Understanding the United States Through the Lens of a ‘Foreigner’ by Lounie Germain
Growing up in the United States, I am always asked the infamous question that every foreign-born person knows all too well: “Where are you from?”. Such a simple and innocent question, right? So, why does it carry so much weight? That is because when I usually reply with “I am from New Jersey,” that never seems like the correct answer for those posing the question. Unsatisfied, they then decide to rephrase it to, “No, I mean, where are you really from?” At first, I would easily answer with “I am from Haiti,” which would reward me with their approval. Even then, the probing would not end there because I would be met with an “Oh, I am sorry” or the cringing “Sak-Pase.” During my first few years in the United States, I was open to people wanting to know where I was from; I did not think anything bad of the questions because I thought they were due to genuine curiosity. Fast forward 14 years in the U.S., I am still being asked the same question. Only now, I have decided to remove my rose-colored glasses. I am able to see things differently as I am now aware of the current political status and the treatment of immigrants in the United States.
The United States is a nation of immigrants, a melting pot. A place where everyone can live together regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, sex, or gender. Or at least, that is the picture that is being painted abroad. Unfortunately, this picture does not reflect reality. As of today, there are more than 43 million foreign-born individuals living in the United States. According to the U.S. Census, foreign-born refers to an individual who was not born on U.S. soil, including those who have become U.S. citizens through naturalization. In recent years, our views and treatments of immigrants, especially immigrants of color, have drastically changed. As someone who immigrated from a “shithole country,” as the President so mildly puts it, I have been at the forefront of discrimination. Thus, I feel personally connected to those who have immigrated before me and those who are trying to seek “the land of the free.”
Sociologist C. Wright Mills once eloquently stated, “Neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both.” Learning about my family’s history and their reasons for why we moved to the United States have aroused my interest in immigration. I remembered listening intently as my parents revealed that political turmoil and environmental disasters drove us to emigrate. To save up enough money to bring us over, my father traveled to New Jersey where he had family members. I remember my family as always living together in what, in Haiti, is seen as a “rich” person’s house. Although my dad was more than 1,000 miles away from his family, he was always a prominent figure in my life. I remember how everything we wanted, our tuition, house, food, was paid for. Seeing how my family was taken great of for years, I was surprised to discover that when I was a young child, we were separated for three years.
Knowing this piece of my history helped me understand immigration as a reaction to the environmental stimuli, or changes in the environment. Through this information, I began to see my family's experiences in relation to that of other groups, whether it be Jews escaping religious persecution or Italians fleeing a depressed economy. I saw how immigrants have followed family and friends abroad in hopes of creating a successful future for themselves and their children. Through my own personal experiences and observations, I am able to relate to what is happening today.
While some people might not understand what it is like to live as a foreigner, they should try to develop an outside perspective. Unfortunately, attitudes and laws concerning U.S. immigration have vacillated between welcoming and restrictive since the country’s earliest days. The reason why this is still a major conflict has to do with the fact that most people are not willing to understand others’ perspectives and are instead overtaken by the fear of the unknown. It is concerning and nerve-wracking when I overhear people spew hateful comments such as “Go back to where you come from” or “You don’t belong here”. It is hurtful because it seems like no matter what we, the “foreign-borns”, do to assimilate, we are constantly being told that we have no place here. In a country that is supposed to be inclusive and welcoming, we are divided and exclusive.
When looking at the current state of immigration in the United States, people overlook the role that the social system plays in it. Why do people immigrate? On the micro-level, people immigrate for various reasons such as for work, to be with their families, to seek refuge and safety from violence, war, and natural disasters. However, on a macro-level, immigration is a major problem because the system is broken. Historically, the United States has had restrictive exclusionary laws, such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the National Origins Act of 1924, and the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. The system that we see today is the result of several legislative reforms.
Once I removed my rose-colored glasses, I started seeing how the social structures and past policies in the United States continue to fail immigrants. I always assumed that those uncomfortable questions about where I was from would stop after becoming a naturalized citizen, but I was proven wrong. After learning about my family’s history, I became more understanding and socially conscious of other people’s immigration stories. For, in the end, while everyone's experience is unique to them, now more than ever, we need to look past the surface and find how we are alike. Without doing so, this continuous cycle of ignorance will not cease.
Sources:
https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/us-immigration-debate-0
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_immigration_laws
