Immigration and Race: “Take the Pledge and Drop the ‘I’ Word”

Being a first generation Indian-American, immigration hits a personal cord in me.  My parents were immigrants, and migrated from India for a better quality of life.  People have migrated since the dawn of time, by foot, by wagon, by car, or by plane. Being born into this world is our passport to the planet, and it is our human right to explore this earth.  But many people fear new people in their “neighborhood.”  They see people that are different from them in certain respects, and soon their fear turns to hate.  This is what has led to the climate of anger in regards to immigration in the U.S.  But this is not a new story.  It has gone on for centuries.  People fight over borders that they arbitrarily assign, with these borders ever shifting, depending on who is in power.  Even the land I live on and call home is stolen land; rewritten borders.  Sadly we are still blinded by social forces such as media to condone this hate, despite our access to information.  We are manipulated to feel that racism and xenophobia are acceptable.  But it’s time to confront this acceptance of hate.  It’s time to stop labeling any human being as “illegal.”  Many have joined the movement to remove this word from their vocabulary, and give hope to the end of this hate-word.

TAKE THE PLEDGE AND DROP THE “I” WORD:

“I will not call any human being "illegal." The racially charged slur and related terms confuse the immigration debate, fuel violence and don’t reflect my values. I join communities nationwide in challenging all media to do the same. “

Please take a moment to sign the pledge and spread the word.  Visit the “Why Drop the I-Word? FAQ” page on Colorlines to get ideas on how to start a conversation with friends on this topic.  Help make our world a more accepting place.