Twenty-First Century immigrational Utterances: Nationalists vs Internationalists Peripheralism.
Overview
The twenty-first century has witnessed unprecedented levels
of global migration, reshaping demographics, economies, and cultures worldwide.
This phenomenon has sparked intense debates and divergent perspectives on
immigration, often polarizing societies into two distinct camps: nationalists
and internationalists. Nationalists advocate for stringent immigration
controls, emphasizing the preservation of national identity, security, and
economic stability. In contrast, internationalists champion open borders (with
controls), celebrating cultural diversity and the economic benefits of a
globalized workforce.
This writing delves into the complex discourse surrounding
immigration in contemporary society. It explores how these opposing viewpoints
manifest in political rhetoric, media representations, and public opinion. By
examining the peripheralism inherent in both nationalist and internationalist
narratives, it aims to uncover the underlying motivations, fears, and
aspirations that drive these immigration debates.
Through an analysis of speeches, and media coverage, this writing
seeks to provide a nuanced understanding of how immigration is framed and
contested in the twenty-first century. Ultimately, this writing aspires to
contribute to the broader discourse on immigration by highlighting the need for
balanced and informed discussions that transcend polarized viewpoints.
Outline
1. Historical Perspectives on Immigration
People move
around. They move around in ones, twos and in hordes for security, opportunity,
or exploration. Christopher Columbus is credited to have discovered America in
1492 when he landed in the Bahamas. However, it is argued that Norse
explorer Leif Erikson was the first European to set foot in North America,
specifically in today’s city known as Newfoundland around the year 1000. Nevertheless, it must be stated that
the indigenous peoples have lived in Americas thousands of years before the
coming of the European explorers.
Before the
arrival of First Fleet of British ships on January 26, 1788, led by Captain
Arthur Phillip, indigenous Australians have flourished in Australia around
50,000 to 65,000 years ago.
Before the
arrivals of European whalers, sealers, and missionaries and settlements in
places, such as Wellington, Canterbury and Otago from early 1800s to 1840, the
Māori have flourished in New Zealand since 1250 CE. Coming from a
Polynesian stock, they crossed the Pacific Ocean guided by stars, ocean
currents and winds until they arrived at a land today known as New Zealand.
Before the arrival of the first French explorer, Samuel de
Champlain in 1608 at Québec City, and the British in mid-18th
century, the indigenous peoples, such as the First Nations, Inuit, and later
the Metis have flourished in the North American continent for 12,000 years ago.
They migrated from today’s Siberia and Alaska establishing many cultures,
societies and economies.
The above examples of the movements of the people from one
location to the other reveal that before the twenty-first century people moved
to new places with the intention of settling there permanently, there were
people who had done it. They were pacesetters. They leave their home countries
and establish residence in alien soils. Why is today’s immigration different
and why is there so much fuss and frustration about immigration utterances
between nationalists and internationalists?
2. Anti-Immigration Utterances
Anti-immigration utterances
often reflect concerns about economic impact, cultural change, and national
security. The concerns often arise from unfound fears and engineered
misconceptions about the impact of immigration. These fears and misconceptions
cause utterances, such as:
- Immigrants are taking our jobs and driving down wages.
- Immigrants are sponging on our welfare system. We can’t sustain it any longer.
- Immigrants are not assimilating and are changing our national identity.
- Our culture and traditions are being eroded by the influx of foreigners.
- Immigrants are bringing crime and terrorism into our country.
- We need to secure our borders to protect our citizens from illegal immigrants.
- The government is prioritizing immigrants over its own citizens.
- Immigration is leading to overcrowding and strain on public services.
Though some of these utterances may be ruminated daily in
different echo chambers, it is necessary to examine and address them with
evidence to allay the fears of citizens and promote inclusivity at the same
time.
3. Nationalist Perspectives on Immigration
By way of definition, nationalism is an ideology the seeks
to place one nation above all others and emphasizes loyalty and devotion to
one’s national identity, and sovereignty, and promoting the culture and
interests of one’s nation over other external influences. The idea of
nationalism is not bad. It is good to express one’s national pride, economic
independence and self-determination. It becomes inimical when politicians use
it as a weapon of bigotry against perceived threats from globalization.
