by Eric C.
Missing pets as fodder for Haitian immigrants’ appetites in the Midwest — it sounds like a bizarre satire or fever dream, not an actual claim by a presidential candidate. But if “art is the lie that enables us to realize the truth,” then this artfully false story (spread yet also debunked by many in the media) reveals two truths.
The first is that fear and disgust are common reactions to the unknown — reactions that can be manipulated for political gain.
The second is that those feelings continue to be used particularly against immigrant communities, encouraging a sense of alienation and separateness from them — reinforcing a perception that these “strangers” are dangerous. This inevitably leads to blaming immigrants for problems that they have not caused — and then taking unjust harmful actions against them. Such xenophobic tactics have a long history — especially here in the United States. They establish a clear, if false, “us” vs. “them” difference. People are divisible, in that sense.
But the very name of our organization, Indivisible, reminds us to seek unity instead of division. For every outrageous lie told, we fight back with a humanizing fact or conversation. While immigration poses challenges to our society, we should know that immigrants not only seek but also offer new opportunities — to show kindness and empathy, to learn from and appreciate their cultures — and for us to benefit from the value they bring to our country.
So let’s allow immigrants to add to our country rather than divide it. Let’s deflect the lies and negative emotions by continuing to show up for the Democratic candidates in this election and for each other, no matter where we come from or plan to go.
