Simone de Beauvoir once said: “Otherness is a fundamental category of human thought. No group ever defines itself up as the ‘One’ without at once setting up the ‘Other’ against itself.”[1] De Beauvoir was a French feminist and political activist, one of the first to introduce the concept of the “Other” into discussions on post-colonialism and feminism in society.
Simone de Beauvoir,
Photo[2]
A simple rationalization of “Othering” is claiming that it is a product of human nature, of fear, and the self-preservation of identity. Over the past few days, HIA fellows discussed and deconstructed this notion. We also deconstructed identity and social exclusion as related to Poles, migrants and refugees, to better understand the recent rise of anti-immigrant and refugee rhetoric in the country.
Our discussions have made me think about how in addition to creating the ‘Other’, we are often subjugated and become the ‘Other’ for different groups. I therefore believe we must actively question how and why such tropes are created, how our own identities can feed in to creating them, and how we can actively resist and engage in critical dialogue.
Photo from SheLovesMagazine[3].
I have experienced both sides of the migration nexus. My parents emigrated to the United States from Czech Republic and Slovakia before I was born, seeking out more opportunities alongside other international newcomers. Despite growing up as a first generation American, I never felt that my family was “Othered” despite being different. During summer visits to my parents’ birth countries however, I often encountered anti-immigrant and refugee rhetoric, racism, and constant fear of foreign influxes. I recognized over time that this speech came from the mouths of right-wing politicians, but also that my family members fear had deeper origins. As Czechoslovakia only recently became independent after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989, these narratives stemmed from the memory of foreign domination and were created to forget the past, create new identities, and preserve culture and tradition. I realized then that understanding history was the first step in deconstructing the “Other”.
In Poland, the contemporary situation and public perception and treatment of “the Other” draws many parallels. Since the election of the Law and Justice Party (PiS) in 2015, the situation for minority groups has worsened, state-sponsored anti-immigrant rhetoric and perceptions have intensified, and funding and support for NGO’s assisting these populations has decreased significantly.
10,000 right wing anti-immigrant protestors march in Warsaw chanting slogans such as “Today refugees, tomorrow terrorists”[4].
Two paradoxes struck me as critical to understanding the situation of migrants and refugees in Poland. Since the 19th century, Poland had been a “country of emigration”, as citizens left by the millions to pursue economic opportunities in Western Europe, the United States, and even South America. Like my parents, Poles had the advantage of relatively easy integration despite many taking many low paying jobs in more developed nations. Why then, do they refuse to take in refugees and migrants seeking those same opportunities today?
HIA Fellows visiting the Polish Migration Forum.
Agnieszka Kosowicz from the Polish Migration Forum introduced the concept of “Phantom Migrants/Refugees”, as the second paradox. This phenomenon refers to the small number of refugees and asylum seekers in Poland in relation to the considerable amount of hate speech, xenophobia, islamophobia, and general anti-immigrant sentiment, and increased protests against these groups (especially since 2015).
So, why is this happening? Is it the PiS party election in 2015, implications of the so-called ‘refugee crisis’ and backlash from EU refugee quotas, the rise in the perceived threat of global terrorism, or simply a nationalist and self-preserving response to globalization? There is not one simple answer. Examining Polish history and cultural context is the only way to find ways to embrace and encourage multicultural society. As migrant and refugee flows will only increase in coming decades, countries will need to learn to adapt and accept these individuals, whether in Eastern Europe or in the United States.
Understanding history is the first step to uncovering why groups perceive and treat each other differently. Stepping into the shoes of a stranger can be a frustrating, painful, and taxing experience. It is up to young activists (and HIA fellows) to advocate against ‘Othering’ and convince people that acceptance is not only the economically and politically smart choice, but the morally correct one.
[1] https://www2.hu-berlin.de/transcience/Vol6_No1_2015_69_90.pdf
[2] http://www.signature-reads.com/2017/01/10-famous-quotes-from-simone-de-beauvoir/
[3] http://shelovesmagazine.com/2014/the-privileged-immigrant/
[4] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/refugees-crisis-pro-and-anti-refugee-protests-take-place-in-poland-in-pictures-10499352.html
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Anna Bachan was raised as a first-generation American in Minneapolis by Czech and Slovak parents. A recent graduate from New York University, she majored in International Politics, Human Rights and Development, studying abroad in Paris for a full academic year. At NYU she wrote her senior thesis analyzing female labor migration from West Africa to Europe and its implications for socioeconomic development, which was published in NYU’s Journal of Politics and International Affairs. Anna has followed her passion for human rights and advocacy through internships at the Human Rights Foundation and the Oslo Freedom Forum and by mentoring immigrant women and teens in New York. For the past year, she has worked in Abomey-Calavi, Benin as a Princeton in Africa fellow at the African School of Economics. At ASE, she has mentored African pre-doctorate students and pursued research projects on girl’s education, school-related gender based violence, climate change, and seasonal migration.
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