Double Standard: Why Obama Hasn’t Spoken Up For Haitian-Americans
Yesterday, I wrote an article about the obvious dissent that was brewing in the black American community because President Barack Obama has spoken out so diligently on behalf of Mexican-Americans and the D.R.E.A.M. act, literally circumventing congress to ensure that Mexican children brought to the States at an early age be allowed a clear path to citizenship as opposed to deportation.
In the article I discussed why we shouldn’t get upset at Mexicans for demanding legislation, while we wait and expect Obama to realize that paying attention to the specific ills that plague the black community should be addressed because, “Gosh darn it, it’s the right thing to do.”
That’s not happening, not in this lifetime nor the next.
In an opinion piece for TheGrio.com, Steven Forrester discusses the fact that Haitian-Americans “have a dream, too.” Sadly, the disparities in how the Obama Administration addresses the parallel issues illuminates the president’s lack of moral compass:
On May 24, Haitian-American elected and community leaders held a press conference at North Miami City Hall to express their disappointment with the president for failing to expedite Haitian family reunification, despite bipartisan support for such relief dating back 29 months to Haiti’s January 2010 earthquake. Their disappointment was widely reported locally and could have national repercussions.
The issue involves 112,000 beneficiaries of family based visa petitions who, despite Department of Homeland Security (DHS) approvals, remain on 3 to 11-year waiting lists in Haiti, where many may not survive given the conditions there. Expediting their entry into the United States has precedent and bipartisan support because it would save their lives and generate badly needed remittances to help Haiti recover, while costing virtually nothing.
Nor is congressional action needed; just a White House instruction to DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano. But it hasn’t been forthcoming: there has been only silence, thus the Haitian community’s disappointment, now being increasingly expressed in public.
If ever there was a heartbreaking situation that illustrates my point, this is it. Instead of talking about Mexicans like filth, how “lazy” they are, how they’re “manipulating the system,” you know those same stereotypes that white people throw on us, maybe our time would be better spent getting behind this issue and actually pushing for something, instead of against something for other people?
Or, the complainers can just sit around, throwing side-eyes at their Obama ’08 t-shirts, and wait another 4 years because “he’s going to really go in this term, he has nothing to lose!”
Let me know how that works out.
Most constituencies demand something for their votes. That’s how politics is supposed to work. I’ll vote for you if you do this for me. Every other group seems to understand this except African Americans. Granted some of the reason for this is the good cop/ bad cop routine the Democrats and Republicans have been pulling on us making us feel as though we have no real choice.
But since we haven’t asked the President to do anything for our votes we are getting exactly what we’ve asked for, nothing. So the President knows that in order to gain so-called Hispanic votes he has to actually do something for them. To gain White and Jewish and Asian votes he has to actually do something for them.
But for us he knows as everyone else knows that 95% of African American voters are going to vote for Obama no matter what. So why work for it. We’ve put our collective selves in a situation where we don’t have any political power. We can’t demand Haitians receive the same treatment as Mexicans. We can’t demand special programs to combat the higher than average unemployment rate amongst Black Americans. We can’t demand anything.
So unless we begin to ask for something in return for our votes we’ll always be sitting on the sidelines while other groups collect their political spoils.
+1
For the most part this is true, but I think more AA are becoming more vocal about not getting the attention they deserve spear headed by Tavis Smiley and Cornel West. The question is what issue does the President needs to address that is exclusive to AA and no one else.
Here’s why: Haitians do not make up 16% of the US population
THE DREAM ACT IS NOT ONLY FOR MEXICANS, BUT ALL IMMIGRANTS WHO QUALIFY FOR IT. PLEASE READ AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS DREAM ACT IF YOU ARE AN IMMIGRANT AND QUALIFY FOR IT. GO TO USCIS.GOV FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Thank you Jolie. This author of this article is obviously quite misinformed.
Yes, thanks Jolie. The shame here is the misinformation in this article or the fact that folks are not paying attention, or actively involved enough to know the the executive order is for any immigrant child brought here through no fault of their own. The writer here need to et her fact straight and get the correct information in front of her community, so that she can really help them move forward.
Does the author of this article realize that the executive order passed will not just apply to Mexicans? SMH at the ignorance.
The executive order will apply to every immigrant not just Mexicans. The thing is, illegal immigration is always pinned down as Mexican but in reality, there are illegal Asians, Europeans, Africans etc in this country. Also if Mexican Americans can fight for their rights, so should other people. We can’t expect Obama to do everything for us. This is ridiculous. If you want something done, let your voice be heard. That’s what MLK did and that is what the Mexicans have done.