The Immigrant Question: When birthplace is not enough in politics
A question of African immigrant political incorporation in America
Having left my predominantly liberal/progressive college campus, following the U.S. electoral campaign at home with my conservative Republican father was surprisingly exciting, informative, and challenging. A bit more knowledgeable and reflective today than I was four years ago, I was more informed, engaged, and truly interested in the process and not solely the outcome of this year's elections. In addition to fostering a healthy tolerance for Fox news and a deeper understanding of American history and politics, being back in my home city of the Bronx and living at home during the electoral period highlighted an issue I had not considered before: the question of how Ghanaian immigrants in America, and by extension African immigrants in general, relate to the political process and politics in this country. Or more broadly, immigrant political incorporation in America. This is some of what I have been thinking through so far:
Demographics & Immigration
Recent African immigrants. Africans who came to America after the wave of independence on the continent are not a monolith. Just from my experience with Africans in the last decade, especially Ghanaians in the Bronx, I have seen a great deal of variation in experiences, beliefs, cultures, and political identities. From the Africans excelling at elite institutions and well to do to those stuck in poverty, left behind in the educational tracks, involved in gangs, drugs, and other illicit activity to everything in between, no one perspective can truly encompass the depth and width of this immigrant experience. In my household alone, there are 1 to 2 people completely disengaged from politics, 3 completely immersed in it, and 2 somewhere in between, each with a very unique narrative of their experience in the U.S. My siblings and I consider ourselves Black, have a very hybrid identity, and have largely assimilated to Black American culture but my parents have not. No two people in my family have similar enough experiences in this country so negotiating what ought to matter to us in the political arena would be difficult, if not impossible. It is thus fundamental to aknowledge that the African immigrant story in America provides a challenging narrative for immigration policy in the United States.
But while difficult, I do believe that it is time to expand the immigration discourse/reform to Africans and other Black immigrant groups, not at the expense of any immigrant groups in the limelight now but simply because there is room to do so. However complicated, there is room to seriously consider how immigration reform affects Africans and other Black immigrants including those from the Caribbean, Latin America, etc. in America and to be deliberate and intentional in these considerations. This means that Africans need to (and already are) build their political clout at the state and national levels in this country in order to ensure that their concerns are being heard and their contributions acknowledged (as a lot of them do not intend on returning to their homelands or consider America their homeland).
For as long as I can remember, I always knew that the immigration question in the U.S. concerned me and my family although the debate at the national and local levels made little to no reference to Africans, especially in the media. According to the 2007 Community Survey & 2007 Office of Immigration figures, there are 1.4million foreign born from African in the U.S. Another report puts the 2009 figure at 1.5million with the population "increasing by about 200 percent during the 1980s and 1990s and nearly 100 percent during the 2000s". I can say with certainty that a lot of Africans evade or choose not to participate in these surveys so the survey numbers underestimate the actual numbers. But this first figure plus the number of Americans born to African parents and first, second, third generation Africans with ties to the continent would probably put this figure much higher. To put the numbers in perspective, a knowledgeable friend recently told me that one of the neighborhoods in the Bronx has the most Ghanaians living outside of Ghana (but there is little to acknowledge this). So directly or indirectly, immigration matters or concerns Africans. Although this population of African immigrations is still a small percent of the total immigrant population, it is still a sizeable enough population to consider. The Black immigrant diaspora is an even more sizeable population to consider.
So when immigrants are labelled as illegal aliens, it concerns Africans and other Black immigrant groups. Deportations concerns Africans. The question of African refugees and students is also another interesting dimension of the African immigrant story. The Dream Act matters/concerns Africans. Some Africans may not aknowledge this but it matters to a segment of the population. The fact that the first Black president is a son of an African immigrant cements the idea that recent waves of immigrants are a part of the American fabric (although his deportation record has caused some to question this sentiment).
Moreover, recent waves of Africans immigrants have contributed a lot to the economic, political, and social vibrancy of this country. They continue to do so.
So when I see ads like the one at the bottom of the page, I look like so o_0
Again, what this video brings forth is the idea that African/Black immigration complicates matters a bit more on an already complex immigration discourse. While a lot of young African immigrants have assimilated into the African-American culture, struggle, and relate to its history in ways in which they can become a part of the African America demographic, their birthplace or the birthplace of their parents or grandparents complicates their allegiance to policies which undermine the wellbeing of those they love. So any affront, this one obviously by a conservative agenda, to suggest that Black people should be upset about Latino immigration is absurd on its own and it is moreover an attack on another segment of Black population (immigrant Black Diaspora as a whole). These groups should join together in a common cause and not alienate each other or their struggles.
