Humanizing The Immigration Rhetoric

Humans are hardwired for connection. We have neural networks in our brains that promote both emotional intelligence and empathy, and a neural network that assists with absorbing the values and beliefs of cultures. UCLA professor of biobehavioral science, psychiatry, and psychology Matthew Lieberman asserts that the need for connection has “been baked into our operating system for tens of millions of years” and is just as natural and crucial as our need for sustenance and shelter. Because our brains are designed for human connection, the experience of social pain is as visceral as when we feel physical pain; without connection, we suffer. Professor Lieberman explains that “The things that cause us to feel pain are things that are evolutionary recognized as threats to our survival and the existence of social pain is a sign that evolution has treated social connection like a necessity, not a luxury.”

It’s essential for our species that we are accepted by the “in-group,” for in this belonging we find safety, security, and survival. Religious scholar William Scott Green states, “A society does not simply discover its others, it fabricates them, by selecting, isolating, and emphasizing an aspect of another people’s life, and making it symbolize their difference.” Sociologist Karen Fields and her sister the historian Barbara Fields reflect that “Those of racecraft govern… where human kinship begins and ends… and how Americans look at themselves and each other.” Race is a sociocultural construct, and all humans regardless of their ethnic backgrounds are members of a common species. Yet those who see race in terms of hierarchy and embrace xenophobic ideology pit themselves against those they perceive as the Other, fraying the biological bonds of kinship and through dehumanization are able to justify everything from inequity to atrocity.

America is affectionately referred to as “a nation of immigrants,” but there is a long-standing dichotomy between those who are made to feel that they belong and those who are made to feel that they are Others. “Almost since the country’s founding, Americans have debated who should be included or excluded, with the boundaries of American identity often being shaped by prejudice against non-whites” (Greene). Because of damaging, dehumanizing, and often completely inaccurate rhetoric fueled by dueling politics, immigration has become a deeply divisive topic. 

Yet immigration is nothing new to this country. Tens of thousands of years ago, the original inhabitants came over a land bridge. Europeans began settling in colonies here in the 1500s, followed by English permanent settlements in the 1600s. Immigration continued over the centuries; between 1870 and 1900, almost 12 million immigrants came to America. “Fleeing crop failure, land and job shortages, rising taxes, and famine, many came to the U. S. because it was perceived as the land of economic opportunity. Others came seeking personal freedom or relief from political and religious persecution” (Library of Congress). These are the same reasons why immigrants continue to come into the United States, seeking both a better life and the belonging that all humans need and deserve.

Xenophobia and discrimination against immigrants has also lasted for centuries. “The arguments used against Germans [in the 1700s] established a template of anti-immigrant attitudes, prejudice, and rhetoric that would be repeated and refashioned for later immigrant groups” (Lee, 18). The xenophobic ideology uses “negative stereotypes and disinformation that dehumanize and criminalize immigrants,” a destructive rhetoric to “perpetuate the idea that immigrants, or people who are perceived to be ‘foreign’ or ‘outsiders,’ threaten America’s founding ideals and must be excluded from positions of power, citizenship, or even residence in the United States” (Yates, et al). These extreme prejudices “have been associated with increased hate crimes and discrimination toward immigrants and immigrant communities” (Murry, et al).

Former president Donald Trump has long referred to immigrants as “animals” and “not humans.” He also continues to espouse unfounded claims with no evidence that immigrants and migrants are escapees from asylums and prisons and are responsible for violent crime, and has vowed to cease the “plunder, rape, slaughter and destruction of our American suburbs, cities and towns.” Ironically, Trump himself is the grandson of an immigrant, the husband of an immigrant, and is a convicted felon who is guilty of defamation, falsifying business records, and sexual assault, and is also indicted on federal charges in connection with seditious conspiracy and insurrection.

In December 2023, CBS News journalists were at the Rio Grande where migrants crossed over from Mexico, begging “Help us” and “We have children.” How could the Texas National Guard harden their hearts to these human beings crying out for mercy? Though our brains are wired for connection, when we dehumanize people, we create psychological loopholes that bypass empathy and allow us to disconnect from our shared humanity and ignore or dismiss the experiences and feelings of those we deem to be Others. A myopic view results in stereotypes and a distorted perception that doesn’t account for the whole picture. If one only squints through the lens of their own perception (which is a conglomeration of cultural influence, assumption, and limited experience), they are likely to view the Other as foreign at best and a danger at worst. We must build beyond this “single story” and humanize the rhetoric of immigration to place emphasis and focus on “restoring those defining qualities that make us human, including dignity and diversity” (Scott).

