On our television screens we have been witnessing heartfelt scenes of Latin America refugees, who have arrived at US border crossings, after a journey of thousands of miles on foot. These asylum seekers are being subjected to inhumane treatment at the Border Patrol Detention Centers, where they are kept in “cages”. They are deprived of basic living conditions and care, often young children separated from their parents. Naturally, the American public are angry and upset with these kinds of treatment. Many words of condemnation are heard from all corners. Members of the US congress and Democratic presidential candidates are visiting the refugee camps and urging President Donald Tramp to end these practices which are contrary to American principles and harmful to its image.
However, for Trump, the issue of immigration has always been and remains a playing card for achieving his political goals and securing his re-election. Yet again he is ignoring the laws of this Country, by denying certain rights, among them the right to seek asylum, to anyone who steps foot on US soil.
In this regard, we are disappointed with certain Armenians, who are defending the harsh policies pursued by Donald Trump’s administration, and blaming the refugees for their misfortunes. These individuals should be reminded, that not long time ago, they or their parents came to this Country fleeing from Middle Eastern civil wars or escaping poor economic conditions in Armenia. They too arrived in America, if not by foot, by plane, and after their visas expired, they lived here illegally. Many of them applied for refugee status, and it took them many years to become legal residents.
Witnessing the fate of Latin American immigrants, we also gratefully remember the reaction of many countries towards the Armenian immigrants who had escaped the Genocide. Even Muslim countries of the Middle East and their people embraced Christian Armenians by providing them with shelters and saving thousands from certain death.
These days, the Latin American refugees deserve the sympathy of who else, if not the Armenians.
“MASSIS”
5 comments
And how many Armenians in America are undocumented?
Just because some Armenians decided to ILLEGALLY overstay their visas and make false asylum claims doesn’t mean those Armenians who came here legally should feel compassion for criminals. Those DETENTION CENTERS are not designed to be processing centers for asylum seekers.. the ONLY people in those detention centers are those who have been CAUGHT ILLEGALLY crossing the border. Some who have been caught THEN claim asylum.. the only reason why children are separated from their “parents” is because they “parents” fail to provide any proof of legal guardianship.. this is designed to protect the child from potential smugglers until they can find their true legal guardians or relatives. True REFUGEES deserve ARMENIAN sympathy.. no criminals deserve sympathy, Armenian or not. Learn your facts before you publish such articles.
I agree that we should strive to be compassionate towards the suffering of others but its very silly comparing Armenian genocide survivors to Latin Americans crossing the border today. Such low quality emotion driven arguments don’t reflect well upon the intellect of some of our community members.
It is truly sad that the descendants of Armenian genocide survivors coldly turn their backs and shut their eyes to the horrific treatment of innocent children and families being ground up in Trump’s horrific and fanatical war on brown people, which is cut from the same cloth as the suffering endured on the deportation routes by their ancestors. They simply lend their pitchforks to the Tormentor In Chief.
I agree fully with the Massis position.It deeply saddens me when an Armenian in the USA feels no compassion for the Central Americans who face the same horrific conditions in their countries which our ancestors faced just two or three generations ago in Turkey. Trump is violating both US and international law in his treatment of these innocent people.