This weekend I decided to take a seven hour drive back home to Illinois in order to finish my taxes and see some family. As I sat down and started writing about a different topic, my grandfather came over to my house and asked what I was doing. After explaining to him the basics of my refugees/displaced peoples class and this assignment, mostly in Spanish, he asked me if I knew the history of my own family and our migration story. I have always known I am a Mexican-American, my grandfathers family was from Mexico and I knew he was born in a border town, and that my grandmother moved to the US at the age of 16 from the United Kingdom. Yet even though I was some-what relevant to my families past struggles and culture, I have not been able to appreciate my family's migration narrative and mixed culture until now.

 During the Mexican Revolution of the 1910's many land Mexicans were forced to leave their homes and land in fear of their lives. My great grandpa, Guadalupe Gonzalez, was a land owning Mexican citizen who was threatened and assaulted for his political views and land during the time of the revolution. Great-grandpa Lupe and three of his relatives made a run from Mexico to America late one night in a hope of safety and security, as one of my great-uncles was murdered by the government. After a month long trip from central Mexico to the border, my great-grandfather made it to Pharr Texas, a boarder town known for an extreme Hispanic population. Mexicans that migrated to the United States were not treated as asylum seekers from a war torn government though, as there was no refugee convention before World War 2, and even that convention would not have applied to my Mexican great grandfather, pictured below. 

The story of my grandmother is different. My grandma was born in Ipswitch, England right before World War 2. During the war, her town in England was destroyed by bombings and her father was sent to the war efforts, leaving my great grand mother with three young daughters in a frequently bombed England. My great grandmother took my grandma to the United states to just take a trip, so my grandma thought, until great grandma Racheal told my grandma she was here to stay, as it was no longer safe in England. Although both sides of my mothers family have migrant stories, their personal experiences were much different. My great grandfather was forced to build his own house on unclaimed land in the desert-like boarder climate, was forced to learn a new language, and died at the age of 40 due to an illness that could've been treated by doctors. My grandmother, a white woman, tells me her immigration story in a much more, american-dream tone, compared to the grind and strive tone set by my great grandpa Lupe. My grandmother was legally allowed to entire, as Lupe was not. Grandma was given government help, Lupe was not. My grandfathers side still gets judged for being immigrants who at one point feared for their lives, my grandmother does not. I always knew white privilege was a thing, yet I did not see the conflicting power of privilege in my families story until I was ready to realize who I am and who my family is, not what color my skin tone is or what group is favorite more by American politics and media. My great grandfather set the way for me to one day fight the injustices that forced him to flea, and if there is one thing I have already taken from this course, it would be how to better comprehend and appreciate my families narrative, and how to use our story, my story, to fight for equality in  nation divided by color.

Doors Open to Asylum Seekers

During the summer of 2017 I studied abroad in Bologna, Italy. I was told that Bologna was a progressive city with a long history of music, arts, and education; however, certain events left me questioning the character of the city. During July and August I noticed refugees on the news nearly every day. The images were refugees crowded into small boats with a newscaster speaking, and even my mediocre Italian skills could detect the language of crisis. I had a vague sense of what was going on and that these migration routes were not new… just experiencing higher numbers than in the past. According to a UNICEF report nearly 140,00 refugees arrived on European shores between January and September 2017, two thirds of them through the central Mediterranean route.  However, I was in a landlocked city in Northern Italy, which is why when I saw news about refugees in Bologna I took notice. The influx of refugees over the summer left the government of Italy struggling logistically and financially to find a place for these arrivals. Member countries of the EU have taken different stances on how to cope with this rapid influx; for some this has meant closing borders and refusing to resettle more refugees farther into Europe. This has left Italy and Greece trying to find places for refugees within their borders, and some people in these countries pushing for ports to stop accepting refugee boats and ships.

‘Venice Inflatable Refugee’, an artist’s project displayed in Venice in 2016. Dirk Knot/Schellekens

In Bologna, refugees who hadn’t been given housing by the state were living in an abandoned community center.  Police were sent to evict the occupants, and locals as well as occupants sat and refused to leave in protest. Police tried to forcibly remove protesters and occupants, which turned violent and was later reported as a riot. A month later in Rome the same thing happened to another group. They were not told ahead of time, and were physically forced to leave and given no place to go instead. This in the larger context demonstrates the deficiencies in the Italian reception system and of the EU’s ability to cooperate in “managing” refugees. Despite state intervention both instances highlight the ability of refugees to create their own spaces. For example refugees in Rome created a self-managed reception center, refurbishing abandoned areas, and establishing amenities like childcare.

A rally in Rome protesting against the eviction of refugees from a building they had occupied since 2013.