U.S. Policy in Africa
I must admit that my father and brother's vigilance over Obama's policies keeps me from blind optimism. I recently joked that my father may be the only African who does not like Obama's presidency but all things considered, my father and brother's political affiliations provide me with a more nuanced perspective on the meaning of Obama's policies for America and for Africa than I would have otherwise. Two days after the election, my brother sent me this compelling CNN article about the meaning of (or lack thereof) Obama's reelection for African. In essence, it offers a nuanced perspective on the "engaged but at a distance" Obama policy in Africa, compares it to deliberate and active humanitarian initiatives by his predecessors, and brings forth some of the concerns the continent faces for which American policy will be crucial.
So while I am sure that a lot of Africans still maintain their deep fondness for Obama, I also know that some are discontent, disappointed, and or disillusioned and these perspectives provide a unique lens from which to analyze American policy on the continent: Africa: How Obama has Betrayed Africa, Africa mulls Obama's presidency, Obama the son of Africa claims a continent's crown jewels.
My perspective today is the same it has been for quite some time: our president can stand to work on his civil liberties record at home and abroad. I know that Obama's job is a difficult one. As a pragmatic, I know that the President of the United States makes calls to kill as the commander in chief. Obama's job is one of the most morally suffocating jobs I can think of. I could not do it. But I do take the stand that America needs to reconsider alternatives to its global engagement, especially how it engages in conflict and perceived threat.
But a new term is a new term and as the saying goes, no man is infallible. Obama has an opportunity to do certain things differently on the continent as he cannot not stand for reelection again (and in all honestly, we do not know what we may get in 2016). Africa is rapidly changing - with the presence of China, coups in Mali and Guinea Bissau, Libya, etc - and the political terrain is very complex. Obama has a lot to do in America and every where else. The relief of his reelection has reinvigorated me with new hope that if and when he does do something in Africa, he may do better.
History will ultimately be the testament to what the son of Africa meant for the continent (pressure but no pressure). Conflict/war are at times clandestine (maybe not with Dronestagram). With immigration and globalization rapidly connecting and integrating communities in every corner of the world, foreign policy may not have the privilege of serving national interests. If every American has family or ties to someone in another part of the world, galvanizing public support and moral engagement for war or blindsight in humanitarian engagement may not be so easy. And I do not think that it should be.
*Most recent census data for those interested: http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-02.pdf
Having left my predominantly liberal/progressive college campus, following the U.S. electoral campaign at home with my conservative Republican father was surprisingly exciting, informative, and challenging. A bit more knowledgeable and reflective today than I was four years ago, I was more informed, engaged, and truly interested in the process and not solely the outcome of this year's elections. In addition to fostering a healthy tolerance for Fox news and a deeper understanding of American history and politics, being back in my home city of the Bronx and living at home during the electoral period highlighted an issue I had not considered before: the question of how Ghanaian immigrants in America, and by extension African immigrants in general, relate to the political process and politics in this country. Or more broadly, immigrant political incorporation in America. This is some of what I have been thinking through so far:
Demographics & Immigration
Recent African immigrants. Africans who came to America after the wave of independence on the continent are not a monolith. Just from my experience with Africans in the last decade, especially Ghanaians in the Bronx, I have seen a great deal of variation in experiences, beliefs, cultures, and political identities. From the Africans excelling at elite institutions and well to do to those stuck in poverty, left behind in the educational tracks, involved in gangs, drugs, and other illicit activity to everything in between, no one perspective can truly encompass the depth and width of this immigrant experience. In my household alone, there are 1 to 2 people completely disengaged from politics, 3 completely immersed in it, and 2 somewhere in between, each with a very unique narrative of their experience in the U.S. My siblings and I consider ourselves Black, have a very hybrid identity, and have largely assimilated to Black American culture but my parents have not. No two people in my family have similar enough experiences in this country so negotiating what ought to matter to us in the political arena would be difficult, if not impossible. It is thus fundamental to aknowledge that the African immigrant story in America provides a challenging narrative for immigration policy in the United States.
But while difficult, I do believe that it is time to expand the immigration discourse/reform to Africans and other Black immigrant groups, not at the expense of any immigrant groups in the limelight now but simply because there is room to do so. However complicated, there is room to seriously consider how immigration reform affects Africans and other Black immigrants including those from the Caribbean, Latin America, etc. in America and to be deliberate and intentional in these considerations. This means that Africans need to (and already are) build their political clout at the state and national levels in this country in order to ensure that their concerns are being heard and their contributions acknowledged (as a lot of them do not intend on returning to their homelands or consider America their homeland).
