Overview
The
twenty-first century has witnessed unprecedented levels of global migration,
reshaping demographics, economies, and cultures worldwide. This phenomenon has
sparked intense debates and divergent perspectives on immigration, often
polarizing societies into two distinct camps: nationalists and
internationalists. Nationalists advocate for stringent immigration controls,
emphasizing the preservation of national identity, security, and economic
stability. In contrast, internationalists champion open borders (with
controls), celebrating cultural diversity and the economic benefits of a
globalized workforce.
This writing
delves into the complex discourse surrounding immigration in contemporary
society. It explores how these opposing viewpoints manifest in political
rhetoric, media representations, and public opinion. By examining the
peripheralism inherent in both nationalist and internationalist narratives, it
aims to uncover the underlying motivations, fears, and aspirations that drive
these immigration debates.
Through an
analysis of speeches, and media coverage, this writing seeks to provide a
nuanced understanding of how immigration is framed and contested in the
twenty-first century. Ultimately, this writing aspires to contribute to the
broader discourse on immigration by highlighting the need for balanced and
informed discussions that transcend polarized viewpoints.
Outline
1. Historical Perspectives on Immigration
People move
around. They move around in ones, twos and in hordes for security, opportunity,
or exploration. Christopher Columbus is credited to have discovered America in
1492 when he landed in the Bahamas. However, it is argued that Norse explorer
Leif Erikson was the first European to set foot in North America, specifically
in today’s city known as Newfoundland around the year 1000. Nevertheless,
it must be stated that the indigenous peoples have lived in Americas thousands
of years before the coming of the European explorers.
Before the
arrival of First Fleet of British ships on January 26, 1788, led by Captain
Arthur Phillip, indigenous Australians have flourished in Australia around
50,000 to 65,000 years ago.
Before the
arrivals of European whalers, sealers, and missionaries and settlements in
places, such as Wellington, Canterbury and Otago from early 1800s to
1840, the Māori have flourished in New Zealand since 1250
CE. Coming from a Polynesian stock, they crossed the Pacific Ocean guided by
stars, ocean currents and winds until they arrived at a land today known as New
Zealand.
Before the
arrival of the first French explorer, Samuel de Champlain in 1608 at Québec City,
and the British in mid-18th century, the indigenous peoples,
such as the First Nations, Inuit, and later the Metis have flourished in the
North American continent for 12,000 years ago. They migrated from today’s
Siberia and Alaska establishing many cultures, societies and economies.
The above
examples of the movements of the people from one location to the other reveal
that before the twenty-first century people moved to new places with the
intention of settling there permanently, there were people who had done it.
They were pacesetters. They leave their home countries and establish residence
in alien soils. Why is today’s immigration different and why is there so much
fuss and frustration about immigration utterances between nationalists and
internationalists?
2. Anti-Immigration Utterances
Anti-immigration
utterances often reflect concerns about economic impact, cultural change, and
national security. The concerns often arise from unfound fears and engineered
misconceptions about the impact of immigration. These fears and misconceptions
cause utterances, such as:
- Immigrants are taking our jobs
and driving down wages.
- Immigrants are sponging on our
welfare system. We can’t sustain it any longer.
- Immigrants are not assimilating
and are changing our national identity.
- Our culture and traditions are
being eroded by the influx of foreigners.
- Immigrants are bringing crime
and terrorism into our country.
- We need to secure our borders to
protect our citizens from illegal immigrants.
- The government is prioritizing
immigrants over its own citizens.
- Immigration is leading to
overcrowding and strain on public services.
Though some
of these utterances may be ruminated daily in different echo chambers, it is
necessary to examine and address them with evidence to allay the fears of
citizens and promote inclusivity at the same time.
3. Nationalist Perspectives on Immigration
By way of
definition, nationalism is an ideology the seeks to place one nation above all
others and emphasizes loyalty and devotion to one’s national identity, and
sovereignty, and promoting the culture and interests of one’s nation over other
external influences. The idea of nationalism is not bad. It is good to express
one’s national pride, economic independence and self-determination. It becomes
inimical when politicians use it as a weapon of bigotry against perceived
threats from globalization.
For example,
nationalist rhetoric has given rise to some populist movements and leaders in
almost every country, such as USA, India, France, Netherlands, Germany, United
Kingdom and more. As a weapon of bigotry, politicians adopt its inimical themes
to gather support by stressing on immigrants as ‘invaders,’ ‘destroyers’, and
‘exploiters’ of their culture, language, and economy. Such political utterances
promote exclusionary practices, xenophobia, conflicts, racism and supremacy
attacks.
