RACISM IN U.S. IMMIGRATION POLICIES

It’s Textbook Racism to Show Special Treatment to White Immigrants

The warm welcoming of White South Africans is juxtaposed with the forced removal of many immigrants of color

Young woman with long hair and black leather jacket | Photo by Roman Biernacki via Pexels

While America is known for professing the values of equality, its immigration policies leave much to be desired. In a perhaps textbook example of racism, the nation has rolled out the red carpet for a group of White South Africans, the descendants of Dutch and French colonial settlers. The first fifty-nine “refugees” arrived Monday, with the full support of the current administration. In an executive order signed in February, President Trump claimed the group was fleeing “government-sponsored race-based discrimination.” This statement has sparked controversy for two reasons: he’s taken a hardline stance against immigration. And also, given the disproportionate wealth and power White Afrikaners continue to have, the allegation of institutional prejudice rings hollow.

A 2017 land ownership audit found “White South Africans possessed 72% of the country’s farming and agricultural land, while Black South Africans possessed a total of 4%.” This is astonishing when we consider they comprise only 7.3% of the population. The poverty rate was 1% for White…