Myth-Busters: Immigration Week Edition

A reality check on society’s perception of undocumented immigrants

This editorial has been endorsed by Santa Clara’s Undocumented Students and Allies Association.

Last Monday marked the start of immigration week, a tradition which has taken various forms throughout universities, organizations and even religious institutions like the Catholic Church. While there may be different avenues by which immigration is celebrated, the goal remains the same: to empower and uplift stories of migrants. 

Due to the pandemic, the format of immigration week at SCU has greatly changed. In person, one might see a symbolic border wall covered with pictures of immigrants—representative of the humanity that is often lost in the translation of immigration politics. This year, Santa Clara’s Undocumented Students and Allies Association (USAA) created a plethora of virtual events regarding migration justice, capped off with a Gala on Saturday. USAA’s Gala raised money for the Cabrini Fund, which directly supports undocumented students.

While the university (and Santa Clara County by extension) may be a sanctuary zone for undocumented immigrants, many parts of the country aren’t quite as welcoming. The board members of USAA would like to highlight several myths that undocumented immigrants are often unfairly stereotyped with. In turn, we’d like to contrast said myths with the truth. We aim to detail the real stories of undocumented immigrants: those of determination, valor and hope.

Myth #1: All migrants are from Mexico

The media often frames the immigration conversation around migrants from Mexico, despite the variety of countries migrants hail from. The Pew Research Center has consistently found this principle to be true. While Mexico may be the country with the largest number of immigrants to the U.S., it is immediately followed by China, the Philippines and India. Some other notable non-Latinx countries of origin include Vietnam, South Korea and Canada. 

Between 2007 and 2017, the number of undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. of Mexican descent decreased from 6.9 million to 4.9 million. Meanwhile, the number of undocumented immigrants from other countries increased from 5.3 million to 5.5 million. Evidently, undocumented immigrants from Mexico now no longer comprise the majority of the undocumented. In fact, the same study finds that “Asians are projected to become the largest immigrant group in the U.S. by 2055.” 

Furthermore, it is common for the media to focus on the undocumented individuals crossing the border, often perpetuating the assumption that all of these individuals are Mexican. While undocumented individuals certainly cross the border, focusing solely on this aspect of immigration lacks context. It is more common for a person to be undocumented because they overstayed their visa—not because they crossed the border. Over the past few years, undocumented immigrants who fell into this category of overstays increased from 37% to 63%. Building a wall is thus not a one-size-fits-all solution, as much as some would like to believe.

Myth #2: Migration is a crime

A variety of words often used to describe migrants are rooted in xenophobic vernacular. Words like “illegal” and “alien” are inherently damaging and offensive to migrants and their families, as they have implicit and explicit negative connotations. 

Firstly, it is misleading to call a migrant “illegal” because it denotes criminality. Being in the U.S. without the proper papers is a civil offense, not a criminal one. Moreover, the term labels the person for their actions, as opposed to the individual they are. Language is critical, as it shapes our perceptions.

On a moral ground, these terms are loaded and carry a slew of negative connotations. Former President Trump used such xenophobic and racist language to leverage fear-mongering tactics to his advantage when it came to the topic of immigration. A USA Today analysis found that in 64 rallies President Trump held between 2017-2018, the term “animal” was used 34 times, and the world “killer” 36 times, along with “illegal” and “alien” dozens of times to describe immigrants. 

These phrases are inherently damaging because they portray immigrants as “others” and “unwanted.” By using this loaded language, politicians effectively instill fear into their constituents and falsely scapegoat immigrants for issues that they have nothing to do with. This tactic draws on the intrinsic fear of the unknown and unfairly labels immigrants with titles that simply don’t apply to them.

Furthermore, by asserting that people who cross borders for better lives are committing a grave crime, we desensitize ourselves to and further legitimize the human rights abuses happening in ICE detention. CNN reports that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is currently imprisoning 11,300 children. Reuters reports the average amount spent in ICE detention is 3 months—a tripling from September 2016 to September 2020. According to NPR, there are over 1 million asylum cases in the immigrant court system, creating a seemingly bottomless backlog of applications that has effectively sealed off “acceptable” routes of entry for those fleeing dangerous situations. We are turning would-be asylees into criminals. 

In the U.S., we derive pride from institutional order, applauding ourselves on having a democracy where everyone gets a chance to make laws and follow them. At times, we can treasure the measures that are supposed to protect us and the ones we love.

But the origins of several laws are entrenched in histories of racism. We can still  feel the reverberations of simultaneous nativism and xenophobia that fueled the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the Immigration Acts of 1917 and 1924—the culmination of which completely barred Asian folks from entering the United States.  

All of these despicable laws were indeed legal, so why do we sanctify the immigration laws we have now? Given the conditions that migrants are fleeing, we cannot morally defend the claim that their attempt to get to a safer place is a crime.

Myth #3: Migrants have corrupt motives to come to the U.S.

Simply put, most (if not all) migrants coming to the U.S. are arriving in search of a better life. It is even more important to note that most immigrants leave their country due to circumstance and their environment—not because of malicious and ill-intentioned motives. While the media often paints a picture of “caravans” and “border crises,” these depictions are often far from the truth. 

For example, politicians and various media outlets have capitalized on the current border dilemma, framing it as an unprecedented crisis warranting top-to-bottom government intervention. However, this argument lacks context. Every two to three years, there is an influx of migrants at the border for a wide variety of reasons. This is the case in the present day, and it was the case in 2018 and 2015 as well. 

Nature plays a large role in migration patterns. In November of 2020, hurricanes Eta and Iota tore through Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala, killing 200 people, displacing 1.8 million children and 5.3 million people total. “It’s concerning that many parents lost their jobs because of the pandemic and then lost their belongings, houses, and crops because of the hurricanes,” stated Laurent Duvillier, a spokesperson for UNICEF. 

Coupled with the implications brought by the pandemic and violence in nearby regions, it’s only logical that many migrants are making the trek to the U.S. in search of a better life.

The truth: A reality check on society’s perception of undocumented immigrants

Clearly, there are a variety of misconceptions regarding migrants that are often exacerbated by the media. By no means are we saying that all undocumented immigrants are perfect, or that they all have good intentions. None of us are perfect, and there is nuance to each group of individuals. But we are advocating for the humanization of migrants who have been unfairly stereotyped for far too long.

These stereotypes can play into the psychological and mental health of undocumented immigrants and their families. A recent study found that well over 4 million children under the age of 18 are living with at least 1 undocumented parent. American culture often views undocumented immigrants in a negative light, and burdens mixed-status families with a ludicrous mental toll. 

This principle, dubbed “legal consciousness,” is produced by laws and social life, and it essentially means that children of undocumented immigrants are hyper-aware of their situation—often leading to unnecessary stress, guilt and fear of being deported and/or detained. “Children growing up with undocumented parents face a series of structural challenges set in place by immigration laws and social welfare practices,” writes immigration expert Leisy Abrego. Given that well over 16.7 million people in this country have at least one undocumented family member living with them, this problem impacts a plethora of individuals.

We are not asking for much. Nor are we asking you to change your mind on immigration policy. As board members of USAA, we know how complex this topic is. However, we are imploring you to regard all migrants, undocumented or not, with a sense of humanity. 

They are experiencing struggles that some of us can’t even fathom. Undocumented immigrants are some of the most marginalized groups in the status quo and are often villainized in our American culture. While it may not seem like much, regarding all migrants with a sense of humanity and empathy can set a new standard of social acceptance—the first step toward creating a more equitable society.