This reminds me of the revelation I had while listening to
my Black friends about their experiences in a racist society. What I heard,
over and over again, was that the barrage of aggressions, large or micro, is
unrelenting. My friends don’t get a day off; the threat is always there to one
degree or another. I wonder how living in a state of heightened stress or in a
neighborhood that all too often resembles a war zone colors perceptions of a
war far away. (See comments on hypertension and stress in Black people, below.)
When the Ukrainian war first broke out, there was an
immediate outpouring of sympathy and calls for humanitarian aid as well as
military assistance. Americans called for easing immigration requirements for
Ukrainian refugees. A couple of friends pointed out the disparity in response
between the warmth and concern, and action, for Ukrainian victims, as opposed
to people of color in distress in other parts of the world: Central American
migrants at the border, Haitians, Asians, sub-Saharan Africans, and more. The
Conversation examined ways in which the inequitable treatment of those seeking
asylum in the United States is based on race and religion. They wrote:
On March 11, 2022, however, the Biden administration provided guidance allowing Customs and Border Protection officers to exempt Ukrainians from Title 42 on a case-by-case basis, which has allowed many families to enter. However, this exception has not been granted to other asylum seekers, no matter what danger they are in. It is possible that the administration may lift Title 42 at the end of May 2022, but that plan has encountered fierce debates.
The different treatment of Ukrainian versus Central American, African, Haitian and other asylum seekers has prompted criticism that the administration is enforcing immigration policies in racist ways, favoring white, European, mostly Christian refugees over other groups.
The uncomfortable truth is that white Americans are more welcoming
toward people who look like them, especially people whom they perceive as
innocent victims of violence. I would like to think that once hearts are opened
toward one group, common humanity will prevail and the same commitment to fairness
will be applied elsewhere, but I am not overly optimistic. The challenge of the
moment, or so it seems to me, is to find a balance between reminders that
Ukrainians are not the only people suffering from violence and oppression today
without descending to “whataboutism,” that is, dismissing the importance of one
case by pointing to others. (The classic humorous example being, “But her
emails…”)
I think there are ways of bringing up the (non-white) people
in need without downplaying the horrible situation in Ukraine. While
international aid funds may be finite, caring is not. Commitment to help is
not. What would that look like? Perhaps donating to organizations that provide
aid to countries around the world, not limited to Ukraine? Splitting
contributions between aid organizations? Pressuring our leaders for more just
policies, reminding them that just as immigrating Ukrainians need our help, many
others qualify for asylum?
Surely, there is enough love to go around.
————————-
There’s a correlation between stress, poverty, racism, and
ill health. Some studies have shown a relationship between experiences of
racism and hypertension in Black people, particularly young Black men1.
Stressors repeatedly occurring over time included the death of a family member
or close friend (65.2%), having a new family member (32.9%), change in
residence (31.4%), difficulty finding a job (24.3%), and fired or laid off from
work (17.6%). Involvement with crime or legal matters was reported at least
twice during the 48 months by 33.3% of men.2
1.
https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/docs/african_american_sourcebook.pdf
2.
Hae-Ra Han, et al. Effects of stressful life events in
young black men with high blood pressure. Ethn Dis, Winter
2006;16(1):64-70
