The Power of Our Words
Last week the Trump administration and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services took an important step to increasing the marginalization of immigrants living and working in the US. In February of this year “the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) … changed its official mission statement by removing…the words: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free” effectively stating that they are no longer committed to securing America’s promise as a nation of immigrants.” [1](Hjemgaard & Gomez, 2018) The move to make a change to their mission statement is in alignment with executive orders to make a shift in immigration policies.
Immigrants living and working in the United States are covering the labor force, paying into taxes and social security and helping the nation to continue its population growth. Their circumstances may mean that they are forced to live on the fringes of society; dealing with language barriers, misinformation or misunderstanding of bureaucracies can mean delay or even deletion of necessary services. The knowledge that the main agency designed to support their needs and review their applications for immigration benefit appears to no longer be on their side can have psychologically damaging effects on a population already humbled by the struggles they face on a daily basis.
This change comes at the price of the pride of immigrants, forcing members of the community to take steps to turn their backs on the very thing that had been a guiding force to the generations that have come before them. “Lee Francis Cissna the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, who eliminated the words “nation of immigrants” from his agency’s mission statement Thursday, is the proud son of an immigrant.” [2](Rezaian, 2018) Could the pressure of trying to keep your boss happy cause one to compromise their own ideals? Or, is it that living in a space where privileges not afforded to our ancestors are now available can cause us to drop some beliefs that were a fundamental guiding force in the way we were raised?
These changes come at a time when the question of whether we will choose to continue to support immigrants appears to be important in shaping the landscape of the country. The question of what will be done seems to be more divisive than just helping people in need. America appears to be at a crossroads of understanding its history which is causing the picture of its future to remain cloudy.
In response to the recent shift for USCIS Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney (D) stated “the move by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services was typical of the Trump administration. “Like, there’s no collusion and there’s no ‘Nation of Immigrants.’ None of this — where did we all come from — Even the pilgrims were immigrants!” said Kenney.” [3](DeNardo, 2018)
While the policies of this administration would indicate a xenophobic agenda, shifts like the travel ban can appear reversible. It’s the small changes to language that can at first glance appear harmless that may in fact be perpetrating the greatest damage. When Hillary Clinton coined the phrase “super-predator” in reference to gang bangers and men of colour engaged in gang-life it resulted in providing many Americans an excuse to turn a blind eye to incarceration rates in communities of colour. Changing the language used by USCIS will very likely result in a similar shift in the attitudes of those who have already settled into living their American Dream.
[1] Hjemgaard, Kim & Gomez, Alan (February 23rd, 2018) America is no longer a ‘nation of immigrants’ https://usat.ly/2ENBBLu
[2] Rezaian, Jason (February 23rd, 2018) USCIS director who eliminated ‘nation of immigrants’ is the son of an immigrant http://wapo.st/2GEVBNQ
[3] DeNardo, Mike (March 16th, 2018) Mayor Kenney Responds After ‘Nation Of Immigrants’ Phrase Removed From USCIS Mission Statement http://cbsloc.al/2tS3qgD
