By D. Alissa Trotz – Editor of the In the Diaspora Column
A little over a week ago, Guyanese woke up to what can only be described as a racist and xenophobic attack on Haitians in the Guyana Times newspaper. Titled “Influx of Haitians into Guyana raises major health concerns,” the article offers a classic example of racial profiling. Indeed a subtitle for this cowardly piece of journalism could have been: “Disease ridden Black people flooding our shores.” The article was written under the guise of thoughtfully addressing the issue of the arrival and treatment of Haitians in Guyana – certainly a legitimate question – whose numbers have increased following the institution of the Caricom recommendation of a six month visa on entry to Haitians. Continue reading →
Days after the Government admitted that from evidence, Haitians were making it across the borders after landing legally in Guyana, there are indications that daily, up to seven vehicles are making it to Lethem.
The Lethem checkpoint at the Takutu Bridge
Lethem is the Region 9 town that borders Guyana with Brazil and connects via a bridge across the Takutu River. It has checkpoints on both sides of the river, with Immigration and Customs personnel manning the facilities.
The bridge has been helping Lethem with Chinese stores springing up in recent years, attracting scores of Brazilian traders and shoppers daily. Continue reading →
(Reuters) – U.S. immigration authorities arrested nearly 700 people at seven agricultural processing plants across Mississippi today in what federal officials said could be the largest worksite enforcement operation in a single state.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said in a statement they detained about 680 people who were working illegally at the plants. They said they also seized business records as part of a federal criminal investigation. Continue reading →
I was truly disgusted to the core of my soul when I read the commentary that Guyana should be careful in allowing in people from other countries. This was in reference to poorer souls from our neighbouring countries looking for life’s happiness for themselves and their families.
My disgust was combined with anger when I read the negative sentiments that they are coming to take “our economic greatness” and since they do not speak English and are not from our culture, they will contaminate it. My vehement and emotional objection was two-fold. Such perverse thoughts should never come from the pen and lips of a Guyanese. First, we are a wandering people, journeying to all parts of the world in search of that very happiness. We have taken winged impulse since the fifties. PNC government or PPP government, the journey has never stopped. A Guyanese should never frown on poorer souls coming to this country to start a better life. Continue reading →
I flew from Eugene Correia International Ogle, to Suriname’s Zorg-en-Hoop city airport some weeks ago, and I was reminded that two years ago, I wrote that the hub potential is at Eugene Correia International Airport, previously called Ogle, and not at Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Guyana. Now since the 13th oil and gas discoveries off the Guyana coast and an estimated recoverable resource of over six billion oil-equivalent barrels, we are witnessing the rise of Guyana.
ExxonMobil is building its Guyana headquarters on ten acres of land that it leased from Ogle. In January 2018, the media in Guyana reported that “ExxonMobil also wants to build a training center and a helipad. Continue reading →
The number of visitors’ visas issued by the US Embassy in Kingston has continued to be fewer and fewer.
Over the last 12 months, between July 2018 and June 2019, figures from the US Department of State indicated that 4,401 non-immigrants visas were issued (B1/B2 category).
For the similar period the previous 12 months, 5,842 visas were issued. Continue reading →
My Ford Noel and Sadhana Singh take a selfie at Reagan National Airport in February. My Ford moved to Canada first and was given permission to visit Sadhana and help her pack. (Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post)
They packed their life into a U-Haul, piece by piece, all they would take with them on a journey where they would leave so much behind.
In went the Virginia marriage license for Sadhana Singh and My Ford Noel. The license was one of the only official forms the Alexandria couple owned on which they were not identified as “alien” or “temporary.” In marriage they were just two people in love, calling each other “baby” in public, texting too many heart emoji, picking out the names for the children they didn’t yet have. Continue reading →
America is a complicated place.Ramin Talaie/Stringer/Getty Images; Sam Mellish/Getty Images; SOPA Images/Getty Images; Jonathan Ernst/Reuters; Yutong Yuan/Business Insider
To celebrate Independence Day, we’ve assembled a collection of maps that illustrate who Americans are and how they live.
Geography matters — where we reside and where we come from affect many facets of our lives.
The US is a large, complex place, and maps can provide a big-picture sense of how we’re doing as a community and as citizens.
(Reuters) – President Donald Trump said yesterday mass deportation roundups would begin “fairly soon” as U.S. migrant advocates vowed their communities would be “ready” when immigration officers come.
Trump, who has made a hardline immigration stance a key issue of his presidency and his 2020 re-election bid, postponed the operation last month after the planned date was leaked to the press, but on Monday he said the roundups would take place after the July 4 holiday.
“They’ll be starting fairly soon, but I don’t call them raids, we’re removing people, all of these people who have come in over the years illegally,” he told reporters at the White House on July 5, 2019. Continue reading →
WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – U.S. cities expecting to be hit by a wave of immigration raids intended to deport recently arrived families who are in the United States illegally said today they would not cooperate with federal authorities.
In a call with reporters earlier this week, Mark Morgan, the acting director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said the agency would target for deportation families that have received a removal order from a U.S. immigration court.
The Washington Post reported today that the operation is slated to launch on Sunday and is expected to target up to 2,000 families facing deportation orders in as many as 10 U.S. cities, including Houston, Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles. Continue reading →
On Xenophobia, Haiti and the Guyana Times – By D. Alissa Trotz – Editor of the In the Diaspora Column
Stabroek News – 12 August 2019
A little over a week ago, Guyanese woke up to what can only be described as a racist and xenophobic attack on Haitians in the Guyana Times newspaper. Titled “Influx of Haitians into Guyana raises major health concerns,” the article offers a classic example of racial profiling. Indeed a subtitle for this cowardly piece of journalism could have been: “Disease ridden Black people flooding our shores.” The article was written under the guise of thoughtfully addressing the issue of the arrival and treatment of Haitians in Guyana – certainly a legitimate question – whose numbers have increased following the institution of the Caricom recommendation of a six month visa on entry to Haitians. Continue reading →
Share this:
Like this: