Immigration & Compassion

This week, I read an article in Time magazine which told the story of a small, former manufacturing town in Oregon. As the economic crisis claims more and more jobs, the residents of St. Helens are lashing out at an easy target, immigrants. During these uncertain times, they are doing what comes naturally, protecting their own. I understand their rationale. Usually, immigrants, particularly those that are in the U.S. illegally, can be hired for less than what an employer would have to pay a legal citizen. When times are tough, employers may be tempted to hire more immigrants, which means even less jobs for "Americans".

I read this article during a time when I've been thinking a lot about immigration. In poor countries like Nepal, immigration is a common coping strategy. In fact, in many rural parts of this country, immigration, historically to India and most recently to the Gulf States, is almost a part of the culture. There are communities in Nepal where over 90% of the households have at least one family member who is working out of the country at any given time. Remittances, the money that is sent home by migrant workers, accounts for approximately 18% of Nepal's total GDP. Although migrating for work allows many Nepali families to escape the clutches of hunger, it is not without risks. HIV/AIDS has increased drastically in rural communities of Nepal as more and more migrants, mostly men, leave their home communities for months at a time. These men, some of them unknowingly infected with HIV/AIDS, then return to their communities where the disease is spread. In addition to the risk of HIV/AIDS, migrants are vulnerable to exploitation, theft and abuse. During this time, when the world economy is falling apart, the risks are even greater. Of course, for many immigrants, those in Oregon, India and elsewhere, the choice that remains is not an easy one…stay in a host country where the jobs prospects are increasingly bleak or return home to the certainty of poverty and hunger.

In addition to the huge effect that immigration has on Nepal, another reason that I've been thinking about immigration lately is because I feel a bit like an immigrant. I'll be the first to admit that this is not a fair comparison. The differences between me and your average migrant worker are stark. I am in Nepal by my own volition, and I can leave whenever I want. The stipend I get as a "volunteer" is more than the average Nepali makes. Although my skin color is different than most people in Nepal, that difference tends to work in my favor (except when I'm negotiating with a taxi). But I would argue that there are some similarities. I now know what it feels like to be the outsider. I understand the frustrations of not being able to communicate in the dominant language. In many ways, I am a stranger in this place. I spend most of my time being confused. I am displaced from the community that gives me support and a sense of belonging.

So what's the point? Why am I writing this? I guess I'm just saying that for me, recognizing the plight of many Nepali migrants and considering my own feelings of separation, I will no longer be able to ignore the reality of immigration. I will be forced to look past the statistics (the number of "illegal aliens", the number of jobs "lost" to immigrants, etc) and see the faces and hear the stories of real people…stories that will now sound a bit more familiar.