Alien in one’s own land

Alien in one’s own land

Introduction

According to US Department of Homeland Security, 76% of immigrants in the US are in the country legally. The total percentage of first generation immigrants is more than 20%. There have been a lot of stereotyping immigrants in the US. We see them as the cause of all the problems we face today. We believe that the increase in rape cases, murder and all forms of crime are associated with them. This paper analyses reasons why these immigrants have been treated as aliens in their own country and solutions to this problem.

Prejudice against immigrants

We are all aliens in this country, whether born here or immigrated, but we all belong to this country. We are all citizens; that is the bottom line. Irrespective of someone’s origin, all human races should be treated with dignity. We have been fed by myths about immigrants with the aim of prejudicing them. We see them as alien and therefore need to be deported, not forgetting that we all immigrated to this country. The only difference is the time we immigrated.  We encounter all forms of prejudice in everywhere we go, form shopping malls to restaurants. We discriminate them either consciously or unconsciously. Even those activists fighting for the dignity of immigrants have at one point admitted having acted in a discriminatory manner against them. It is what society has taught us.

Reason for stereotyping immigrants.

There are several myths that have made immigrants to be treated as aliens. The following are some of the myths that have made immigrant citizens be prejudiced.

All are illegal immigrants

We believe that most of the immigrants are here illegally.  The fact is, about eight out of ten immigrants are in the country legally. That is the bigger percentage to ignore. Another problem that makes them to be treated as aliens is that we believe that if immigrants are allowed to stay, their population will surpass natives, and they will overrun them. The statistics show that the total percentage of immigrants has been steady from 1900 to date.

Joblessness

Majority of us believe that their jobs will be taken by immigrants who do not pay taxes. The fact that recent research on the relationship of unemployment with immigrants displayed the opposite. On contrary, statistics show that states that have lower population of immigrants reported higher unemployment rate. Immigrants are entrepreneurs. Most of them have businesses that employ the natives.

Diseases

Majority of the natives believe that most epidemic diseases present in developing countries like Ebola and HIV Aids are associated with immigrants. Barring them from entering America will minimise the spread of such diseases. The truth is, there is no immigrant that enters the US without a screening of such diseases. The present immigrants that we associate them with such diseases are even up to the generation.

Solutions

This prejudices against immigrants, based on the colour of their skin and their religion has made good citizens to become aliens in their own land.  This problem, that if not tackled as fast is it emerges, might be a bigger problem than what led to American civil war. If a   person is treated as an alien, and feels like an alien, then more problems will arise. They will retaliate. Damages caused by both parties will be unending.

The best way to solve this problem is to first admit that there is a problem. Immigrant prejudice is perpetuated by natives who are driven by hatred. Solutions to these problems is are found within. If we admit that we are all immigrants and that the difference is only the generation we belong, we will appreciate immigrants, and treat them as citizens like us. We should learn to base our accusations on facts and statistics. If the society learns to demystify myths and appreciate facts, then, no one will feel as an alien in his or her own land. If we teach our children to work hard like an immigrant, then the next generation will appreciate them. The issue of native and non-native should not be a topic of discussion, it should be we, the US citizens.

Conclusion

Immigrants that have entered the US have been treated as aliens. Natives feel that they are not entitled to anything from the government, and most importantly the jobs. They have been treated with prejudice and have felt prejudiced. Myths have made them be treated like that. If we base our ideologies on facts about immigrants, we will appreciate them as fellow citizens, and not as aliens.