I’m feeling displaced and forced to appear that I don’t like immigrants and that couldn’t be farther from the truth. I am settled in my home on my street in my neighborhood. There was an earthquake in Haiti and in what seemed like overnight my community was flooded with Haitian migrants seeking refuge. Townspeople who were never warmed to my Black presence became again concerned that their way of life and established comfort was being imposed upon. The funny thing is, this time I felt the same.
The problem with immigration to America is that it is not accompanied by any noticeable acculturation. We don’t convey national values about daily living in America to newcomers. Hell, for that matter, not even amongst ourselves. Throughout the United States, community values are largely dictated by class and represented by zip code. Mass influxes of immigrants aren’t moving to affluent neighborhoods, they’re settling into poor and middle class spaces.
Who are the slaves and servants in this scenario and where do they live? Who are the upper class? Which group is most affected by a broken immigration system? Is the strategy the upper class adopted after Bacon’s Rebellion in play?
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