'Immigration' Ignorance on Facebook

Hi All
I am starting to get really really fed up of people's facebook status updates about immigrants and how people seem to lump them all into one category! It started with my niece joining a group called 'Sorry England is Closed' I bought up the fact that her new uncle (who she loves) was an immigrant and she said oh I didnt mean him, hes going to work and not sponge of benefits. Since then ive seen people saying that if they were PM they would get rid of anyone without a british passport. I then explained again how that would mean that my husband who i love very much would have to leave - 'oh but we dont mean him' Lastly today I had a friend ranting about the world cup and how England flags and shirts are supposedly going to be banned, my favourite line from this is 'if you live in this country and not supporting england than why live here in the first place' as well as 'if you come here to marry then why did you choose to marry an english partner' - er because we fell in love. Its idiotic small mindedness and im getting really fed up of seeing my own friends write things  - especially the ones that know my husband and came to our fricking wedding!

I'm so so sorry emmylou that you have seen and felt such things. I think people say and believe such things is that they truly don't and will never know how much immigration has affected their lives for better or for worse. Speaking as an American in the UK on a student visa, whenever I hear about issues with immigration, I've been logged into the category of "Oh, we're not talking about you, you're not one of those immigrants." Though, they're trying to be nice when they say it, it still sounds extremely ignorant.  I know that if those only allowed were those with British passports, most of my friends here, including me, wouldn't be here in the UK.

"Oh, we're not talking about you, you're not one of those immigrants."

I get that in the US all the time when immigration comes up. 

I'll sometimes answer "oh, so do you only mean people with darker coloured skins then? That's the main difference I see between me and Muhammed around the corner who is also working and paying taxes."  It can shut them up, but I'm not usually that brave to say it.

I'll sometimes answer "oh, so do you only mean people with darker coloured skins then?"

I think that is what they do mean, mostly.

I get that in the US all the time when immigration comes up. 

We have a friend who is convinced that there are two sets of rules for people coming into the US from Mexico and Central America and people from Europe.  She's disabled so she gets food stamps and Medicaid on top of what she gets from SSI/D.  So when she goes down to recertify, she always complains for about a month after about the number of people from Latin America on welfare, but if her daughter in law (from Romania) or Mr A wanted to go on welfare they couldn't.  And they both had such problems with immigration, etc.  She is totally convinced that white people have a harder time.  I explained that she lives in New York which has one of the highest population of people from Puerto Rico, so they can't be compared to the process for people born outside of the US.  She remembers for a while, then forgets in time for the next recert.

Racial ideological narratives are so hard for people to correct in their thinking.

Ugh. I made the mistake of jumping into a debate about immigration on another board I'm frequenting. It started out with some quote from Teddy Roosevelt about how you have to 'be American' if you come to America (bad paraphrasing here, but that's the jist) and degenerated into a bunch of chest thumping about how 'my grandfather was an immigrant and proud to learn English and proud to get his citizenship' yadda yadda. Basically comparing the immigration issues of the 20th century directly to the 21st. In my opinion it's a completely different kettle of fish. Add that to the broad, unfounded generalizations about immigrants getting better healthcare and lines of credit than others and I had to back away fast.

I think that is what they do mean, mostly.

perhaps, but I think it is more of a legal vs illegal immigrant thing... though that is completely wrapped up in race as well.  *sigh*

We have a friend who is convinced that there are two sets of rules for people coming into the US from Mexico and Central America and people from Europe.  She's disabled so she gets food stamps and Medicaid on top of what she gets from SSI/D.  So when she goes down to recertify, she always complains for about a month after about the number of people from Latin America on welfare, but if her daughter in law (from Romania) or Mr A wanted to go on welfare they couldn't.  And they both had such problems with immigration, etc.  She is totally convinced that white people have a harder time.  I explained that she lives in New York which has one of the highest population of people from Puerto Rico, so they can't be compared to the process for people born outside of the US.  She remembers for a while, then forgets in time for the next recert.

Racial ideological narratives are so hard for people to correct in their thinking.

She says this even though Puerto Ricans are US citizens? Even though they're not from the continental US, but neither or Hawaiians or Alaskans 

I know what you mean.  Luckily the British people on my Facebook haven't been really bad about it.  A lot of them have been complaining about how ridiculous it is that flying the English flag (or wearing an English shirt) is offensive to some people (and I agree with them on that so it doesn't bother me at all).

I have however had quite a few heated discussions (prior to even meeting my hubby or thinking about immigrating to another country) about immigration into the US.

I do have to agree with others that the dislike of immigration usually seems to be pointed at a specific group of people (which is usually due to racism).  I have a problem with illegal immigrants (especially after putting forth the effort to legally immigrate) but I don't direct that at a specific skin colour...I direct it at the people who are breaking the law.

She says this even though Puerto Ricans are US citizens? Even though they're not from the continental US, but neither or Hawaiians or Alaskans 

She doesn't get it.  She thinks that if they speak Spanish, they must be immigrants.  That's where the reminder about Puerto Ricans come in.  But the whole thing is, I imagine that the county offices are mainly full of English speaking Americans of all races, but one or two Spanish speakers stick out in her mind. 

She's that way though.  Once we pulled into a petrol station at about 2 am.  A guy pulled in with his stereo blaring rap.  Now, I don't care what the person was blaring, at 2 am in the middle of an urban centre, you ignore it.  Well, she started screaming at him whilst pumping the petrol.  The guy totally ignored her, but she was going on and on about that "crap".  I was at once mortified and scared.  She was totally profane and aggressive.  Thing is, I know she wouldn't have said a thing if he was blaring Kenny McManurekickers or whatever.  Or if she did, she would have told him how much she loved that song. 

We've never let her or her partner be comfortable with their prejudices and have challenged her on this and a tonne of other things.  However, I don't think we will change her that much.  At least she knows that not everyone agrees with her.

I just ignore people on Facebook who make stupid, ignorant comments.

I just ignore people on Facebook who make stupid, ignorant comments.

I delete them off my friends list. On Election Day a few of my British friends voted BNP and were posting things like 'Keep England for the English' and joining groups like 'England's full so go home' and 'If you weren't born here then get out'...and I was very hurt by it all because here were people that I know, have been friends with for as long as I've lived in the UK and that have been so kind to me to find out what they really think about me was really really really painful.

'...and I was very hurt by it all because here were people that I know, have been friends with for as long as I've lived in the UK and that have been so kind to me to find out what they really think about me was really really really painful.

That really sucks WebyJ. I'm so sorry.

WebyJ - Thats exactly the sort of stuff that I am seeing! I dont know anyone who voted BNP though, that is really terrible!

Whenever I see a comment I go back and say 'er you know you're talking about my husband when you say that' but he is 'okay' to be here according to these people.

Its just frustrating that people have no idea what they are talking about when it comes to these things!!