Community Views
Editor's Notebook
Will The Last One In
Kindly Lock The Door?
Another Bridge Builder
Is At Work In Detroit
JEANNIE WEINER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
Like
many
American Jews,
I am a first-gen-
eration Ameri-
can. Both of my
parents were
born in what was
then Austria-
Hungary. Like
many American
Jews, my parents were grateful
to be American citizens and
both have contributed greatly
to this country. My family con-
tinues to participate fully in the
American dream, as consistent
and informed voters and as com-
munity
munity activists.
But, in 1994 we are witness-
ing dangerous and frightening
anti-immigrant sentiment.
Twenty years ago there were 2
\--, 1/2 million refugees worldwide.
In 1993, there were nearly 20
million refugees.
Then and now, refugees are
produced by war, persecution
and natural disasters. Most
refugees stay near countries of
their birth, with only about 1
percent coming to the United
States and most coming in legal-
ly and under highly regulated
conditions. Most, including the
Jews from the former Soviet
Union, come to be reunited with
their sisters and brothers,
mothers and fathers or children.
While we as Jews are proud
of Israel's welcome to enormous
numbers of immigrants, in
America anti-newcomer feelings
are on the rise. A July 1993
Gallup poll in America revealed
. that, in spite of the fact that
most people do not have any
contact with new immigrants,
nearly two-thirds polled sup-
ported a curb in immigration.
This is the highest percentage
of people wishing to stop or slow
immigration in the past four
decades. The poll also demon-
strated that Americans do not
\Th distinguish between refugees
fleeing persecution, legal immi-
grants, and those who are un-
documented.
Some Americans believe that
immigrants cost taxpayers mon-
ey and that ethnic diversity is a
threat to "American" culture.
Hispanic and black immigrants
are particularly unwanted. In
some cases, Haitians are turned
back before even being allowed
to submit applications. Amer-
icans fear that immigrants are
taking jobs from "real" Ameri-
cans.
These perceptions are large-
ly myths. According to Frank
Sharry, executive director of the
National Immigration, Refugee
and Citizenship Forum, most
immigrants have skills that
: benefit the economy and con-
Jeannie Weiner is president of
the Jewish Community
Council.
/-
(----
tribute more than they extract
from it (just as my parents did).
Mr. Sharry reveals that new-
comers use fewer welfare ser-
vices than an average family
born in the United States and
that immigrants usually do not
depress neighborhoods; but, in
fact, through their enterprise,
they increase the number of jobs
available in these areas!
The fear that American cul-
ture will be tarnished by new-
corners is not new. Newcomers
striving in the 1790s, 1850s and
1920s faced these same fears.
American culture, of course, is
what developed from
the wealth of diversi-
ty brought to our
shore by Jews, Mexi-
cans, Italians and
others. The immi-
grant experience was,
and still is, to learn
the language, get a
job and raise a fam-
ily.
Of course we do
not want criminals
in America whether
they come as im-
migrants or are
born here. Of
course we need
to protect our-
selves from
smugglers
and those
who would
perpetrate
fraud to enter
the United
States; and, yes, il-
legal immigrants are
a burden to our social
service agen-
cies.
If Ameri-
cans do not
distinguish
between le-
gal and ille-
gal immi-
grants, we
will forget
that the best interest of this
country is in fortifying ourselves
with productive, proud, new po-
tential citizens.
The xenophobic climate that
is engulfing America should be
alarming to American Jews.
The number of refugees taken
into the United States may di-
minish just as the refugee situ-
ation worldwide is increasing.
In 1994, tiny Israel took 100
Moslem refugees from war-torn
Bosnia. Germany has taken in
hundreds of thousands of
refugees from former Yu-
goslavia in the past few years,
and Sweden took in 68,000 in
one year. Canada took 6,000
Bosnians in 1993 as potential
citizens while the United States
took in 1,800!
I shudder to think that isola-
tionism and anti-immigrant
PHIL JACOBS EDITOR
sentiment are returning. My fa-
ther's own road to citizenship
took many years. It carried him
from Budapest to New York and
then to Cleveland and Windsor
and then to Mexico. From Mex-
ico he eventually arrived in
Chicago where he married my
mother and they moved to New
Mexico where I was born and
where he became a citizen. I
was a small child but fondly re-
call that day! No one could have
been prouder or more grateful
for the opportunities of freedom
than he.
