Not Migrants...Refugees

 Today's deep dive goes into the word "migrant". Remember back when you were in grade school and you learned about people moving to another country? You learned about immigrants who emigrated from their homeland to make a new life for themselves and their families. Maybe the word "migrant" came up when learning about the farmers who came north to California to help with the grape harvests. But moving to a new country was considered immigration.

Now, in the news, the word "migrant" shows up again and again. We rarely hear the more neutral term "immigrant" or the emotionally laden terms "refugee" or "asylum seeker."

This is by design.

It is part of a plan to keep people out of "our" country, and to focus on their impermanence here. It is part of a plan to downplay the dangers many have tried to escape. It is part of a plan to separate today's would-be new Americans from our ancestors who came here for a better life.

Let's first look at the words:

An immigrant is someone who moves to a new country, planning to stay there. (An emigrant is someone who leaves their homeland, immigrating to a new one.)

A refugee is someone who is forced out of their homeland, often carrying very little with them, due to a dangerous situation. This could be war, persecution, natural disaster, or persecution. Some refugees may wish to return to their homeland, but are not currently able to. Others were so traumatized that such a return would be impossible.

An asylum seeker is a refugee who has put in the legal request to be harbored in a new country.

All three of these roles are part of our history, all the way back our famous religious refugees: the Pilgrims. Our country is proud of so many of our refugees who first arrived under the protective umbrella of asylum seeking: Albert Einstein, Freddie Mercury, Mikhael Baryshnikov, Gloria Estefan, Thich Nhat Hanh...

We have welcomed in waves of immigrants (and refugees) over the years, escaping religious persecution, potato famines, world war, and more. Some have come simply (or not so simply) for economic freedom, a better life.

In the earlier days, travel was more challenging. Not only was a ship across the ocean costly, it could also cost your life. On top of that, some new arrivals could be turned back for health reasons. Communication was rough, too, limited to handwritten letters that didn't always arrive to loved ones. We live, now, in a flatter world, a world of airplanes and WiFi.

"Migrant" came into political parlance to downplay the urgency of refugees and asylum seekers. You see, a migrant is someone who is temporarily in a new country, moving back and forth for economic reasons.

By calling it a "migrant crisis", the press focuses on two factors: the transitory nature of families at our border, and the economic need.

By implying that they are temporary, the powers-that-be place an innuendo that these families are not loyal. Sure, they'll go back home in a heartbeat. Or they'll send their earnings back to their native lands.

Let me just say that the US has a long history of each wave of immigrants casting aspersions on their successors. Eventually, the new wave gives rise to second and third generation Americans and they too, often, resist new tides.

By implying that "migrants" are here for temporary economic need, we foster a belief that they're just coming here to better their conditions. Sure, that's the case for some new Americans. But for many, it is a mix of abject poverty and fear of direct violence. I have translated so many horrific affidavits describing the terror of gang violence; many of these people can not go back, or they will be killed.

There is a human right to asylum. There is a longstanding law in the United States which allows people to apply for asylum (i.e. which allows refugees entry) if they fear persecution in their home country. There are procedures for reviewing each case. Form I-589 is the application form, which individuals can file at the border, and it is supposed to prevent your removal from the country.

Yes, people can abuse any system.

Yes, there is a huge backlog. And some immigrants bank on that. It's better to have a little time safe in the US than to live threatened back home, even if we are eventually returned.

Yes, after being granted asylum, refugees can (and often do) apply for citizenship. It is a long haul, but a huge celebration when they finally make it to the ceremony. If you want an uplifting feeling, definitely try to attend a citizenship event!

Most asylum seekers are very grateful to be in the US. In areas with high levels of refugees, there is a much lower crime rate. New refugees often take jobs that others don't want.

The musical Hamilton has a great line, one which always gets a positive roar from the audience: "Immigrants get the job done!"

This is the direct opposite of what Trump's vitriol would have you believe. But it is true, immigrants DO get the job done, and so much more.

Whether we call them migrants, asylum seekers, refugees, or immigrants, these are people who are taking a risk. They are believing an an America that many of our ancestors believed in. They come out of hope, in an often hopeless world.

Look beyond the verbiage and the hate speech. Look at the codes written into the historical terrain of US law. There are many paths to legal citizenship. Arrival at the border seeking asylum is one such path.

We become the unethical deviants when we criminalize people -- and stigmatize them-- for believing in America