The media
has also helped in shaping and representing nationalist views in the way they
frame the narratives, such as unbalanced emphasis on national identity, threats
to national security, waning economic stability, unrecognizable community, or
diminishing cultural heritage.
Many times,
the media focuses on nationalist briefs or comments on immigration, they latch
on associated immigration situations in other countries and perpetuate
selective coverage of the news. The media frequently presents narratives
of rabble rousers, populist leaders and organizations that spew out
inimical nationalist rhetoric.
Back in the
days, when the radio, newspapers and possibly television were major means to
communicating information; bad, incendiary, and hate speeches, narratives and
news were controlled. Today, digital and social media have enabled the creation
of echo chambers for brewing and spewing nationalist ideas without check.
4. Internationalist Perspectives on Immigration
Internationalism
in the 21st-century can be described as an ideology that aims to foster global
cooperation, economic integration, human rights, cultural exchange,
technological sharing, peace, and environmental sustainability. Its objective
is bringing people together across borders to create a more just and inclusive
world.
It stresses
the need for cooperation in addressing global issues like pandemics, climate
change, and economic inequality. It argues for policies that foster free trade,
rights of refugees, fighting human trafficking and establishing social justice
around the globe. Internationalism also seeks support in multiculturalism,
inclusion and educational programs that promote innovation and connectivity,
peace and security, conflict prevention and resolution, and disarmament.
Internationalist
perspectives on immigration stress the benefits of reasonable open borders
policies, cultural diversity, and global cooperation. They argue that
immigration help in economic growth as noted in United States, United Kingdom
and many other industrialized nations. Immigrants bring different skills and
fill the labor gaps to increase productivity and creativity in labor market.
Though,
nationalists argue that immigrants destroy the cultural heritage of their new
country and home, the internationalists argue that immigration enrich societies
traditionally, culturally and lingually.
It is not
all sale and no anchor for immigrants. They face many challenges in their
adopted homes and countries. Some immigrants left their homes and countries as
results of conflict, persecution, war, or natural disasters and became refugees
or asylum seekers not out of their own making. Internationalists advocate for
protection of refugees and asylum seekers in countries where they find
themselves with human dignity, respect of their rights, and sound integration
into their new countries and homes.
The media
also help shape the narrative of internationalist views by spreading positive
themes of humanitarianism, cultural diversity and global cooperation. There are
instances of areas of specialism that once immigrants have excelled in many
countries, notwithstanding their different stories for fleeing their homelands.
The media many times showcase their success stories via-a-vis their
persecutorial narratives.
The media
also report cases of bigotry, discrimination or xenophobia against immigrants
of which internationalists highlight and try to put immigrants in balanced
representation. By so doing, the media provide counter-narrative to nationalist
views as they leverage the benefits of immigration to foster internationalism,
cultural diversity and global cooperation.
5. Peripheralism in Immigration Discourse
Peripheralism
in immigration discourse refers to the tendency to marginalize or sideline
certain groups or perspectives in discussions about immigration. To
conceptualize peripheralism, is to attempt to understand how certain
individuals, groups or perspectives are sidelined in different contexts.
The
different contexts are not limited to exclusion from mainstream cultural
narratives or lack of recognition for immigrants’ contributions. It extends to
unconscious peripheralism that happens daily, such as switching sidewalks just
to avoid meeting an individual of different colour or dress code; switching and
holding tight your purse while another individual different from you passes by;
spitting before or immediately an individual different from you passes by.
These examples are not part of nationalist views. They are rather peripheralist
perspectives or a thinking of imagined difference.
Peripheralism
considers native-born citizens’ voices first before immigrants’ own voices and
experience. And rightfully so! But it becomes inimical when immigrants are
framed or depicted as outsiders or spongers of social, economic and political
benefits of the host country. Such stereotypes can pitch the native-born
citizens and naturalized citizens against one another resulting in ‘clash of
bigotries.’
The
Charlottesville incident during the ‘Unite the Right’ rally on August 11-12,
2017, organized by white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups protesting the removal
of a Confederate statue is a typical example. The rally soon turned into
violence and a white supremacist deliberately drove his car into a crowd of
counter-protesters killing one person and injuring around 35 others. Totally
condemned as a domestic terrorism but also painted a bigger picture of the deep
divisions, extremism and tensions in the United States.