As Jews, our own immigrant
experiences are only a few gen-
erations away. If we wish to con-
tinue to resettle the Jews of the
former Soviet Union who, I be-
lieve, may face great turmoil
ahead, we must continue to of-
fer protection to bona fide
refugees seeking admission to
the United States. We must not
allow our lawmakers to cut
refugee programs to pay for
health and welfare reform. We
cannot ride on the backs of fii= .
ture citizens to pay for our
needs.
As Jews, it would be un-
thinkable that we could forget
the experiences of our family
members who enabled us to be-
come Americans. We must con-
tinue to support fair but
generous immigration policies.
I know that I, for one, owe it to
my parents. ❑
Even though the or Archer; he was building
sum total of bridges.
African-Ameri-
"I've been involved with the
can and Jewish Jewish community for the past
American rela- few years," he said. Indeed, he
tions seems de- served as a panelist at the Unit-
fined through the ed Jewish Appeal's Young Lead-
media as Far- ership Conference in Washing-
rakhan vs. the ton, D.C. two weeks ago. He
ADL, there are talked about a time growing up
stories out there less volatile and as a next-door neighbor to a Jew-
certainly with the potential to be ish family in Detroit.
more important.
He charged that Jews and
It was last September 27 that blacks don't live day-to-day lives
then-Detroit mayoral candidates together as they should. It's dif-
Sharon McPhail and Dennis ficult enough for people of simi-
Archer crossed the forbidden lar histories to get along, but
boundary of Eight Mile Road those with differences need to
and spoke to the Jewish com- work harder to find similarities.
munity at the Radisson Hotel. It And, according to Mr. Hollowell,
was the first of several debates `There are more similarities be-
or forums between the candi- tween the two communities than
dates, leading to Mr. Archer's there are differences."
victory to succeed Detroit May-
"If I don't condemn anti-Semi-
or Coleman Young.
tism, I contribute to a climate of
Mr. Archer, through his out- bigotry. And I condemn it,
reach to the suburbs and the whether it's a David Duke or a
Jewish community (something Louis Farrakhan. The message
his predecessor
of a Louis Far-
would almost
rakhan, while it
never do), is re-
doesn't repre-
freshingly and
sent a majority
Mr.
Ho
llowell
courageously a
opinion, can be
bridge builder.
powerful. Why?
talked
about
Just about the
Because people
time when we
feel shut out of
rela
tions
were all saying
society. And
that we need
when you feel
betw
een
more builders
that feeling of
from both com-
hopelessness,
Jew
s
and
munities, Afri-
you react a cer-
can-American
tain way."
bla cks.
and Jewish, a-
Mr. Hollow-
long comes
ell, who was
Melvin J. "Butch" Hollowell Jr. U.S. Sen. Carl Levin's 1990 po-
Mr. Hollowell is a candidate litical director during his re-elec-
for Detroit's 14th Congressional tion campaign, also had strong
District seat, held by Rep. John opinions about Israel. He is a
Conyers since 1964. Mr. Cony- supporter of a secure Israel as
ers, who finished as an also-ran well as the continuation of its $3
in the mayoral primary, is not billion in U.S. aid. He also con-
considered by any stretch a close demns the continuing Arab eco-
friend of Israel. It's only been in nomic boycott of Israel and
recent years that he has shown supports continued emigration
favorable votes on foreign aid in of Soviet emigres to Israel.
the House of Representatives.
But whatever else Mr. Hol-
There is little outreach, little lowell had to say, the mere fact
communication between Mr. that here he was meeting with
Conyers and the local or nation- Jewish journalists in the sub-
al Jewish community.
urbs was almost as dramatic as
Tuesday, Mr. Hollowell came any position paper he might
to the offices of The Jewish News. have produced. In the sum total
He brought along slick audio-vi- of seven months, three major
suals on his stands on gun con- African-American political can-
trol, position papers on crime didates have come from beyond
and various other materials. Coleman Young's concrete wall.
Every candidate meeting with
A bridge is being built. Hope-
any organization comes fully it will awaken others, in-
equipped like that. It was the un.- cluding the 14th District
printed "material" that was the incumbent, to the fact that ur-
most important.
ban-suburban partnerships can
The attorney with Lewis, help everybody if they are equal CY)
0)
White & Clay and the former in concept and implementation,
Oakland County Assistant and that the Jewish community
County Executive talked about is welcoming the destruction of
relations between Jews and antiquated barriers in enthusi- CC
blacks. He discussed his posi- astic favor of the new leadership 0_
tions on a strong Israel. Most of Detroit is offering its neighbor-
all, he followed the lead of May- hoods and its suburbs. ❑
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