When I read in the media that immigration is a hot topic at the doorsteps in the run-up to the general election, I thought of the thousands of Irish men and women who might start off their anti-immigration sentences with the above prefix. I have on several occasions heard statements on health, the traffic, school places and just about everything that is a problem beginning with ‘I am not a racist, but…’
Though this election has not seen much media hammering of immigrants, thanks to other issues and, of course, scapegoats and scandals, it is still sad that, when speaking to the canvassers, people seem to be blaming all of their problems on immigrants. It is greatly unfair, both on immigrants and Irish citizens themselves, that things are this way. In growing numbers, the average Irish citizen ‘believes’ that immigration is the prime cause for the shortages and shortfalls in public services. But expression of that belief does not make him or her racist.
The dictionary definition of racism is ‘a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race’.
It then follows that a racist is someone who disparages a person or group based on this belief. Merely thinking that an influx of non-citizens into the country has burdened public services is not grounds to call a person a racist. But if the fear of being called one is keeping people from expressing their concerns, then obviously they have been failed by the system.
The situation of the immigrant, who is at the receiving end of this kind of criticism, is worse. Those who have come here with genuine reasons to seek refuge have been through enough already, and for them and their families, especially their children, these statements can leave long-lasting impressions on their psyches.
As for economic migrants – they are, as studies prove time and again, playing an invaluable role in the growth of this economy and it is totally unfair to subject them to this kind of abuse. As things now stand, they have little or no say in matters of policy and have little or no awareness of their rights in their capacity as humans, immigrants or employees.
Consider the situation of an Irish child whose parents or their acquaintances are heard making these ‘I am not a racist, but….’ statements. It can easily make him or her wary of a person of a different race or ethnicity. Think then of the immigrant or even naturalised citizen child.
Given the sometimes brutal honesty of children’s behaviour, statements or acts of intolerance towards the non-Irish child can cause serious long-term psychological harm.
On the subject of immigration, it might be best to leave the questions to the experts, because the immigration debate has never been concluded successfully anywhere in the world, and Ireland is still a new player.
But if the global situation is proof, then immigration is not a matter of choice. After all, as our school economics texts tell us, work attracts labour, labour attracts money and money attracts enterprise, which creates more work.
And at the end of the day, Black, White or any colour, we are instinctually drawn towards a safer, healthier and more prosperous life for ourselves and our families. Surely that is not a crime.
Someone, then, has to take responsibility for this situation – both for past mistakes and for making much needed amends. As we stand on the threshold of the general election, it is up to the political parties now to make this issue a priority.
It is the collective responsibility of the Government and the media to create awareness and publicise the true facts so that a largely ill-informed public doesn’t blame a defenceless minority.
Winning or losing using the immigration issue as a platform will mean hindering the country’s smooth passage into its inevitable future as a multicultural society. The lessons learned from Northern Ireland should be more than enough to realise that the preservation of human life and dignity are more important than politics and prejudices.
Priya Rajsekar is a freelance writer and director of Naabi Communications Ltd. Send feedback to priya@naabicommunications.com
The dictionary definition of racism is ‘a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race’.
It then follows that a racist is someone who disparages a person or group based on this belief. Merely thinking that an influx of non-citizens into the country has burdened public services is not grounds to call a person a racist. But if the fear of being called one is keeping people from expressing their concerns, then obviously they have been failed by the system.
The situation of the immigrant, who is at the receiving end of this kind of criticism, is worse. Those who have come here with genuine reasons to seek refuge have been through enough already, and for them and their families, especially their children, these statements can leave long-lasting impressions on their psyches.
As for economic migrants – they are, as studies prove time and again, playing an invaluable role in the growth of this economy and it is totally unfair to subject them to this kind of abuse. As things now stand, they have little or no say in matters of policy and have little or no awareness of their rights in their capacity as humans, immigrants or employees.
Consider the situation of an Irish child whose parents or their acquaintances are heard making these ‘I am not a racist, but….’ statements. It can easily make him or her wary of a person of a different race or ethnicity. Think then of the immigrant or even naturalised citizen child.
Given the sometimes brutal honesty of children’s behaviour, statements or acts of intolerance towards the non-Irish child can cause serious long-term psychological harm.
On the subject of immigration, it might be best to leave the questions to the experts, because the immigration debate has never been concluded successfully anywhere in the world, and Ireland is still a new player.
But if the global situation is proof, then immigration is not a matter of choice. After all, as our school economics texts tell us, work attracts labour, labour attracts money and money attracts enterprise, which creates more work.
And at the end of the day, Black, White or any colour, we are instinctually drawn towards a safer, healthier and more prosperous life for ourselves and our families. Surely that is not a crime.
Someone, then, has to take responsibility for this situation – both for past mistakes and for making much needed amends. As we stand on the threshold of the general election, it is up to the political parties now to make this issue a priority.
It is the collective responsibility of the Government and the media to create awareness and publicise the true facts so that a largely ill-informed public doesn’t blame a defenceless minority.
Winning or losing using the immigration issue as a platform will mean hindering the country’s smooth passage into its inevitable future as a multicultural society. The lessons learned from Northern Ireland should be more than enough to realise that the preservation of human life and dignity are more important than politics and prejudices.
Priya Rajsekar is a freelance writer and director of Naabi Communications Ltd. Send feedback to priya@naabicommunications.com