Listening is a powerful practice of humanization. A community in Oakland, California listened to the testimony of Mrs. Fu Lee as she described the deplorable working conditions for Asian immigrants in the garment industry in the San Francisco Bay Area including overly long workdays, low or no wages, hazards, and toxins. Too often the narrative around migrant workers has just focused on cheap, collective labor. Zooming in on the actual narrative of lived experience paints a grim picture. For example, the Mexican farmworkers at the Farm Security Administration camp in Sinton, Texas in 1942 were about one thousand people living in “squalid, depressing conditions… with one outdoor toilet and no bath.” Stories don’t just serve as a record of events in history, but offer the opportunity for us to imagine, empathize, connect, and ultimately humanize. 

It is crucial for people to feel that they belong, including in their social communities. Understanding that the immigrant experience often includes a painful Othering is important for developing empathy. As Kao Kalia Yang writes in her memoir: “[A school] didn’t want us because we couldn’t speak English well enough, and they didn’t have the special teachers we would need. This is my first memory of feeling embarrassed.” We can all relate to that universal feeling, and can feel the pangs of heartache within narratives that tell stories of exclusion. It’s also notable that for many immigrants who come to America as adopted children, such as the Korean adoptees in Minnesota interviewed by Kim Park Nelson, that their identity entails an existential journey, as most were not exposed to their culture of origin in their adopted homes, felt racially isolated in their communities, and subsequently felt alone – the painful opposite of belonging.

The power of narrative also connects children with the immigration experience of their parents. The poignant story of young Jorge and his missing father in Learning to Lead shows how “migration narratives often illustrate the brutal conditions of crossing an increasingly militarized border” (Nájera, 18) as well as the grief, guilt, and trauma collectively shared (and passed down) in families. Like Jorge, even if we aren’t crossing borders ourselves, we can feel the emotional, mental, and physical impact of these journeys, the mortal peril, and the lasting effects on the psyches, bodies, souls, and futures of all involved. Reorienting the rhetoric about immigrants to focus on shared humanity is a powerful element of storytelling. 

In narratives ranging from creative nonfiction to a House Immigration Subcommittee Hearing testimony, Edwidge Danticat shared the story of her beloved uncle Joseph, beginning with his life of devotion in Haiti and ending tragically with his avoidable death in immigration custody after requesting asylum with a valid visa. Danticat describes Joseph as an “extraordinarily loved and greatly treasured” father, grandfather, uncle, brother, friend, minister, and cancer survivor. She also goes into great detail about the excruciating circumstances around his detainment, and the urgent need for medical care that was refused by the guard. Sometimes the stories that are the hardest to hear are the ones that we must pay the closest attention to, actively listening with our minds and hearts to connect with the deepest parts of ourselves and others.

Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, gives a call to action: “Instead of repeating harmful narratives of fear and exclusion, it’s time to welcome people into our communities, to reimagine our collective future.” We can transform xenophobic narratives by focusing on values that are embedded in our shared humanity such as compassion, dignity, equality, and justice. The power of storytelling inspires visualization, emotion, and empathy with the immigrant experience. 

Humanizing the narrative involves seeing immigrants as individuals rather than statistics, recognizing each person’s inherent dignity, and acknowledging the complex reasons why people cross borders. A transformation of rhetoric can be achieved by providing a platform for immigrants and their loved ones to share their stories.  A website that people can submit to (anonymously if they so choose) would allow them to tell their stories and connect with others, engaging their unique narratives with the collective to advance the concerns, hopes, and humanity of immigrant people. 

We can learn much from thought leaders and change makers such as the Othering & Belonging Institute that works to “develop strategic narratives for belonging.”  Details that flesh out the person behind the status of immigrant humanize the identity and allow us to tap into empathy for the person and their experience, and inspire changes on personal and social levels. Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel asserted that “no human being is illegal.” All people are migrants; we share that fundamental story from the beginning of human history. No one is an alien, outsider, or Other as long as we actively practice listening, compassion, and belonging.  

There is power in narrative, and we humans are storytellers. Stories hold sway, and the judgments we create based on our stories determine whether we condemn or forgive; fear or love; include or exclude. Stories can hold us hostage or set us free; they can split or suture. What would happen if we actively worked to change the dominant narrative around immigration? The fear, shame, and trauma that results from xenophobic rhetoric can be quelled with storytelling that speaks truth, bears witness, and brings immigrant people into the light of compassionate, communal connection where we all belong.

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WORKS CITED

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