For example, nationalist rhetoric has given rise to some
populist movements and leaders in almost every country, such as USA, India,
France, Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom and more. As a weapon of bigotry,
politicians adopt its inimical themes to gather support by stressing on
immigrants as ‘invaders,’ ‘destroyers’, and ‘exploiters’ of their culture,
language, and economy. Such political utterances promote exclusionary
practices, xenophobia, conflicts, racism and supremacy attacks.
The media has also helped in shaping and representing
nationalist views in the way they frame the narratives, such as unbalanced
emphasis on national identity, threats to national security, waning economic
stability, unrecognizable community, or diminishing cultural heritage.
Many times, the media focuses on nationalist briefs or
comments on immigration, they latch on associated immigration situations in
other countries and perpetuate selective coverage of the news. The media
frequently presents narratives of rabble rousers, populist leaders and
organizations that spew out inimical nationalist rhetoric.
Back in the days, when the radio, newspapers and possibly
television were major means to communicating information; bad, incendiary, and
hate speeches, narratives and news were controlled. Today, digital and social
media have enabled the creation of echo chambers for brewing and spewing
nationalist ideas without check.
4. Internationalist Perspectives on Immigration
Internationalism in the 21st-century can be described as an
ideology that aims to foster global cooperation, economic integration, human
rights, cultural exchange, technological sharing, peace, and environmental
sustainability. Its objective is bringing people together across borders to
create a more just and inclusive world.
It stresses the need for cooperation in addressing global
issues like pandemics, climate change, and economic inequality. It argues for
policies that foster free trade, rights of refugees, fighting human trafficking
and establishing social justice around the globe. Internationalism also seeks
support in multiculturalism, inclusion and educational programs that promote
innovation and connectivity, peace and security, conflict prevention and
resolution, and disarmament.
Internationalist perspectives on immigration stress the
benefits of reasonable open borders policies, cultural diversity, and global
cooperation. They argue that immigration help in economic growth as noted in
United States, United Kingdom and many other industrialized nations. Immigrants
bring different skills and fill the labor gaps to increase productivity and
creativity in labor market.
Though, nationalists argue that immigrants destroy the
cultural heritage of their new country and home, the internationalists argue
that immigration enrich societies traditionally, culturally and lingually.
It is not all sale and no anchor for immigrants. They face
many challenges in their adopted homes and countries. Some immigrants left
their homes and countries as results of conflict, persecution, war, or natural
disasters and became refugees or asylum seekers not out of their own making.
Internationalists advocate for protection of refugees and asylum seekers in countries
where they find themselves with human dignity, respect of their rights, and
sound integration into their new countries and homes.
The media also help shape the narrative of internationalist
views by spreading positive themes of humanitarianism, cultural diversity and
global cooperation. There are instances of areas of specialism that once
immigrants have excelled in many countries, notwithstanding their different
stories for fleeing their homelands. The media many times showcase their
success stories via-a-vis their persecutorial narratives.
The media also report cases of bigotry, discrimination or
xenophobia against immigrants of which internationalists highlight and try to
put immigrants in balanced representation. By so doing, the media provide
counter-narrative to nationalist views as they leverage the benefits of
immigration to foster internationalism, cultural diversity and global
cooperation.
5. Peripheralism in Immigration Discourse
Peripheralism in immigration discourse refers to the
tendency to marginalize or sideline certain groups or perspectives in
discussions about immigration. To conceptualize peripheralism, is to attempt to
understand how certain individuals, groups or perspectives are sidelined in
different contexts.
The different contexts are not limited to exclusion from
mainstream cultural narratives or lack of recognition for immigrants’
contributions. It extends to unconscious peripheralism that happens daily, such
as switching sidewalks just to avoid meeting an individual of different colour
or dress code; switching and holding tight your purse while another individual
different from you passes by; spitting before or immediately an individual
different from you passes by. These examples are not part of nationalist views.
They are rather peripheralist perspectives or a thinking of imagined
difference.
Peripheralism considers native-born citizens’ voices first
before immigrants’ own voices and experience. And rightfully so! But it becomes
inimical when immigrants are framed or depicted as outsiders or spongers of
social, economic and political benefits of the host country. Such stereotypes
can pitch the native-born citizens and naturalized citizens against one another
resulting in ‘clash of bigotries.’
The Charlottesville incident during the ‘Unite the Right’
rally on August 11-12, 2017, organized by white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups
protesting the removal of a Confederate statue is a typical example. The rally
soon turned into violence and a white supremacist deliberately drove his car
into a crowd of counter-protesters killing one person and injuring around 35
others. Totally condemned as a domestic terrorism but also painted a bigger
picture of the deep divisions, extremism and tensions in the United States.
