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HispanicVista Columnists

By Sal Osio, JD

From the Publisher's Corner

May 15, 2009

 

Nativism and the Swine Flu

By Sal Osio

‘Nativism’ is the preference of vested interests, natives, over new comers. The practice of ‘closing the door behind you’ is a common human frailty evidenced at all levels of our social behavior. It is illustrated at the local level by those residents who want to stop further development in their neighborhood in order to deny newcomers with the opportunity of sharing the benefits enjoyed by the first comers. At a national level nativists are opposed to new immigrants. For the same reason and in fear that newcomers will dilute the quality of life enjoyed by the established residents.

In the United States, anti-immigration views have a long history. In 1798 the Alien and Sedition Acts opposed the rights of immigrants and became a major political issue in the 1800 election. Thereafter, in the early 1800’s nativists objected to Irish Roman Catholics because of their alleged loyalty to the Pope. Nativist movements included the Know Nothing or American Party of the 1850s, the Immigration Restriction League of the 1890s, the anti-Asian movements in the West, with the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.  Labor unions were strong supporters of Chinese exclusion and limits on immigration, for fear that they would dilute wages and interfere with the labor movement. At one time or another immigrants from Ireland, Italy, Germany, Poland, China, Japan and, more recently, from Mexico and Central America have been attacked by nativists.

With the advent of radio and television, and the increase media exposure, commentators and political opportunists have found a niche audience and, motivated by power, celebrity status and audience ratings, have embraced nativism as their war cry against the Mexican undocumented worker. These populists have wasted no time in pinning the blame for the current outbreak of swine flu in the United States on the Mexican immigrant - especially undocumented immigrants.

Lou Dobbs, in 2007 made the ludicrous claim that undocumented immigrants were importing leprosy into the country, and is now claiming, among other hate crime protagonists, without a shred of evidence, that undocumented immigrants from Mexico are responsible for importing swine flu. “Yet another reason to close our borders’” he states.

Even Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona is getting in on the act. He is now portraying himself as the protector of public health; readying his jail for the “potential outbreak” of swine flu. He has even outfitted his deputies with needless, bordering on absurd, protective kits for self protection against the flu.

In reality, of course, the outbreak of swine flu is spreading worldwide from returning visitors to Mexico who became infected. The pandemic has affected all the continents not just the U.S. The facts belie the claim that it is the Mexican worker in the United States who is responsible for the pandemic. The accusation is consistent with the irrational accusations blaming immigrants for crime in the United States, even though well documented and impartial studies, such as those conducted by the Pew Center, have amply demonstrated that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes or be in prison than the native-born. Right wing self appointed patriots, all nativists under camouflaged fronts, also have blamed immigrants for the collapse of the housing market, the recession, and even ecological phenomena—assertions wholly devoid of truth.

Nativists are not patriots. In fact, they are anti-Christian and anti-American. Christianity is anchored on the teachings of Christ promulgated in the Sermon on the Mount. Americanism is best evidenced by the Declaration of Independence premised by the recognition that “…all men are created equal … with the inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Nativists are selfish, hateful, malevolent individuals who want to “close the door behind them,” at the expense of their fellowman.

We have defeated nativists in our past history. We must do it again. Let us not be fooled by the demagogues of hate and fear who proclaim that they are the defenders of our ‘rule of law’. Their real motivation is the denial of the American way of life to our neighbors and newcomers. Motivated by self gain, nativists are the biblical false prophets seeking to enhance their political and media power base at the expense of social justice and Christian/American values

 Sal Osio, JD is the Publisher of HispanicVista.com. Contact at SPOsio@aol.com