Who are we?

Immigrants, legal or not, have been a mainstay of the course of life for all of recorded history. Way back, newcomers were not exactly immigrants due to the fact that they had been forced from their homes to mainly feed the hunger for slaves, but that alone began the mix of races that continues today. Jumping ahead to more modern times, hunger and a bleak future drove people out of their native lands to seek a better life.

Also, colonialism perpetuated the flow of peoples throughout the world, for a variety of reasons, thus giving continuity to the mixing of races and cultures. It’s probable that everyone who reads this publication is a direct descendant of immigrants, after all, the only true natives to North America were already there thousands of years ago, but, with the passage of time and the rise of new generations, where you are becomes where you’re from, and a sense of belonging is only natural. We forget those who arrived before us and the hardships they endured. They too were forced to work in places they never even imagined existed, under conditions that may have been worse than those left behind. They suffered abuse and racism at the hands of those who considered themselves as the natives. I’m certain there are many still alive that can back me up with experiences in the first person. I understand though, that those were somewhat different times, things weren’t so crowded and life wasn’t so frustrating. Practically anyone could find work that paid a living wage, and enough to put some aside. We made it over in 1970 with little money and no local language skills, and yet within two years we went from renting and sharing a bathroom with strangers, to proudly owning our own home. Both my parents worked more than one job, but at least it was doable. Hard work was the only way, but the rewards were palpable and almost immediate. This mantra no longer applies. An immigrant today can’t possibly trace a similar path. The disparity between the haves and have nots has grown exponentially. Not only has the cost of living shot into space, but those who already live in the country are experiencing hardship themselves. Back in the day there was enough for all, so no one complained about immigrants, with the exception of the racists, because they did, (and do), all of the work considered to be undesirable to those already accustomed to a better lifestyle. Another complication today are the numbers of people fleeing their own countries. Without looking into the numbers, I’m pretty sure there are many more today than in 1970. Conflict has always been with us, but I believe we live in unprecedented times. So many are being driven from where they were born. Driven to places where they feel safer, yet, these days, sometimes it isn’t. The backlash against these people is tremendous, and in many instances, people die because they are looking for refuge.

The hot button issue today, in all of western society, is immigration. Difficult to navigate, due to the sheer number of applicants and those sneaking in, it’s an uphill logistical battle that governments can’t win no matter the side they take. We’re all hunkering down and protecting what’s “ours”, and we don’t want outsiders walking in and taking the food off our table. But it is doable, all we have to do is think unilaterally. Taking sides never works efficiently and always leaves collateral damage. It’s the dawn of a new age, one where we have to come to terms with the fact that our “comfy” life has been nothing but a wonderful, yet unsustainable dream. We can’t push away those who want a little for themselves. We have to be willing to share, just like others did for us, (even though most didn’t even realize it). We cannot become those we used to hate for the sake of a pipe dream. Look at them and we see ourselves, whether we like it or not. No excuses.
Fiquem bem,

Raul Freitas/MS