The media at
times engage in selective coverage of immigration discourse by highlighting
some one-off incidents where immigrants have misbehaved or committed crimes and
ignoring all the positive contributions immigrants have made to the society. At
times, some nationalists would call for stringent immigration laws and
regulations without considering their effects on immigrants and their families.
Therefore,
an understanding of peripheralism in immigration discourse will help create a
more inclusive and balanced discussion about immigrants, their experiences and
contributions to the society.
6. Immigrants’ Overreach OR Excesses
Some
immigrants tend to exhibit their talents and urge to live the dream bequeathed
them by their host countries but are often met with worrisome consternations.
Many times, a few native-born citizens construe their ambitions as ulterior and
inimical to the host countries’ values and traditions.
Nevertheless,
some immigrants through their actions and utterances show their disdain for
their host countries by outrightly refusing to assimilate the culture and
traditions of the mainstream even when it is very friendly and simple. Some
engage in criminal enterprises, drugs, abuses and even terrorism. Such
behaviour only shows a dislike or ingratitude to a country that nurtures,
protects, and provides for you.
Let’s
examine immigrants’ overreach from a different angle. Some proposals by wealthy
immigrants to buy large properties or even entire islands can be seen as
overreach.
For example,
it was alleged that Sheikh Yasser al-Habib, a controversial cleric who
reportedly planned to buy the island of Torsa off the west coast of Scotland to
create a Sharia law-based Islamic ‘homeland.’ This was viewed with utter
consternation.
In some
instances, some immigrants show determined efforts to foster their cultural
identity, through dress code, bilingual education, Independence Day celebration
or cultural carnivals on their host country. A few native-born citizens may
perceive such efforts as denigrating the local traditions or rebellion to
assimilation.
In some
other instances, some children of immigrants have risen to high political
offices, such as the former Prime Minister of Britain, whose father was born in
Kenya, and mother in Tanzania but of Indian descent. Such moves may be viewed
as an overreach by a few native-born citizens and a reason for xenophobia or
verbal attacks on other potential political aspirants.
7. Transcending Polarized Perspectives on Immigration Matters
There is
need to create balanced and informed discourses on immigration that transcend
polarized viewpoints. Some strategies can help craft such a respectable and
welcoming environment. They include:
Foster
Open Dialogue
As a policy
maker or politician, try to create safe spaces for dialogue and aim to foster
constructive engagement and prevent hostile comments or utterances.
Common
Ground
Bear in mind
that there are many things that bring human beings together than separate them.
Focus on your shared values and goals, such as importance of security, economic
stability and preservation of culture, notwithstanding your views as
nationalists or internationalists.
Avoid
Immigrational Misinformation or Disinformation
Always speak
with facts and use reliable data and research to communicate your points. Such
moves will counter all misinformation and through insights into who the
immigrants are and what they offer to the society.
Share
Personal Stories
Telling your
story as it is as an immigrant can help others understand your plight, see the
human side of immigration, and foster empathy.
Listen to
Diverse Voices
When it
comes to policies affecting immigrants, and non-immigrants, make the
discussions all-inclusive to provide a comprehensive understanding of the
issue.
Community
Engagement
Promote
community-based initiatives that act as public sphere bringing people together
to participate on common projects and build trust and cooperation between them.
Education
and Outreach Programs
Promote
diversity through educational programs that can help explain to students the
complexities of immigration, create workshops that bring both immigrants and
native-born citizens together.
Media
Responsibility
Each media
house or outlet should provide a balanced coverage of immigration matters to
their audience by being contextual and factual. When they present a nuanced
view of immigration issues, they are massively shaping public perception and
understanding of immigrants and immigration.
8. Conclusion
People have
always moved around in search of opportunities, security or exploration. From
Christopher Columbus, Captain Arthur Phillip to Samuel de Champlain,
they were the lens through which the early Europeans migrated to Americas,
Australia and New Zealand.
In this 21st century,
the nationalists and internationalists views must find a common ground in their
different quest for security, identity, economic stability and cultural
preservation.
Above all,
there is need to proffer strategies that can create balanced and informed
discourses on immigration that transcend polarized viewpoints. By adopting
those strategies, it is possible to foster a more inclusive and effective
policies where immigrants and native-born citizens can coexist with minimal
conflicts, less xenophobia and without suspicions.
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