Recently in the U.S. there has been discussion about sanctuary cities. Kimberley Peterson’s post on this blog about sanctuary cities in the U.K. led me to look for similar examples in Italy. Historically, Italian cities such as Venice led initiatives aimed at integrating refugees, but in the last few decades many of these programs have been rolled back. In Bologna, residents had stood in solidarity with the buildings occupants, but I was looking for more from the city as a whole. I learned that the University of Bologna, where I had studied, was trying to do its part as an institution. The University along with the Municipality of Bologna has instituted a program for asylum seekers to enroll for “single learning activities,” Italian language courses, and other courses to fill gaps in previous education. Those enrolled are exempt from fees and once their asylum status is determined the courses are counted towards the degrees they are pursuing. The University’s information page states that it is a way for asylum seekers to make their time spent waiting for status determination useful. Although the information page uses problematic language such as “deserving refuge seeking students” and requires valid qualification from an institution outside of Italy, the program represents an avenue through which this population, whose political voice has been taken, to reclaim that voice and gives them the resources of an academic setting to do so. Furthermore, the partnership of the University and Municipality demonstrates that there are avenues on a city level to change the refugee narrative even during the crisis Europe as a whole is facing.  

References:

http://www.unibo.it/en/services-and-opportunities/study-grants-and-subsidies/exemptions-and-incentives/unibo-for-refugees

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-conversation-global/venices-long-history-as-a_b_14681728.html

https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/italy-refugees-evicted-government-attacks-migrants-ngos-steps

https://reliefweb.int/report/greece/unicef-refugee-and-migrant-crisis-europe-regional-humanitarian-situation-report-25

Afghan Refugees

The 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan marks the first mass migration of Afghan refugees into bordering Pakistan and Iran. For 32 years after this, more than 6 million Afghans fled into its neighbors, making Afghanistan the highest producer of refugees globally. Refugees come from many different tribes, with different cultures and languages, untied merely by a shared religion- Islam. Probably due to the Afghan war currently being fought, the struggles of Afghan refugees seems to be under-discussed. I have the advantage of coming from a well traveled military family, and my father has had the disadvantage of deploying to Afghanistan three times, the last time receiving a Purple Heart and Bronze Star with Valor for his actions.

“There were hundreds of refugees along the roadside, some trucking on toward Iran and some stopped to rest in the brutal sun, but all fleeing the Taliban infestations of Farah, Herat and Badghis Provinces, and to seek refuge away from the bloody battles between insurgent forces, the rival Dari, Pashtun, Tajik, Turkmen and Kuchi tribes, and the alliance of NATO forces and Afghan National Security Forces. I remember feeling a flood of sadness come over me as I looked down at the people so used to our helicopters overhead that they didn't even look up, and just carried on with their migration toward Iran and hopes for a better tomorrow for their families” (MSGT Kevin Wallace, 2018). He described how, once on the ground at the border, he saw families getting ripped apart, conflict between Afghans and Iranians break out, and tensions due to language barriers. “Once families made it into Iran, they were ripped apart by police and other government officials, and made to walk through tunnels of chain-link fencing, where rich Iranian and scouts working on their behalf would identify and separate people based on potential, I can only assume. I saw more attractive young girls between the ages of about 7-14 let through, and less attractive ones turned around and sent back to Afghanistan. I saw the more abled bodied men let through and men with deformities or handicaps sent back to Afghanistan. I watched in horror as husbands were ripped from wives, children from parents, and only a small number of refugees allowed into Iran. Furthermore, I saw violence escalate between the Afghan refugees and Iranian forces several times, and from my perspective much of this was due to the language barriers that existed between the varied Afghan tribes and the Persian speaking Iranians. The Afghans of Dari descent seemed to be able to converse better as Dari is rooted in Persian, but the refugees from other Afghan tribes knew very little Persian, and could only say basic and common Arabic phrases that every Muslim would know” (MSGT K. Wallace). While we discussed international institutions designed to assist refugees, Senior Master Sergeant Wallace does not recall seeing any, calling the scene horrific, and Wallace says that inside the refugee crisis, he found it very easy to truly see the evil in humanity manifest itself solely for greed.  

Photo by MSGT Kevin Wallace

Refugees and the Olympic Games

Last Friday, the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea began. Watching the thousands of athletes march into the stadium during the opening ceremony, each representing their respective nations, made think of the millions of people who no longer have a nation to call home. According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) there are 65.6 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, with 22.5 million of those considered refugees. A refugee is someone who has crossed an international boarder because of a well-founded fear of persecution in their home country. As a result, millions of people have fled their home country to escape persecution resulting in millions of people outside of their assigned geopolitical border. In a world that is organized into nation-states and likes to keep people in their neat and tidy nation state boxes, having millions of people crossing those borders and upending this organization has lead to chaos. This need to categorize people by nation-state is even apparent in how the Olympic games are organized. Athletes must belong to a recognized nation-state and qualify at an international competition representing that nation-state in order to go to the Olympic games, which effectively makes refugees and stateless people ineligible.

