THE MYTH OF THE “GOOD IMMIGRANT.

Immigrant? Migrant? Refugee? Asylum seeker? What label do we put on the human souls

fleeing Central and South American drug wars, intimidation, kidnapping and murder in their

native lands and (according to the President Trump and other administration officials) today

“pour into and infest our country?” To fully understand who these people are and what life

challenges they face, we must first define and draw distinctions between the various groups, and

then we must look at the larger picture.

According to the International Rescue Committee, An immigrant makes a conscious decision to

leave his or her home and move to a foreign country with the intention of settling there.

Immigrants routinely undergo a lengthy vetting process by the host country. Many then become

lawful permanent residents and eventually, citizens. Immigrants often research their

destinations, explore employment opportunities and study the language of the country where

they plan to live. Most importantly, they are free to return safely home whenever they choose.

A migrant is someone who moves from place to place (within his or her country or across

borders), usually for economic reasons such as seasonal work. Similar to immigrants, they are

not forced to leave their native countries because of persecution or violence but rather merely

seek broader economic opportunities.

A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her home - often without warning -

because of war, violence or political or religious persecution. They are unable to return home
unless and until conditions in their native land once again become safe for them. An official

entity such as a sovereign government or perhaps the United Nations High Commissioner on

Refugees (UNHCR) determines whether persons seeking international protection meet the

definition of refugee. Those who obtain refugee status are given protection under international

laws and conventions and lifesaving support from aid agencies, including the International

Rescue Committee. Refugees entering the U.S. also have the opportunity to become lawful

permanent residents and eventually, citizens.

An asylum seeker is someone who seeks international protection from dangers in his or her home

country, but whose claim for refugee status hasn’t been legally determined. Asylum seekers must

apply for protection in the country of destination, meaning they must arrive at or cross a border

to apply. Then, they must prove to authorities they meet the criteria to be covered by refugee

protections. Not every asylum seeker is eventually recognized as a refugee, and those not are

subject to deportation.

Today, an astonishing 68 million people worldwide fall under one or more of these definitions

and are either permanently displaced from their native land or internally displaced within their

own country. Around the world, human beings are on the march fleeing war, violence, political

or religious persecution, climate change-induced poverty and other forces beyond their power.

What are we to make of these “huddled masses?” Are we wired to despise them? Is xenophobia

in our DNA? Have Americans always abhorred and feared outsiders wishing access to our land

of opportunity? In 2016, Nikesh Shukla published a collection of twenty-one essays by black,

Asian and other ethnic minorities entitled The Good Immigrant, which explores racism and what
it means to be a permanent member of “the other.” A deliberately ironic title, The Good

Immigrant wrestles with the false but persistent notion that there are good and bad – desirable

and less desirable – immigrants based on a person’s degree of whiteness.

Recently, I received yet another of a growing number of chain emails that wistfully yearn for the

days in America when the immigrants seeking the protection and benefits of American society

were mostly white and therefore “good.” Excerpts from this latest message are below:
Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to the United States,

people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in New York and be documented. Some

would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground…. They made a pledge to

uphold the laws and support their new country in good and bad times. Nothing was handed

to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws to protect them. All they had were the

skills and craftsmanship they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity….

When we liberated France, no one in those villages were looking for the French American, the

German American or the Irish American. The people of France saw only Americans. And we

carried one flag that represented one country. Not one of those immigrant sons would have
thought about picking up another country's flag and waving it to represent who they were.

These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be an American….

And here we are now with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and

privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules, one that

includes the entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country….
I believe that the immigrants who landed on Ellis Island in the early 1900's deserve better

than that for all the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future generations to create a land

that has become a beacon for those legally searching for a better life. I think they would be

appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags.

Wow. That is so wrong in so many ways I won't even attempt to count them, but clearly the

author of that fear-filled and xenophobic missive seeks to advance the false meme of the “good

immigrant.” The implication is if only America had good immigrants today as in bygone times,

she would welcome them with open arms. Fortunately, history gives us a way to fact check how

America treated the "good immigrants" who decades ago arrived at her shores.

Here's how our English/Irish/Scot ancestors were perceived when they arrived here.
Our Jewish ancestors.
Chinese.
German.
Italian.
The “Good Immigrant” in America has always been an illusion. Americans have never

welcomed or embraced others who came to our shores, despite the obvious fact that racial and

ethnic diversity is what makes our nation great. America’s history is testament to shameful anti-

immigrant racism and intolerance. Perhaps, in the 21st century, our better angels will inspire us

to live up to Emma Lazarus’ promise and lift the lamp beside the golden door.

William Schroder is the author of Cousins of Color and Soldier’s Heart: Close Up Today With

PTSD in Vietnam Veterans.