The discussion revolves around the impact of immigration, particularly illegal immigration, on the Black community in the US.
Author Marcus Collins highlights the tension and competition over limited resources, emphasizing the impact on cultural collaboration and the complexities of illegal immigration.
Collins said, “Immigration, writ large, has a material impact on Black culture.”
“As new immigrants come in, they ultimately can create a collective of the marginalized, right? Which fosters collaboration among cultural producers,” he continued.
“I think when you start to think about illegal immigration, it creates a new frame by which we think about this influx, because it’s no longer just more underestimated people coming into the market,” explained Collins.
Collins said, “The context could be, ‘Are they, asylum seekers? Are they fleeing an environment that puts their life in jeopardy? Are they fleeing because of persecution?’ And therefore, considering the ethos of the country, we would say that they have a right to be here — just like any of us do.”
He continued, “The complications then for the Black community becomes, ‘Is there a tension around resources?’ If there are only so many dollars, so many on-ramps, so many points of access for these people, then it puts a strain on the resources available, right?”
“I think at its best, you know, as more immigrants enter the country, be it legal or illegal, it creates a new calibration of how we think about the hegemony. Because when the minority becomes the majority, we now then have to rework, refashion, and reinterrogate what is acceptable, what is normal, and as a result, it creates a new tension,” explained the author.
“So, by and large, any new things become disruptive and create tension… When the mindset is a mindset of abundance, I think the opportunities are plentiful. I think they actually become quite progressive and quite productive for the country. But we look at it from a mindset of scarcity. That’s when the tensions arise, and we start to get conflict between the two,” suggested Collins.
Collins said, “We know what it’s like to be marginalized. We know what it’s like to be underappreciated, to be underestimated. We know oppression in this country 1,000%. And when we see others who are experiencing that oppression, there’s a level of empathy that goes, ‘Man, I feel you, I feel it. We’ve been there.’”
“There’s so many different nuances in the way it’s being seen. But if we bucket them in two ways — abundance and scarcity — I think you get a better understanding of where people sit on the issue,” Collins said.
The issue has gained national attention, with perspectives ranging from empathy to frustration within the Black community.
The scarcity mindset leads to concerns about resource allocation, while an abundance mindset is seen as more progressive.
The conversation also includes insights from radio host Charlamagne The God, who notes increased frustration among working-class individuals regarding the migrant issue.
Charlamagne The God said, “Like, I honestly have never spoken to as many people who are concerned about the migrant issue as I have over the past year.”
“I’ve never seen working-class people who I interact with every day until this past year really, really, really expressed their frustration for the migrants,” he continued.
“We already feel like we’re being underserved, now the resources are going to other people who didn’t sort of wait their time in line,” said Collins.
“And then from that perspective, you start to get great tension,” he explained.
Overall, the discussion underscores the varied perspectives within the Black community and the impact of immigration on resource allocation.
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