Summary

The article discusses the United States' double standard in immigration policy, favoring white refugees, particularly from Ukraine, while discriminating against refugees of color.

Abstract

The United States' swift acceptance of 100,000 Ukrainian refugees amidst the Russian invasion starkly contrasts with its historical discrimination against non-white immigrants and refugees. The article argues that President Joe Biden's actions and statements reflect a persistent prejudice, reminiscent of the country's racist past. Despite promises made during his election campaign, Biden's policies have continued to disproportionately benefit white immigrants, while people of color face systemic barriers and detention centers. The hypocrisy is further highlighted by the U.S.'s role in global conflicts and its selective enforcement of border policies, which align with a white supremacist ideology. The article calls out both Democrats and Republicans for their bipartisan role in upholding these discriminatory practices, emphasizing that the outrage over such policies was notably selective during the Trump administration.

Opinions

The author believes that the U.S.'s acceptance of Ukrainian refugees is indicative of systemic racism, as it contrasts sharply with the treatment of non-white refugees and immigrants.
President Biden is criticized for his past derogatory remarks about Black people and Latino immigrants, suggesting that his presidency has not significantly improved the situation for people of color seeking entry into the U.S.
The article suggests that the U.S.'s foreign policy, particularly in Latin America, has contributed to the migration crisis by supporting dictators and undermining democratic governments, leading to increased asylum seekers.
There is a perceived hypocrisy in the U.S. positioning itself as a spreader of democracy while simultaneously engaging in military actions that displace millions and enforce discriminatory immigration policies.
The author points out that while the U.S. and European countries have opened their borders to Ukrainian refugees, they have simultaneously closed them to non-white refugees, who face detention and inhumane conditions.
The article accuses both major political parties in the U.S. of contributing to the immigration crisis with bipartisan support for policies that favor white immigrants over people of color.
The author implies that public outrage over immigration policies during the Trump administration was more about dislike for Trump than genuine concern for the well-being of asylum seekers.

Immigration

White Refugees Are Welcome, Everyone Else Must Stay Away

The quick and broad acceptance of Ukrainian refugees exposes the United States’ racism at the highest levels

The quick acceptance of 100,000 Ukrainian refugees into the United States goes far beyond Joe Biden’s unchecked prejudice that came to the surface during the primaries leading up to the 2020 presidential election. It also comes as no surprise after Biden made his views abundantly clear when talking about Black people and immigrants of color. Ignoring it is what got us here.

President Biden showed his disdain for Latino immigrants several times leading up to his election. His views about Black people are also dated going back to the prejudicial ways of the United States in the 1960s and prior. Playing on old stereotypes revealed how he thinks about and views non-white populations.

From talking about Black people not knowing how to parent to telling immigrants who asked about his immigration policies to vote for Trump — which many did — there is much doubt Biden will change his tune despite his reelection aspirations. As it stands now, both the president and members of Congress face a growing lack of support based on their ignoring promises made and turning their backs on those who fought tooth and nail to remove Donald Trump from office.

Obviously, these are issues that revolve around white supremacy. Because of the racial reckoning of 2020, more people than ever before are (or should be) aware of these systems. Democrats saw record turnout, in part, because voters wanted to see Trump gone more than they supported Joe Biden. Were they truly concerned about Trump’s inhumanity, they would be outraged by what the United States is still doing to enforce those abhorrent policies.

While many have proven they simply don’t care and are fine with upholding race-based systems, Black people and people of color continue to voice their discontent with them. White people, corporations, and even elected officials at the city, state, and federal levels all spoke up about racist policing and other structures in 2020. Only to backtrack less than a year later.

Now, in 2022, we’re right back to where we were. Police continue to militarize using unfettered access to federal and state funds while schools, hospitals, and social services are back to scraping for money amid budget and staffing shortfalls. Yet, the vast majority of voters refuse to acknowledge these discrepancies. They cheer for Biden much like Trumpistas do for Trump.

U.S. Policy and Russian Policy

The war in Ukraine is horrifying. The images and stories we’ve seen are dreadful. But how different are they from what we saw come out of Afghanistan and Iraq? The war on terror has killed nearly one million people to date — not including the uncounted. While many will argue that the U.S. had justifiable reasons, the reality is, that it did not. No more so than Vladimir Putin.

There was no justification for the war in Iraq aside from the concocted stories of weapons of mass destruction and loose ties to terrorism around the world. It takes a colonialist/imperialist thought process to say, “but what we did was different,” while ignoring the death toll as a result of the lies promoted by warmongering politicians.

Those same elected officials have and continue to oppress Latin America.

If not for U.S. policy in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and the usurpation of governments in the region, migrants would be less likely to seek asylum in the United States. Citizens of several LAC countries have been held hostage by the U.S. through its support of dictators and the overthrowing of their democratically elected leaders.

When the U.S. argues that its goal is to spread democracy around the world (as many said in the leadup to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan), they’re using “democracy” as a tool for the war machine to profit. Meanwhile, as the U.S. military displaces millions, it and its allies closed their borders to non-white refugees and asylum seekers — evidenced by the war in Ukraine.

Taking it a step further, predominantly white countries in Europe, like the U.S., place refugees of color in detention centers. Criminalizing their search for safety from dictators and cartels like a page from the U.S. policy in Latin America playbook. Similarly, in Europe, non-white migrants aren’t only locked out of the continent, but they are forced into inhumane migrant camps while Ukrainians are met with open arms, housed, given employment, and government benefits.

Yet, African migrants escaping the same war zone in Ukraine are reportedly being held in detention centers — an issue Joe Biden nor any major media outlet is willing to discuss. Yet, it’s happening as we speak. While refugees of color are denied entry to the U.S. due to the Biden administration’s continuation of Trump’s inhumane and illegal policies, the current administration is allowing white refugees from Russia and Ukraine to bypass the supposedly closed border.

Republicans and Democrats alike have for decades denied migrants of color entry into the United States while allowing white migrants access. The current issues brought to light by the Trump administration were only made possible with bipartisan support and every administration since the 1960s.

Voters, however, were outraged only when Trump was in office illustrating that their concern was based more on their animus for Trump and not on the safety of asylum-seekers.

Arturo is a first-generation Cuban American navigating the intersection of politics and race and publisher of The Antagonist Magazine. You can find him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also support his work here and here. If you’d like to read more of Arturo’s work and the work of thousands of others, you can join Medium here and support him directly.