Jumping through hoops
Building a new life in a foreign country is tough for those making the transition
JOURNEY — The process to immigrate into the U.S. has been a contested political issue.
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The age-old adage of, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all,” needs to make a comeback — especially in a time when immigrants are being demonized in the media, in the public and even by classmates.
Becoming a citizen of another country is not a walk in the park. For an individual to immigrate to the United States there are many hoops that they must jump through to even have a chance.
According to the U.S. Department of State’s website, the U.S. limits the number of visas available each year. That means an individual with all the correct credentials and motivation to move can be denied for no other reason than the number of allowed visas ran out.
Even if an individual is lucky enough to get a visa, there are multiple roadblocks they have to hurdle. Once they submit a petition and it is approved, they must pay multiple fees, submit documents and forms to the National Visa Center, prove they have the finances to immigrate, and complete an interview.
And after all that, they can still be denied for a visa.
Becoming a citizen, in the U.S. or elsewhere, is not an easy process. It is much more complicated than completing a short citizenship test and moving on—it takes years of constant work.
Despite all the work it takes to immigrate to a country, immigrants are still ridiculed and are the targets of hate crimes. But why? Because they wanted to live in a country of their choice, not birth?
Immigrants are, quite literally, just people from another area. They are not demons. They are not scary. They are just individuals who want to start a life in a new country and have gone through a lot to do so.
As a person who will become an immigrant in a few years, the words I hear associated with it sadden me. I will be immigrating to the United Kingdom to join my fiancé, a natural-born English citizen, but my motives will surely be questioned. I’ll be the one people blame for their inability to find a job, despite the multiple hoops I must jump through to find a job of my own.
The words we use about immigrants and immigration focus on the negatives — the media says they’re troublemakers, job-stealers, problem-makers.
But what are they really? They are dreamers, willing to go through an insanely difficult process to fulfill their dreams. They are lovers, navigating the difficulties of the process to be reunited with their family or spouse. They are people, just coming from somewhere else.
Maybe you think you are not harassing anyone. However, the anti-immigrant comments you make while sitting in class or eating with your friends still affect those who hear them.
These are the things to keep in mind when you want to demonize immigrants, make an uncouth joke or blame them for your troubles.
If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all.
Moyer is the feature editor.