Go Away To Your Country, You Immigrant. You’re A Public Nuisance!

IS AMERICA ANTI-IMMIGRANTS or is it just against illegal immigrants? It depends on whom you ask and how he or his ‘ancestors’ got here.

Nevertheless, the American xenophobia, protectionism, intolerance and nationalism are alive in Arizona. Thanks to Al Qaeda, job scarcity and drug smugglers. It’s a bad time to be an immigrant in America. Legal or illegal, immigrants are now public nuisances!

As jobs are disappearing and America being under siege by terror, anti-immigrants laws and xenophobia are appearing in frightening forms.

The American protectionism and anti-immigrant advocates (especially, the Tea- Party enthusiasts) are making a lot of noise these days, especially in the labor markets about immigrants in America, as they try to preserve jobs for their own nationals.

The anti-immigrants sentiment is not only bubbling in America but, it’s also gaining momentum across Europe. It’s the main prescription for nationalism, xenophobia, intolerance and animosity which are sowing seeds in the desert landscape of Arizona, and other corners of Europe.

The new anti- immigrants’ laws which are brewing in Arizona and Texas are gaining popularity. Because they’re designed to pander to the instincts of the jittery Republican Party’s base voters and supposedly to protect jobs for the “natives”. Unfortunately, in America most people seem to think that foreigners, especially, Hispanics or Latinos (people from Latin America) are taking jobs from the Anglo-Americans.

The Arizona law empowers the police to stop a person if there is a “reasonable suspicion” that he is an illegal immigrant, and to detain him if he doesn’t have documentation on him to prove that he has the right to be in America. A person is guilty of “trespassing” by being “present on any public or private land of the state”—what ever that means.

In other words, even if you’re a legal immigrant you still have to prove that you’re in America legally. So if you’re on the street without your Green card or passport; to prove your legality, then you can go to jail.

This bill is gaining momentum because of the tragic death of Robert Krentz, a rancher in Arizona who was probably murdered by drug smugglers, who could have been U.S citizens. The fact of the matter is most illegal immigrants hardly commit crimes. Therefore those immigrants, who are in prison, are in for violation of immigration laws. But, that is not enough reason for the Tea Party crowd not to pick on the law abiding immigrants. Mr. Krentz’s death has unleashed a new wave of political and emotional earth quake that its seismography is going to be felt across the nation and beyond.

In fairness, America doesn’t seem misguided. It seems America’s hospitality and generosity have been reciprocated by terror and destructions. Since 9/11, America has been under siege by terror. Therefore it’s intellectually disingenuous not to recognize the correlation between Americans’ mistrust of immigrants and immigrants’ national notorieties.

But , not every terrorism is engineered by “foreigners”, who live outside the country .By and large, the home-grown terrorists ,who live and move secretly among the citizens while working in their basements and makeshift labs; designing their bombs and weapons of destruction, are responsible for most of the terrorism acts this country has experienced .

The list of home-grown college of terror alumni includes: “The Unibomer”, Theodore Kaczynski who sent 16 packages of bombs for 17 years to kill people before he was arrested. Eric Rudolph, who set bombs at the Olympics in Atlanta and gay bars, terrorized America for a while before he was arrested in 2003.Last but not the least, home –grown bomb maker, Timothy McVeigh made a powerful bomb that killed 108 people in Oklahoma City in 1995.

However, on Saturday, May 1, 2010 immigrants in America gained a national notoriety. Thanks to a 30-year -old Pakistani naturalized U.S citizen, Fraisal Shahzad who has been charged with parking his bomb-ridden S.U.V at Times Square, in Manhattan (New York city), with the intent to blow up America. There is no doubt on my mind that this won’t be the last episode of America’s home -front war. The pain runs deep and how much can it take? The Shahzads, El- Hanafis and other terror elements, are the reasons why America is closing its borders and the disillusioned supporters of the anti-immigrant laws and the Tea Party crowd are chanting, “go away to your country, you immigrant!”

The New Laws’ Ramifications:

Now let’s see how the new law is going to affect you as a Ghanaian immigrant; if it gains a foot- hold in the entire nation or national recognition:

1) Hospitals and school system will check applicants’ legal documents before an admission will take place.