2016 Olympic Refugee Team
https://www.olympic.org/news/the-refugee-olympic-team-a-symbol-of-hope

However, at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro the International Olympic Committee (IOC) formed the first ever Refugee Olympic Team consisting of 10 young refugees representing countries like Syria, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The IOC gave these athletes the opportunity to live, train and compete as Olympic athletes. The IOC President, Thomas Bach is quoted describing the Refugee Team as a message of hope to all refugees around the world. He also stated that the Refugee team shows what a person can achieve if they want to, and that they are providing inspiration to refugees all over the world, showing that anyone can meaningfully contribute to society with their “talent, skills, and strength of the human spirit.” Bach also described the team as not “simply refugees”, but human beings and athletes who are competing with other athletes, and serve as a reminder to the world that refugees are fellow human beings and serve to enrich all of society. Prior to taking the Refugees and Displaced People course I wouldn't have given his remarks much thought other than to think how great it is that Refugees are having a chance to compete and what an inspiration they are. However, after learning about the often demeaning and infantilizing language used to describe refugees and the many stereotypes applied to refugees I take several issues with Bach’s comments. His comments serve to perpetuate many common tropes and stereotypes, particularly the silently suffering hero, and the helpless refugee that (surprise!) is also human.

            Now, at risk of sounding horribly cynical let me preference by saying that it is wonderful that refugees were given a chance to compete in the Olympic games and that the IOC attempted to shine a spotlight on a very important and distressing issue. Also, giving others hope is not a trivial or futile action. I also acknowledge that his comments were made with the best of intentions, but I think they are still worth unpacking and critiquing as they bring up some troubling underlying assumptions about who refugees are, and their basic humanity and worth.

First, to say that the Refugee Team represents what a person can achieve if they want to implies that the problem for refugees and their inability to change their situation lies in them not “wanting” to change. This oversimplifies a very complex problem and shows an appalling lack of understanding about what refugees actually face in the process of filing for refugee and asylum status. No one wants to be a refugee. No one wants to be stateless or living in a camp for decades. If it was simply a matter of wanting then we wouldn’t have 65 million displaced people.

            Bach also states that they are not “simply refugees”, but human beings, and the Refugee Team serves as a reminder to the world that refugees are human beings that are capable of enriching society. Humans are highly capable of dehumanizing people they see as less or not worthy. We see this dehumanization every day in the rhetoric of the current administration, police brutality against African Americans, and violence perpetrated against LGBTQ people especially trans people. However, the world shouldn’t need a reminder that refugees are human beings. No one is “simply” a refugee or “simply” anything. Human beings are human beings and should be treated as such. The international community shouldn’t need an Olympic team of 10 young refugees to see that, but based on the recent rhetoric around refugees maybe a reminder is necessary. 

            Finally, Bach describes the Refugee Team as a message of hope and said they provide the inspiration other refugees need. Again, this simplifies the refugee crisis into a two-dimensional, simple problem that can be solved if refugees “wanted it” more or were “inspired”. Refugees don’t need inspiration. They need food, water, shelter, access to medical care, and to be resettled in countries rather than spending decades in refugee camps being subject to starvation, violence, sexual assault, and a world that infantilizes, demonizes and rejects them. Rather than giving them an Olympic team to “shine a spotlight on an issue” that quite frankly needs less spotlights and more action, organizations with money, power and influence, like the IOC, should be using that power and influence to actually address the refugee crises rather than simply call more attention to it.

            I will conclude by acknowledging that in lieu of a Refugee team at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games the IOC launched a new foundation called Refugee Athlete Support that will allow Olympic Committees in countries that are hosting refugees to identify and support refugee athletes so that they can prepare for and participate in international competitions. While this is an honorable endeavor, we need less reminding of the problem, and the humanity of refugees, and more action to address the needs of refugees and take meaningful action to tackle the root cause of displacement. The first step in all of this is changing the language we use to talk about refugees. This includes language that, like Bach’s comments, seems positive, but at its core serves to reduce and infantilize refugees, and strip them of their humanity by once again feeling the need to remind the world that they are human.

References:

• https://www.olympic.org/news/the-refugee-olympic-team-a-symbol-of-hope
• https://www.olympic.org/news/refugee-olympic-athlete-yusra-mardini-appointed-unhcr-goodwill-ambassador
• https://www.olympic.org/news/refugee-olympic-team-a-symbol-of-unifying-power-of-sport-on-international-day-of-sport-for-development-and-peace
• https://www.olympic.org/news/first-ever-refugee-olympic-team-sends-message-of-hope
• http://www.unhcr.org/en-us/figures-at-a-glance.html