The average immigrant to Ireland is fed a dose of criticism by the Irish media every day, either through the press or through the radio, where texts and comments come bitter and unbridled. The dosage gets heavier if an election is round the corner, as is the case at the moment. It would an understatement to say that it is not a pleasant experience starting off your day listening to scathing attacks, unfair accusations or judgemental remarks made about you, as though the fact that you are privy to what is being said or written about is of no consequence. It’s either a renowned columnist showing us the exit, or an angry radio listener texting in to say immigrants are responsible for every problem facing the country, from overflowing hospital beds to increasing crime rates.
Last week though, listening to my in-car entertainment channel, Newstalk 106, I took a double take when I heard a compliment being paid to the Indian community in Ireland. The subject of the discussion was the ‘class’ and ‘politeness’ which Shilpa Shetty possessed, and whether Western standards are slipping in this area. Commenting on this, a guest on the show remarked that Indians in Ireland are extremely polite and have a lot of class. She attributed these qualities to upbringing and culture. After a systematic bombardment with negative comments, this nice compliment, I am sure, warmed many Indian hearts listening to the show that day, as it did mine.
The comment also set me thinking. I felt that in some way, every immigrant is an ambassador of the country he or she comes from. What an immigrant says or does has a very major influence on the image and reputation of his country. It is a huge responsibility that an immigrant automatically takes on when he or she steps into another nation; the image thus formed can influence policies and decisions which can impact immigration and the life of immigrants.
It can also have a direct and chronic effect on the dayto- day life of an immigrant. Often, we don’t give it a thought when we drop off our litter on the footpath, rush through a yield signal, or fail to say our ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ where appropriate. But the effects of even such trivial misdemeanours are very potent. To a casual observer, an Indian forgetting to say ‘thank you’ in any given situation, for instance, might subconsciously create the impression that Indians are impolite. And as we all know, such stereotypes are hard, if not impossible, to eradicate. After all, an immigrant might well be the only sample of a certain nationality the average Irish man, woman or child will be exposed to. Naturally, when an opportunity does arise, a person who has been subjected to this experience will pass the word around, and sometimes it might be broadcast to the entire nation.
As immigrants, we have – for work or for refuge – chosen to arrive and live here. At the very least, for as long as we stay it is our obligation to treat Ireland as our home and cherish it. Sometimes we underestimate the power of our own actions and go about things in the belief that our immigrant problems will be sorted out by bigger forces. But, ambitious as it may seem, every single immigrant is a catalyst for change. Through positive action and expression, many beneficial changes can be brought about.
To finish off on a happy note, wouldn’t it be great if we turned a page in a newspaper or tuned into a radio station on our way to work and found nice, complimentary things being said about us?