For as long as I can remember, I always knew that the immigration question in the U.S. concerned me and my family although the debate at the national and local levels made little to no reference to Africans, especially in the media. According to the 2007 Community Survey & 2007 Office of Immigration figures, there are 1.4million foreign born from African in the U.S. Another report puts the 2009 figure at 1.5million with the population "increasing by about 200 percent during the 1980s and 1990s and nearly 100 percent during the 2000s". I can say with certainty that a lot of Africans evade or choose not to participate in these surveys so the survey numbers underestimate the actual numbers. But this first figure plus the number of Americans born to African parents and first, second, third generation Africans with ties to the continent would probably put this figure much higher. To put the numbers in perspective, a knowledgeable friend recently told me that one of the neighborhoods in the Bronx has the most Ghanaians living outside of Ghana (but there is little to acknowledge this). So directly or indirectly, immigration matters or concerns Africans. Although this population of African immigrations is still a small percent of the total immigrant population, it is still a sizeable enough population to consider. The Black immigrant diaspora is an even more sizeable population to consider.
So when immigrants are labelled as illegal aliens, it concerns Africans and other Black immigrant groups. Deportations concerns Africans. The question of African refugees and students is also another interesting dimension of the African immigrant story. The Dream Act matters/concerns Africans. Some Africans may not aknowledge this but it matters to a segment of the population. The fact that the first Black president is a son of an African immigrant cements the idea that recent waves of immigrants are a part of the American fabric (although his deportation record has caused some to question this sentiment).
Moreover, recent waves of Africans immigrants have contributed a lot to the economic, political, and social vibrancy of this country. They continue to do so.
So when I see ads like the one at the bottom of the page, I look like so o_0
Again, what this video brings forth is the idea that African/Black immigration complicates matters a bit more on an already complex immigration discourse. While a lot of young African immigrants have assimilated into the African-American culture, struggle, and relate to its history in ways in which they can become a part of the African America demographic, their birthplace or the birthplace of their parents or grandparents complicates their allegiance to policies which undermine the wellbeing of those they love. So any affront, this one obviously by a conservative agenda, to suggest that Black people should be upset about Latino immigration is absurd on its own and it is moreover an attack on another segment of Black population (immigrant Black Diaspora as a whole). These groups should join together in a common cause and not alienate each other or their struggles.
U.S. Policy in Africa
I must admit that my father and brother's vigilance over Obama's policies keeps me from blind optimism. I recently joked that my father may be the only African who does not like Obama's presidency but all things considered, my father and brother's political affiliations provide me with a more nuanced perspective on the meaning of Obama's policies for America and for Africa than I would have otherwise. Two days after the election, my brother sent me this compelling CNN article about the meaning of (or lack thereof) Obama's reelection for African. In essence, it offers a nuanced perspective on the "engaged but at a distance" Obama policy in Africa, compares it to deliberate and active humanitarian initiatives by his predecessors, and brings forth some of the concerns the continent faces for which American policy will be crucial.
So while I am sure that a lot of Africans still maintain their deep fondness for Obama, I also know that some are discontent, disappointed, and or disillusioned and these perspectives provide a unique lens from which to analyze American policy on the continent: Africa: How Obama has Betrayed Africa, Africa mulls Obama's presidency, Obama the son of Africa claims a continent's crown jewels.
My perspective today is the same it has been for quite some time: our president can stand to work on his civil liberties record at home and abroad. I know that Obama's job is a difficult one. As a pragmatic, I know that the President of the United States makes calls to kill as the commander in chief. Obama's job is one of the most morally suffocating jobs I can think of. I could not do it. But I do take the stand that America needs to reconsider alternatives to its global engagement, especially how it engages in conflict and perceived threat.
But a new term is a new term and as the saying goes, no man is infallible. Obama has an opportunity to do certain things differently on the continent as he cannot not stand for reelection again (and in all honestly, we do not know what we may get in 2016). Africa is rapidly changing - with the presence of China, coups in Mali and Guinea Bissau, Libya, etc - and the political terrain is very complex. Obama has a lot to do in America and every where else. The relief of his reelection has reinvigorated me with new hope that if and when he does do something in Africa, he may do better.
History will ultimately be the testament to what the son of Africa meant for the continent (pressure but no pressure). Conflict/war are at times clandestine (maybe not with Dronestagram). With immigration and globalization rapidly connecting and integrating communities in every corner of the world, foreign policy may not have the privilege of serving national interests. If every American has family or ties to someone in another part of the world, galvanizing public support and moral engagement for war or blindsight in humanitarian engagement may not be so easy. And I do not think that it should be.
*Most recent census data for those interested: http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-02.pdf
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