President Trump’s reported characterization of Haiti, African countries and other nations as “s***holes” is reprehensible, racist, and dehumanizing for the citizens of those countries.
We reject this language and most importantly reject this characterization as morally, politically and ethically wrong. We call on all members of Congress, regardless of political party to reject the president’s comments and urge him to apologize.
Yet the president’s characterization is reflective of historic U.S. attitudes toward these countries, which for centuries have been the countries from which the countries from which we captured and enslaved people, imposed U.S. military control, and robbed of their natural resources.
As important as criticizing the president’s comments is the work to fundamentally shift U.S. attitudes toward these countries and ultimately the policies that are driven by these attitudes. The president’s comments provide an opportunity for us to start conversations in our communities about how much the U.S. has learned from other countries, how the roots of our civilizations flow from these lands, and the privileges the U.S. enjoys today come from our oppression of other nations. Today, immigrants are a vital part of our communities.
Immigrants have built this country and our society. The best response to these comments would be for Congress to pass legislation protecting refugees, immigrants, and others from these lands through reforms including addressing Temporary Restricted Status recipients.