Since
I have started this course on Refugees and Displaced Peoples, one thing has been
in the back of my mind this whole time: where does the U.S. lie in this
opinionated scale concerning its involvement in helping and/or housing those in
need? We all know that America has its own problems concerning displaced
people – majority of Puerto Rico is still without electricity after Hurricane Maria
and some have left the island and come to the mainland for the time being, my
cousins among them. That is only the most recent example. Aside from those who
are displaced, we also have an astoundingly high number of homeless people, a percentage
of which are our own military veterans. One thing can be said of America with
confidence – we try to take care of everyone else before we take care of our
own.
This
sentiment seems to be a common thought that can be found in the minds of many
citizens who are supporting the aid of refugees in other countries, most
notably Syria. However, there is also the opposite sentiment that shows some
citizens are not nearly as hospitable and are content with leaving Syrian
refugees, among others, to fend for themselves regardless of the consequences.
June
20th, 2017 marked the sixteenth World Refugee Day acknowledged by
the United States, and while our mobility has increased since the first World
Refugee Day, it seems the public outlook of refugee aid has stayed relatively
the same. With our new President in office, the numbers of aid versus abandon
sentiments has come to a rigid standstill – those willing to help are
determined now more than ever, while those against anything foreign-related are
vigorously digging in their heels against even the mention of the words “aid”
and “refugee” in the same sentence. As Maha Hilal said in her article with the
U.S. News, “We’re taught to fear refugees while simultaneously applauding
ourselves as a country that is (supposedly) tolerant of them”. Unfortunately,
while this was written in June of last year, this notion has been one affixed
to America for many years before and more than likely will be for many years
after.
Similarly,
this notion can also be seen in the working of politics during this time of
need. We have already discussed the pitiful amount of money that is allocated
to refugee aid of any kind in the federal budget. That miniscule amount is then
subdivided into the various governmental groups involved with the refugee aid,
and ultimately when it is clearly divided, there is hardly anything given to
any individual group to make much difference with anyone, anywhere. That is
where groups like the Human Rights First nonprofit comes into play. Groups like
these align themselves with others who want to help those in need, regardless
of nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion or other. Human Rights First is
known for provided pro bono legal assistance for asylum seekers as they are
based in New York City and Washington, D.C. In their report published in
February 2016, the Executive Summary beautifully describes the goals that all
refugee organizations have as well as the mindset that permeates every
individual involved:
“We
believe that America can and should continue to provide refuge to those fleeing
violence and persecution without compromising the security and safety of our
nation. To do otherwise would be contrary to our nation’s traditions of openness
and inclusivity, and would undermine our core objective of combating terrorism.”
Being
a U.S. citizen means more than just taking pride in our country, but if that is
all one wants to focus on then at the very least make sure you have a good
reason to be proud of our country. Does our current treatment of refugees count
as a source of pride?
http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/sites/default/files/HRFSyrianRefCrisis.pdf
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