General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Newsweek: "Bernie Sanders on Immigrants: Silly, Tribal and Economically Illiterate" [View all]TomCADem
(17,387 posts)I agree that now Bernie Sanders has come over to the Democratic Party side and expresses support for a path to citizenship and protection for the rights of immigrants.
However, in terms of rhetoric, Bernie has blamed immigrants for the economic troubles of the working class, and Bernie has made it a point to bring up African Americans similar to Trump.
My issue with Bernie is not so much his stated policy on paper, because as you note, he seems to have adopted many mainstream Democratic positions on immigration. My problem with Bernie is how he has scapegoated immigrants and even paternalistically described them as pawns of the Koch empire. His rhetoric on the issue is harmful. While it is nice that he now has come back to mainstream Democratic positions on immigration, I do not appreciate the continued dog whistles up until quite recently.
I am a child of immigrants. I am glad they came to the U.S. I have taken advantage of the opportunities afforded to me. I do not think that there is anything wrong with that. I think playing races off of each other (African Americans are hurt by immigrants) or scapegoating immigrants for the troubles of working class Americans is wrong.
For me it is deeply personal in terms of how immigrants or foreigners are painted as scapegoats by U.S. politicians on the left as well as the right. This is not new. Just because some folks say that people like me and my family are Koch empire pawns being exploited by being allowed to immigrate, from our perspective, we got a chance to live the American dream and be apart of it. Likewise, I can see how the Ann Coulters of the world will feel threatened since we do not come from an European country, but my response and my view, perhaps selfishly, is that America was built on the idea that the poor, dispossed, and persecuted can come over and thrive.