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I have never felt so impassioned to write. I have never felt a deeper urgency to
write until this moment. And so
this blog is born.
I recently gave a talk to a Christian group about the need
for comprehensive immigration reform in the United States. I shared about the brokenness of our
immigration system, the current power struggle between states and the federal
government over the issue of undocumented immigration, and about how
unauthorized immigrants are caught in the middle of this political firestorm. Drawing from scripture such as Psalm
146:9, Deuteronomy 24:17, and Exodus 23:9, I argued that it is unjust to scapegoat
undocumented immigrants and to discriminate against them. In particular, I talked about how state
legislation such as Arizona SB-1070, Alabama HB-56, and Georgia HB-87 are
mean-spirited and unbiblical pieces of legislation which unfairly target
undocumented immigrants.
Nothing could prepare
me for what happened next.
Although the overwhelming majority of those in attendance
were open-minded and sympathetic to the perspective I shared, I was profoundly
disturbed by the presentation of another speaker and by the attitudes which
were shared by several people during the group discussion which followed. People spoke of the criminality and
sexual promiscuity of undocumented immigrants and other Latinos, and about the supposed
threat which undocumented Latino immigrants pose to national security. They asserted that all immigrants need
to assimilate, shed their God-given cultural identities, and speak English in
order to be accepted in this country.
I even heard a romantic and historically false claim that America, in
its wonderful beneficence, has always accepted the “huddled immigrant masses.”
In response, I brought up painful counter-examples which
have affected my own Chinese and Mexican communities, as well as other
communities of color. I mentioned the
genocide of millions of Native Americans, Manifest Destiny, the Chinese
Exclusion Act of 1882, and the massive deportations of hundreds of thousands of
Mexican Americans as part of historical campaigns like Operation Wetback. I was told that it wasn’t good to keep
bringing up past examples of historical racism. Even worse, I heard some downplay some of the most horrible
racist actions perpetrated against people of color in our nation’s history. One person tried to minimize the
genocide of millions of Native Americans by saying that most of their deaths were
caused by diseases like small pox (and therefore unintentional). The claim was also made that “there
weren’t many people here” when the Europeans arrived. Disgustingly, someone even minimized the rape of Native
American women as part of European conquest by saying that “rape happens all over
the world.”
When I tried to make the argument that history matters and
that present racial inequalities in the U.S. are the direct result of
historical injustices, I was told “well neither I nor my father were a part of
those wrongs, so I can’t be blamed.”
Someone also remarked that minorities were to blame for the poverty and
socio-economic degradation of their own communities because of things like promiscuity
and the breakdown of the family.
We also had an interesting conversation about the appropriateness
of the term “illegal alien.” The
question was first posed by a sincere individual who did not understand why the
term is offensive. I and others explained
that we found the term offensive because it dehumanizes immigrants and
essentializes them to a legal status, thereby stripping them of their humanity. Someone in the other camp insisted upon
the continued usage of the term “illegal alien,” arguing that it was an
accurate way of describing the political relationship of some immigrants to the
state. When I shared that I and
millions of other Latinos were incensed by Mitt Romney’s repeated use of the
term “illegal alien” as a cuss word intended to elicit the support and strong emotional
reactions of voters on the far right, I was told, “How do you know that he
meant it that way?” After
clarifying again that I was not alone in my sentiment and that millions of other
Latinos interpreted Mitt Romney’s comments in a similar fashion, this
individual continued to insist so vociferously upon his position that the
moderator had to walk over to him in order to intervene.
As you can imagine, on many levels I AM DEEPLY DISTURBED BY
WHAT I EXPERIENCED. On a personal level, I am deeply wounded and will need much
grace from God to forgive. With
God’s help, I will.
MOSTLY,
HOWEVER, MY HEART BREAKS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THIS TYPE OF FOX NEWS CHRISTIANITY
HINDERS MILLIONS OF STUDENTS IN THE UNITED STATES FROM COMING TO EXPLORE A
PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.
These individuals from the conference were unable to get past their own
cultural assumptions, and, as a consequence they were incapable of giving a
fair hearing of a perspective other than their own. As a consequence, to myself, and the other Latinas and
Latinos in the room, they came across as being deeply closed-minded at best, and
racist at worst.
If these misguided perspectives are all that students of
color and consciousness hear from the church in America, they will be led to
believe that Christianity is a racist, classist, and sexist religion. I wouldn’t blame them. Tragically, if this is the only
viewpoint they are exposed to, it is unlikely that they will ever come to know
the real Jesus who is the author of justice and compassion, and who loves them
more than they could ever hope for or imagine. When I think about this my soul weeps. Then my blood boils. Then my soul weeps again.
MY SOUL WEEPS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THESE CLOSED-MINDED
PERSPECTIVES MISREPRESENT THE TRUE JESUS OF HISTORICAL AND BIBLICAL
CHRISTIANITY. JESUS IS THE AUTHOR
OF JUSTICE, ADVOCACY, AND COMPASSION.
He cares more about immigrants, the dispossessed, and the poor than we
can ever even begin to imagine or comprehend. He’s been given a bad rep.
As a follower of Jesus, and as a member of the church in
America, I realize that I have to take ownership of these terrible
misrepresentations of Christianity, too. I know that I am
culpable as well. I apologize to
the millions of students of color and socially-conscious individuals who have
already been hurt and wounded by such racist and insensitive statements. I
apologize for those who call themselves Christian but who misrepresent the name
of Jesus in such profound ways when it comes to issues of race, gender, and
social justice. I apologize for
the ways in which they, and I, and the church in America have hurt you. Please forgive us.
I believe now, more than ever, that something has to be done
to change this situation. Thankfully,
there are many socially conscious Christians who agree with me (even many who
were in that room with me last weekend), but a new space has to be created in
our colleges and universities where issues of race, social justice, and faith
can be freely explored and examined without the baggage of institutional
Christianity. No more Christianity
wrapped up in the American flag (or any flag for that matter).
I hope that this blog can be one small, but meaningful step
in this direction. Will you join
me?
Join me on a journey of learning together about Jesus and
His heart for justice, racial reconciliation, and the poor. Let’s create a space where we can
talk. Where we can share. Where we can form community. Let’s START A REVOLUTION. Together.
CALLING ALL REVOLUTIONARIES!
Robert Chao Romero
Follow me on Twitter: @ProfeChaoRomero
Like our blog on Facebook: “Jesus for Revolutionaries”
https://www.facebook.com/JesusForRevolutionaries
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