Readers Write: Immigration fearmongering, presidential election, Minneapolis

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Is it worse that former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance ignorantly bloviate about Haitian immigrants eating pets, or worse that people are still susceptible to this kind of thinking? We often use the word “hatred” when talking about these divisive political tactics, but I think there’s a far more apt description of this strategy: primitive.

When the flood of immigrants came to Ellis Island in the 1900s (the historical backdrop from which so many of us descend), “real” Americans found ways to discriminate against them. The Irish were portrayed as monkey-like, and the Polish were thought to be too stupid to speak English. And while he was short one golden escalator, even Benjamin Franklin presaged Trump’s “they’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime” rhetoric about (gasp!) German immigrants. Since then we’ve found ways to be afraid of every type of person under the sun: Italian, Mexican, Somali, Chinese, Afghan, Guatemalan, LGBTQ+, Hmong, Russian … you name it!

2024′s hot new flavor of nonsense xenophobia? Haitians eating your pets. On and on it goes, as we move from one group of (perceived) subhuman idiots and criminals to the next. We’re led around by the collective nose, forgetting entirely that the history of humanity is overflowing with leaders dividing us for their own political gain. Why? Because it’s so, so easy.

People of every political stripe, all of us, can stoop to indulging our most basic and fearful instincts. But first look at the list above. Does anyone think that Italians are a threat to America? Or that we should fear people from Thailand or Ethiopia? Talking about these cultures makes me hungry for their beautiful food, not fearful that they’re going to kill my family and eat my pets. Fear is the oldest political trick in the book. But was it ever true? Was there ever a wave of uniformly bad people from one country or culture? Of course not. Not ever. Because anyone can be good and anyone can be bad. Show me an immigrant who committed a heinous crime, and I’ll show you 10 American-born citizens who did even worse. This kind of fear is the most primitive part of ourselves to engage with. It is basic, it is incurious, and it’s not serving us in this conversation.

And now we’re presented with a choice: Stay in our terrified huddle, perpetually afraid of the “other,” or throw off these millennia-old shackles and open our hearts to the goodness in everyone. To me, only one path represents the founding intent of this complicated, diverse, beautiful country.

Travis Anderson, Minneapolis

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When Otis Trodahl proposed to Isadora Sperber (the people who would become my grandparents), she said yes. The next order of business was to find an officiant to tie the knot. They went to the minister of Dora’s church and he said, “No.” They went to the minister of Otis’ church and he too said, “No.” You see, it was to be a mixed marriage; Otis was Norwegian Lutheran and Dora was German Lutheran. Long story short, they found a way to get married and lived happily ever after (except for that bit of unpleasantness in the old country between 1940 and 1945).

The point is that people are clannish. Even when looking at two very white people, some are quick to categorize them as “us” or “them.” Every immigrant group was a “them” until they were an “us.” Irish were “them.” Italians were “them.” Catholics were “them.”

Immigrants bring their traditions and ideas to amalgamate the melting pot. Some catch on. Pizza, yeah! And some do not. Lutefisk, not so much.

Once a teacher said something about “American students,” and one student (a child of immigrants) said, “Do I look like an American?” The teacher said, “Yes. And that’s the genius of America; anyone can be an American. Americans are not defined by genetics or ancestry or geography. Americans are defined by ideals: equality under the law, freedom of religion, the right of free speech, the right of assembly and association, the right to choose our own leaders.”

Some politicians are trying to scare us by appealing to our clannish tendencies. They point out ways that immigrants are “not like us”: “they don’t speak English,” “their ‘music’ is just noise,” or “they’re a burden on the schools.”

These same politicians trumpet “American exceptionalism” without defining it. If America is exceptional, it’s because of American ideals — which can be embraced by anyone, yes, anyone. So, these newcomers, with their different traditions, will become Americans — as every other group of immigrants has done — by embracing the ideals of America. They will be “us” and we will all be better off because of them.

Rolf Bolstad, Minneapolis

The writer is a retired teacher.

Dear Pope Francis,

I’ve done as you suggested (”Pope Francis slams both US presidential candidates for what he calls anti-life policies on abortion and migration,” StarTribune.com, Sept. 13). I’ve weighed my options and I will be voting for “that lady.” In my opinion, it’s past time for the institutional church to bring some nuance to the pro-life discussion. This would show more respect for women than calling Kamala Harris “the one who kills children.”

By equating the two candidates as both being “against life,” you’ve given some Catholics a reason to vote for “that gentleman” — a person who has shown an astonishing lack of respect for women, immigrants, the disabled, the military, prisoners and fairly elected officials.

Mary L. Gleason, Minneapolis

Since Vice President Kamala Harris named Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, images from the aftermath of the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis have been circulating with a variety of news sources. Those pictures are of the neighborhood where we live, work and worship. To say those were hard days would be an understatement.

Former President Donald Trump has been using these images to incite fear in the American public. We’d kindly ask him to stop using the events that unfolded in our immediate neighborhood for his own gain. We are real people with real stories; if you’d like to hear about our experiences, please come and talk with us. To be clear, the former president does not accurately represent us on the national stage.

In short, Minneapolis did not burn to the ground in the wake of the police murder of Floyd. Minneapolis isn’t a hellscape; it’s also not a community without hardship. Political polarization causes us to think that it has to be either-or, but regardless of where we live, none of our communities is all or nothing. All of our communities — urban, rural, suburban and tribal — experience the deepest joys and the deepest sorrows and everything in between.

The signatories on this letter have met weekly since the life-altering events in May 2020 because we love our neighborhood and our city. We are committed to accompanying each other as we seek to build a community grounded in mutual respect, equity and deep belonging. We are very clear that we need leaders on the national level who can stand with us — leaders who have the emotional depth to empathize with what we have experienced, leaders who can advocate for us when tragedy strikes and leaders who can celebrate with us when joy once again finds its way to our doorsteps.

This letter was submitted by the Rev. Ingrid C.A. Rasmussen, the Rev. David Larson-Martínez and the Rev. Doug Mork, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church; Cristina Montoya, the Hub Bike Co-op; Ayanna Muata, Longfellow Rising board member; Jamie Schwesnedl, Moon Palace Books; Meena Natarajan, Pangea World Theater; Chris Mozena, Hook and Ladder Theater; and Kate Winkel, Arbeiter Brewing Company.