America does not stand as the pillar of land of the free and home of the brave, but instead the place with opportunity where people look to exchange their blood, sweat and tears for the crumbs of a decent life. 

It does not come as a surprise that Haitian immigrants were next on the list and it might as well be said that they will not be the last. Looking at those pictures of border patrol officers chasing migrants on horseback, regardless of whatever excuses that people are looking to make, is disturbing to say the least. The fact that human beings needed to be wrangled together by people on horses with lassoes is animalistic. In one video circulating, a border patrol officer can be seen hurling insults at migrants telling them “you use your women! This is why your country is sh*t because you use your women!” It is simple, the humanity is just not there. Garcelle Beauvais, an actress and presenter of Haitian heritage, said that seeing the pictures was as if she was watching a slave movie happen in 2021. 

At this point, it is beginning to register as complete and utter stupidity when people act as if they cannot be empathetic to someone else’s situation. There always seems to be an ease with criminalizing black and brown immigrants. People who are anti-immigrant tend to act as if they are incapable of walking in someone else’s shoes but it is not true, it is just easier to view them foreigners, aliens and labeling the situation as trying “to control the invasion,” as stated by Hugo Gurdon of the Washington Examiner, because then they get to sleep a bit better at night with their dirty conscience. 

Why is the visibly terrible treatment of immigrants so polarizing? 

When did looking for survival and attempting to seek asylum become criminal?

Something that is often omitted in this topic is asking how some of the people who were deported back to Haiti are going to cope after having left and fled to Chile, Brazil, Panama and other Latin countries for years trying to look for opportunities.

Though I can understand that there were a lot of migrants, the situation did not warrant the treatment they received.

Whether it is Haitians today, Asian people tomorrow and people of hispanic descent the day before, the perception of migrants of color as invaders or a caravan of inferior beings will continue because this is the ideology in which this country is founded upon. Unless, of course, it benefits them.

It is beyond preposterous for people to continue to promote the idea that when immigrants come here they are somehow taking anything from anyone. That same courage that it took to leave their home country and families, is the same tenacity they use to clean the bathrooms and do the peasant jobs that they find beneath them in order to provide for their families and give their children a better tomorrow.

Let’s be honest, America only likes people of different backgrounds when they get to go and visit them in their “sh*thole countries” to examine and take pictures of them like zoo animals. It is like going to Africa to see the wild elephants and feed them. They only like it when they are the one’s in the front seat, with the bag of peanuts saying “aren’t you a good boy.” Only then is it okay to feed the wild bastardous animals. 

Former President Donald Trump was only saying what half of the country was already thinking. And until that changes and people like Mitch McConnell and people who share those views start to recognize the humanity in others who look different and have less than they do, then things will start to change. 

Image from @bibi_sosa42 on Twitter