again for whom?
The idea that we will be moving forward into a glorious past is a thought that seems to be wasted on many groups that have lived a marginalized existence in the United States. From the American Indian to the Xenophobe a future that relives the racist, sexist, homophobic, homogeneous rhetoric of the past will likely benefit only a select few.
On January 22nd of this year Temporary Protected Status will expire. This means that “over 300,000 people are currently at risk of losing the status they have to remain living and working legally in the United States.” [1](Murray, 2017) Ergo the policies of the current administration, which are founded on ridding this country of its illegal immigrants, perpetuates the existence of illegal immigrants. This year the struggle for refugees, many of whom have endured unspeakable difficulties to escape homelands that had become unbearable for their survival, is about to become even more harrowing.
Being separated from family can be difficult for some people. With the Supreme Court allowing full enforcement of the latest travel ban, hundreds of refugees in Tampa, Florida are preparing for separation from their loved ones in 2018. The “Change has forced a shift in priorities from helping families helping to settle in the US to helping children and adults here in Tampa Bay become successful.” [2](Gomez, 2018) said the president of Radiant Hands a local non-profit agency that works with refugees in Tampa. “We’re looking for investors to open small businesses to employ [and] strengthen them.”[3](Gomez, 2018)
In 2015 “Germany opened its borders and allowed in nearly a million refugees from war torn countries, including Syria and Iraq” [4](Rosen, 2018) Since then, with Angela Murkel losing her stronghold on the German parliament, attitudes towards immigrants and refugees has shifted. “In the beginning the government distributed money for food, for clothing, for basic living [after the last election, where right wing party Alternative fur Deutschland got the 3rd share of the election, the] reduction of services [was] subtle and [was] ostensibly part of a larger plan to cut support while allowing people to live independently.” [5](Rosen, 2018)
In 2018 the United States is set to welcome a record low number of refugees. “From his inauguration day just over 29,000 refugees were admitted into the United States. The last time there was such low number (29,468) of refugees admitted was after the Twin Tower bombing of September 11th, 2001.” [6](Vallodolid, 2017) Under Reagan during the inception of the Refugee Resettlement Act of 1980 over two hundred thousand refugees gained admission. Under both Bush and Obama the numbers hovered between seventy and eight thousand.
In a time and place where the stock market has hit all-time highs and the wealthiest Americans will soon celebrate the first tax reform in 30 years it’s easy to imagine who may be feeling things are “Great Again”. For many, however, a place of hope and promise of improved circumstances can seem like a dream in a far off distance.
[1] Murray, Royce (July 26th, 2017) How Many People Are at Risk of Losing Their Temporary Protected Status? http://bit.ly/2vYY9Rt
[2] Gomez, Alan (January 3rd, 2018) Refugee Admissions to U.S. Plummet in 2017 https://usat.ly/2CS1qFI
[3] Gomez, Alan (January 3rd, 2018) Refugee Admissions to U.S. Plummet in 2017 https://usat.ly/2CS1qFI
[4] Rosen, Kenneth R. (January 2nd, 2018) How Germany’s Refugee Dream Soured http://bit.ly/2lHfWsL
[5] Rosen, Kenneth R. (January 2nd, 2018) How Germany’s Refugee Dream Soured http://bit.ly/2lHfWsL
[6] Vallodolid, Shannon (December 8th 2017) Organization Helping Refugees Struggling After Travel Ban http://on.wtsp.com/2CCg0jZ
