Orville Taylor | Home for bad deportment

He kept his word. The first of several flights repatriating Jamaican deportees from the United States (US) arrived last week. With around 5,000 Jamaicans tagged for removal; expect more to come. Deportation of non-Americans is nothing new, as the administration of repeat president Donald Trump is moving to remove ‘criminal’ and undocumented aliens. Actually, it is a misnomer to classify them all as ‘undocumented’ or as the Latinos say, indocumentados.

The fact, is deportees are simply people who have violated American law, and a criminal is someone who has broken a major law of a country. Immigration laws are serious legislation.

Of the persons who are on the list to come home, bet any money, but preferably Jamaican currency, that the majority of them entered the US legally on an airline and with tickets. True, a significant number of those are simply those who have ‘run off’. This would include persons who violated the terms of their B1/B2 visitor’s visa, and a few who were legitimately part of the overseas employment programmes administered by the Ministry of Labour.

Within the category, also, are persons who previously had resident alien status or permanent residence, commonly known as green cards. Of course, very few things are permanent, and if there is any misguided nomenclature it is the word ‘permanent’ in such situation. Truth is, only a naturalised citizen is generally exempt from deportation and thus, truly permanent. And even so, there are some extreme exceptions, when an immigrant can be stripped of his citizenship.

American law is very clear about persons who enter the US outside of the approved legal channels of visas and appropriate ports of entry. Entering the country via any means is illegal, just like when anyone from other countries sneak into Portland by boat. Thus, when people jump the border, by entering through Mexico or wherever else, they clearly understand they are doing something wrong and are taking a risk. True, desperate people do desperate things. But a person who jumps the border is one who fully recognises that as with participating in the drug trade, he is doing something which is likely to land him in prison and ultimately on a flight back to Jamaica. However, these are the chances that some people take, because they believe that the alternative in their own country is too much for them to bear.

PERILOUS

Most Jamaicans are not ‘undocumented’ although they do not have ‘papers’, but they did understand that running off was perilous. Sometimes it works, sometimes it is a disaster.

Many might have claimed asylum, because of dangers they allegedly faced in the Jamaica they left behind. Indeed, despite the narrative, most Jamaicans are not fish and cannot swim. Our borders with US are all water, and even if Jesus, who walked on it, were Jamaican, he is only one person. Generally we enter the place legally; but typically, like our relatives, who ignore the upturned broom before the chicken back is cooked; they overstay their welcome.

We are not Mexicans or other natives of Central America, who can walk across the Rio Grande at night. Along the 3,145 kilometres border between the US and Mexico, the estimate is that close to two million persons enter the US annually, via this route. For good measure, the border is more than three times the Jamaican coastline.

Green card holders, on the other hand, are a special breed, and being given the legitimate privilege of living in the people’s country, they understand that as guests their residency is conditional. The stipulation is that they may engage in gainful employment, attend school or participate in all kinds of legal activities. Yet, they understand that running afoul of the law shakes the very foundation of their status, and like the traces of a white board marker, a little alcohol can wipe it all away.

Do not be mistaken, I have deep sympathies for persons who have been deported, especially those who were not involved in major crimes.

Still, as awesome as the number seems, 5,000 is but a small sample of Jamaicans in the US. Indeed, of the thousands of us who live there, those who cross the line into criminality are a minority, and unrepresentative of the larger whole.

REGULATING REMITTANCES

Trust me, inasmuch as based on Trump’s dictates, the state of Florida will be regulating remittances to only legal residents; reality is much different from the narratives. Money will still roll, because most Jamaicans who send money are ‘straight’.

It might be surprising, but most of the Jamaicans who entered the US up to the beginning of the 2000s, did not fit the stereotype. Several generations, of Jamaicans, but especially those of the ‘80s and ‘90s, have made a major impact on Florida and legally immigrated many of their relatives.

Flashback to the late 1990s, one of the current deportees just landed in the US. Fresh from the exploits of the Jamaican posses, this individual fell into the archetype; the exceptional, but not the rule.

In a 1996 Miami Herald article, titled, The Jamaican Miracle in Miami, stunning census data were revealed. With the exception of ‘native whites,’ Jamaicans were the highest ranked racial/ethnic group based on per capita income. We placed above Cubans, who had experienced decades of privileging, due to the Cold War.

And if income were not enough. We also were only behind Caucasians in occupational status. This means that we had more academics, doctors, lawyers, engineers and those other high prestige professionals, than anyone else.

Naturally therefore, Jamaicans also figured highest in educational qualification on the whole. Again no one except white American-born citizens had more pieces of paper from university than us.

And if that were not impressive enough, add to that the ultimate Jamaican symbol of ambition, home ownership. Jamaican won that contest as well, hands down.

It has been almost 30 years since the article, but let them know that we are not net burdens on the US.

Dr Orville Taylor is senior lecturer at the Department of Sociology at The University of the West Indies, a radio talk-show host, and author of ‘Broken Promises, Hearts and Pockets’. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and tayloronblackline@hotmail.com.