The media at times engage in selective coverage of
immigration discourse by highlighting some one-off incidents where immigrants
have misbehaved or committed crimes and ignoring all the positive contributions
immigrants have made to the society. At times, some nationalists would call for
stringent immigration laws and regulations without considering their effects on
immigrants and their families.
Therefore, an understanding of peripheralism in immigration
discourse will help create a more inclusive and balanced discussion about
immigrants, their experiences and contributions to the society.
6. Immigrants’ Overreach OR Excesses
Some immigrants tend to exhibit their talents and urge to live
the dream bequeathed them by their host countries but are often met with
worrisome consternations. Many times, a few native-born citizens construe their
ambitions as ulterior and inimical to the host countries’ values and traditions.
Nevertheless, some immigrants through their actions and
utterances show their disdain for their host countries by outrightly refusing
to assimilate the culture and traditions of the mainstream even when it is very
friendly and simple. Some engage in criminal enterprises, drugs, abuses and
even terrorism. Such behaviour only shows a dislike or ingratitude to a country
that nurtures, protects, and provides for you.
Let’s examine immigrants’ overreach from a different angle.
Some proposals by wealthy immigrants to buy large properties or even entire
islands can be seen as overreach.
For example, it was alleged that Sheikh Yasser al-Habib, a
controversial cleric who reportedly planned to buy the island of Torsa off the
west coast of Scotland to create a Sharia law-based Islamic ‘homeland.’ This
was viewed with utter consternation.
In some instances, some immigrants show determined efforts
to foster their cultural identity, through dress code, bilingual education, Independence
Day celebration or cultural carnivals on their host country. A few native-born
citizens may perceive such efforts as denigrating the local traditions or
rebellion to assimilation.
In some other instances, some children of immigrants have
risen to high political offices, such as the former Prime Minister of Britain,
whose father was born in Kenya, and mother in Tanzania but of Indian descent. Such
moves may be viewed as an overreach by a few native-born citizens and a reason
for xenophobia or verbal attacks on other potential political aspirants.
7. Transcending Polarized Perspectives on Immigration Matters
There is need to create balanced and informed discourses on
immigration that transcend polarized viewpoints. Some strategies can help craft
such a respectable and welcoming environment. They include:
Foster Open Dialogue
As a policy maker or politician, try
to create safe spaces for dialogue and aim to foster constructive engagement
and prevent hostile comments or utterances.
Common Ground
Bear in mind that there are many things that
bring human beings together than separate them. Focus on your shared values and
goals, such as importance of security, economic stability and preservation of
culture, notwithstanding your views as nationalists or internationalists.
Avoid Immigrational Misinformation or Disinformation
Always
speak with facts and use reliable data and research to communicate your points.
Such moves will counter all misinformation and through insights into who the
immigrants are and what they offer to the society.
Share Personal Stories
Telling your story as it is as an
immigrant can help others understand your plight, see the human side of
immigration, and foster empathy.
Listen to Diverse Voices
When it comes to policies
affecting immigrants, and non-immigrants, make the discussions all-inclusive to
provide a comprehensive understanding of the issue.
Community Engagement
Promote community-based initiatives
that act as public sphere bringing people together to participate on common
projects and build trust and cooperation between them.
Education and Outreach Programs
Promote diversity through
educational programs that can help explain to students the complexities of
immigration, create workshops that bring both immigrants and native-born
citizens together.
Media Responsibility
Each media house or outlet should provide
a balanced coverage of immigration matters to their audience by being
contextual and factual. When they present a nuanced view of immigration issues,
they are massively shaping public perception and understanding of immigrants
and immigration.
8. Conclusion
People have always moved around in search of opportunities,
security or exploration. From Christopher Columbus, Captain Arthur Phillip to Samuel de
Champlain, they were the lens through which the early Europeans migrated to
Americas, Australia and New Zealand.
In this 21st century, the nationalists and
internationalists views must find a common ground in their different quest for security,
identity, economic stability and cultural preservation.
Above all, there is need to proffer strategies that can
create balanced and informed discourses on immigration that transcend polarized
viewpoints. By adopting those strategies, it is possible to foster a more
inclusive and effective policies where immigrants and native-born citizens can
coexist with minimal conflicts, less xenophobia and without suspicions.
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