Trump's Shithole Countries Comment, and Assimilation
Trump says some immigrants from 'shithole countries' as he rejects bipartisan deal
This article discusses how Trump rejected a bipartisan deal to protect immigrants from countries like El Salvador, Haiti, and other African countries, and how he responded saying “Why do we want all these people from 'shithole countries' coming here?" He even insisted that we bring in more people from countries like Norway.
Personally, it is really depressing seeing our president make remarks so degrading as this, and how he is so quick to generalize people from other countries, as if immigrants from these countries are not real human beings who work hard everyday to create better lives for themselves, their families, and for this country. His remark about bringing in more people from Norway and not from other countries is just racist in my opinion, and he disregards the sad reasons why people from countries like El Salvador and Haiti are being PUSHED out of their homelands.
In a statement following the incident, Principal Deputy White House Press Secretary Raj Shah said “President Trump is fighting for permanent solutions that make our country stronger by welcoming those who can contribute to our society, grow our economy, assimilate into our great nation."
I think Shah’s statement is so interesting, especially when he mentions the assimilation of immigrants into our nation. It reminds me of what we learned last week about the Melting Pot immigration myth, which states that the US is a country where nationalities and ethnic groups fuse into one. While I can say that I have assimilated into the American culture since I moved here 3 years ago, I can definitely say that a huge chunk of my value system and work ethic stem from the morals I have learned growing up in the Philippines. And I believe that we do not necessarily assimilate 100% into the American culture, because I am sure several immigrants like me take a lot from what they have learned growing up in their country and apply it into the way they work in the US to help improve their lives and our country. Being in this class, I am excited to learn not only about immigration but also about people’s (or even their relatives’) experiences with assimilation and how their homeland's culture has shaped who they are today.
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