By Azeezah Kanji
“We’re all immigrants.” The phrase has develop into a well-liked slogan of opposition to the closing of borders in Canada and america.
It has been written on protest indicators held excessive in opposition to Donald Trump’s ban on nationals from seven Muslim-majority international locations, and echoed by Canadian politicians proclaiming their acceptance of refugees from international locations like Syria.
The declare that we’re a rustic of immigrants is supposed to be an announcement of open arms to these outdoors the borders, nevertheless it closes our eyes to the hierarchies that exist inside them.
“We’re all immigrants” hides the violence of settler colonialism by calling it immigration.
“Misrepresenting the method of European colonization of North America, making everybody an immigrant, serves to protect the ‘official story’ of a largely benign and benevolent U.S.A., and to masks the truth that the pre-U.S. independence settlers, had been, properly, settlers, colonial setters, simply as they had been in Africa and India,” acclaimed historian and activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz factors out.
Settlers, in contrast to most immigrants, don’t search to affix a society because it exists, however to create a brand new one by destroying what was already there. “Immigration” is a gross euphemism for an train that has entailed the genocide of indigenous peoples, dedicated in Canada utilizing means resembling smallpox blankets and compelled sterilizations and sexual violence and residential colleges.
“We’re all immigrants” deletes the truth that black individuals who had been enslaved didn’t journey right here voluntarily, however had been transported forcibly — not solely to america, however to Canada as properly, the place slavery was authorized till 1834.
The assertion that Canada is a nation of immigrants excises the 1000’s of black folks enslaved in Canada from our historical past. It expunges from our self-representation folks resembling Olivier Le Jeune, the primary enslaved African in Canada, who was dropped at New France from Madagascar as a six-year-old boy in 1628 by British commander Sir David Kirke.
And like Marie-Joseph Angelique, an enslaved black lady who was brutally tortured and hanged in 1734 in Montreal, for allegedly setting hearth to her mistress’s residence after she threatened to promote her.
“Is ‘immigrants’ the suitable designation for the indigenous peoples of North America? No. Is ‘immigrants’ the suitable designation for enslaved Africans? No. Is ‘immigrants’ the suitable designation for the unique European settlers? No,” writes Dunbar-Ortiz.
“We’re all immigrants” additionally obscures the fact of deep inequalities between completely different teams of folks that have migrated to Canada.
The slogan covers over the reality that some transfer right here and dwell right here on much more privileged phrases than others; that we could inhabit the identical piece of land however we aren’t all in the identical boat.
“Not all immigrants are equal,” Carleton College Professors Frances Abele and Daiva Stasiulis remind us. “All through the historical past of this nation, many various peoples have come, usually in flight from poverty or persecution at residence, solely to seek out themselves exploited right here.”
This was true for the 17,000 Chinese language males introduced in as low cost and expendable railway employees within the Eighteen Eighties; they had been paid a fraction of the wage earned by white employees, and lots of a whole lot of them died doing probably the most perilous jobs.
And it continues to be true right now. For instance, sure “extremely expert” immigrants and enterprise entrepreneurs are given preferential entry to everlasting residence. However the short-term migrant employees that Canada makes use of to carry out important labour — resembling farming the meals we eat and making the garments we put on and disposing of the waste we produce — are denied safe standing, usually trapped in abusive and harmful working situations with low pay.
“Racialized employees are overrepresented within the latter cohort, perpetuating the historic racial inequalities in immigration choice,” based on the Ontario Council of Companies Serving Immigrants.
As a Muslim, I’ve been deeply moved by current shows of solidarity in opposition to efforts to maintain Muslims out of america. However we can not construct a extra simply world by perpetuating unjust myths, together with the fairy-tale that we’re all immigrants right here.
Azeezah Kanji is a authorized analyst and author primarily based in Toronto.