2) It will be a crime for a landlord to rent an apartment to an undocumented immigrant.

3) You will be forced to carry your passport or immigration papers at all time ,or else you might be detained and arrested on the basis of your appearance alone or your accent or the way you dress (especially if you go to a funeral or attend cultural festivities).

4) An increase in deportation proceedings 5) A Flexible, more humane immigration laws would be no where in sight for future green card and asylum seekers... 6) Racial profiling and wrongful arrests are likely to increase.

7) Police will have enough latitude to exercise their powers arbitrary.

8) Even pro-immigrant politicians will be very nervous politically to voice their stance publicly.

And to those who are working without legal documents, your boss holds your future in his hands. One telephone call can ruin your life. And what about if he threatens to call the immigration authorities on you for being outspoken or demanding a better pay? You may have to choose between desperation, deportation or exploitation.

Yes, right now this law is only effective in Arizona, but it can be any day now when the entire nation adopts it. I won’t be surprised if a national version is being hatched on the drawing board in Congress or Senate .Let’s not forget Europe and its anti-immigrant politicians who are gaining recognition across Europe. My best advice: Stay under the immigration authorities’ radar!

Why is that?

The job situation in Europe and America is understandably making people very jittery and hostile to immigrants but, the terrorism has made our case very difficult to discuss.

Regrettably, the majority of Arizonians really like the new law and when you talk to majority of Americans (if they really want to tell the truth) they believe that immigrants ,(both undocumented and legal) are responsible for crime ,unemployment, crowded emergency rooms in the hospitals, over -population, destruction of the Anglo-American culture and every other social ill that comes to mind in this country. In other words “foreigners” are blamed for all the bad things in the country.

This new thinking among some people is serious and dangerous because it has the potential to be deadly.

Not long ago, a group of people lost their lives for been blamed for Europeans’ problems. In the 1930s, Germany under Hitler blamed Jews for Europeans’ problems. As a result Hitler and his men systematically designed barbaric ways to eliminate Jews. Yes, xenophobia can easily morph into hatred and intolerance. And intolerance can lead to dehumanization and ultimately elimination of the hatred group.

During the Apartheid –era South African blacks were required to carry identity papers where ever they went and most Americans protested and demonstrated against it, which ultimately brought down the apartheid regime. Now the same thing is brewing across this “land of freedom” but people are embracing it like a badge- of –honor. I wonder why!

Anyway, as immigrant I’m beginning to wonder if we had over-stayed our time here and taking advantage of our host’s kindness or our services are no longer needed in this great nation, which has given us so much hope and aspirations.

Does Ghana really need us or just want our remittances? Do our leaders and policy makers reflect on our dilemma: To be exploited or deported? Should we suffer silently here in America or Europe or being in destitution by going back home?” That’s the dilemma which is loaded with a lot of socio-economic uncertainties. But, who cares about immigrants’ problems! As long as the remittances are flowing there is no cause for panic at Kotoka.

Do you think things will be ‘normal’ for us again in our host countries? I won’t bet my last cedi on that. Thanks to Al Qaeda, bad economy and the drug cartel, now our immigration secrets which were absent from public view are going to be out in the open. One way or another, it seems inevitable that all future immigrants would have their work cut out for them. Even those with legal status are likely going to be under scrutiny. The only question is: When?

“Hey, just send the money for the funeral expenses and your niece’s or nephew’s school fees and shut the hell up. And, don’t leave home without your passport and your immigration documents.”

Well, I wonder whether our leaders and politicians are paying any attention to the anti-immigrants weather vane, which is spinning venom profoundly across America and Europe. My question is: Is the home front’s ecology fertile enough to provide the nourishment for our dreams and aspirations?

Paradoxically, if our leaders are looking for ways to control the brain-drain and focus on the brain -gain, there is no better time than now. But, no one is paying attention. Hello, is anyone home?

Kwaku Adu-Gyamfi (The Voice of Reason) NJ, USA

*The author is a social commentator and a chairman of the Adu-Gyamfi Youth Empowerment Foundation of Asuom,Akim.