Abstract
‘The immigrant armada that is coming to your shores is actually a rescue fleet’, argues Suketu Mehta, an American journalist of Indian origin, best known for his debut book Maximum City (2004). The book is a welcome publication at a time when nativism, majoritarian politics and intolerance are spewing out across the world. In Maximum City Mehta came as an immigrant trying to find the home that he left, This Land is Our Land is where he questions the anti-immigrant stance, travels around the world to gather facts and anecdotes that support his arguments and then boldly argues for America to be his land and our land.
The book has eighteen chapters and is organised in four main sections. The first section titled, ‘Migrants are coming’ tells us what the present scenario is as follows: ‘Mass migration is the defining human phenomenon of the twenty-first century’ (p. 9). The four essays in this section, give us solid data and stories from all around the world—North and South America, Africa, Middle East, Europe, India, which the author collected for this book. While he is doing this, Mehta is aware of his privileges as an American. His passport allows him to travel seamlessly— get quick visas, skip queues, move fast and easily go to countries where other might be struggling to arrive. ‘In the age of globalization, your dignity is determined by your passport…your humanity by your nationality’ (p. 42).
‘Why they are coming’ explores the reasons behind present unprecedented movement of people—colonialism, new colonialism, wars and climate change in all of which the rich countries of the west are culpable. Europe’s share in global GDS increased from 20 per cent to 60 per cent in the colonial period. If Europe were only to repay material riches that it took, it would owe 165 trillion dollars to Latin America today, excluding the price of forced labour! Rich countries have a hand in several ongoing conflicts in the world. US interference in the internal affairs of many South American countries is at the roots of their present crisis. Climate change, accelerated by the emissions of the developed countries, will displace at least 200 million migrants by 2050. A ‘threat multiplier’, it will put pressure on drinking water, food sources, employment and survival in general. The choice for many Indians, writes Mehta will be between ‘roasting to death or moving’ (p. 103). Immigrants from developing countries are thus, ‘ordinary heroes, surviving extraordinary odds’ (p. 87).
The third section explores why immigrants are feared, what causes so much anxiety in host societies. The projection of migrant numbers is much more than their actual numbers. For example, a survey showed that American think foreign-born make up 37 per cent of the population, while in reality they are only 13.7 per cent (p. 118). The western countries, Mehta argues are scared of immigration also because of the changing racial and cultural profile of their societies. Why otherwise Trump administration would focus on building the wall on the Mexico border when the number of Canadians overstaying their visas in the United States was much more? Rise in hate crimes and white supremacy point to deep rooted fear. Rise in inequality, indebtedness and the resulting bubbling frustrations get redirected towards immigrants, who become easy targets.
Mehta explains why immigrants should be welcomed as he debunks many myths associated with immigration. New York is a city that thrives on immigrants, its cultural diversity making it safe and welcoming. Contrary to populist views, countries and cities with immigrants have lower crimes. Immigrants are healthier than natives, more educated, earn more, pay more taxes and are less likely to claim social security benefits. Immigrants with less education catch up in their second and third generations. In many American cities, urban renewal took place as immigrants came, settled and gave local economy a boost. In ageing countries such as Japan, immigrants can help look after the elderly and bare social security costs.
The final argument that holds ‘This Land is Our Land’ together is of migration as reparations. Drawing from Ta-Nehisi Coates’s argument that America owes its black citizens reparations, compensation for the slavery and discriminatory treatment endured by their ancestors, Mehta point out that immigration from the developing world, the present refugee crisis and climate change migrants are all because the developed countries interfered there in the first place. Why then should immigration not be compensation? You spoilt our countries, now let us in yours.
Remittances—economic and social both benefit the source countries of immigrants. Some countries recognise the contributions of migrants explicitly. Philippines treats its 10 million emigrants as heroes and celebrates them. Migrants from the global south sent 481 billion dollars in 2017. While I applaud the rights-based angle of ‘migration as reparations’ argument, the argument in itself seems fallacious. By allowing a few million people on their lands, can the west undo what it has done? Would that really be a fair compensation of centuries of slavery, colonialism and environmental destruction? I think not. Immigration helps individuals, and their families and their countries through remittances but it cannot reduce global economic inequalities. Honduras, Guatemala, Syria or for that matter even India are never going to be on a level playing field with the United States, however many emigrants they send.
The book that begins in sorrow and rage ends with a glimmer of hope. America is after all, the land of the immigrants, of multiculturalism and progressive values.
All in all, I enjoyed reading this book. It is a timely book, immensely readable, well-researched journalism sprinkled with humour and personal anecdotes. I would highly recommend it to all those interested in debates around immigration and understanding our contemporary world.