‘These People Aren’t Coming From Norway’: Refugees in a Minnesota City Face a Backlash
As more Somali refugees arrive in St. Cloud, white anti-immigration activists have pressed an increasingly explicit anti-Muslim agenda.
Steadman™
61d ago
NEW from me: Today we published the second story in my series on growing white identity politics. This is from Minnesota, where a group of white residents, driven by open xenophobia, are pressuring their city to stop accepting Somali refugees. It may work
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"In St. Cloud, some opponents of the refugee program have taken the introduction of non-pork options in the local public schools as an attack on their way of life."
There’s nothing democratic about forcing migration resettlement on a community, then calling people bigoted for not wanting more. This story is playing across western democracies.
I keep thinking about this quote from @AsteadWesley's article: “These aren’t people coming from Norway, let’s put it that way."
"Diversity without inclusion" is the perfect recipe for an anti-immigrant backlash - especially when a national political party gives voice to these sentiments.
File under: “Racism is an eliminationist ideology” nytimes.com/2019/06/20/us/… pic.twitter.com/8Kq5dgss13
The ending of this story....WOW. nytimes.com/2019/06/20/us/…
@AsteadWesley, thank you for writing this. pic.twitter.com/9Awdfun3Ls
Read @AsteadWesley’s latest dispatch on white identity politics—this one from St. Cloud, Minnesota, where a group of Trump-supporting, xenophobic “concerned citizens” are targeting Muslim immigrants who are, as one angry lady put it, “just walking around.”
An increase of Somali refugees has ignited a xenophobic response in Minnesota
an alarming story by @AsteadWesley about an anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim community group in St. Cloud, Minnesota that opposes a resettlement program for Somali refugees. The small group amplifies xenophobic conspiracy theories and has reshaped city politics nytimes.com/2019/06/20/us/… pic.twitter.com/U5rfNFuXeE
”I think of America, the great assimilator, as a rubber band, but with this — we’re at the breaking point,” Ms. Crockett said. “These aren’t people coming from Norway, let’s put it that way. These people are very visible.”
So much for Minnesota nice. 😐
Check out this smear story in the bigoted @nytimes about folks in a small Minnesota town trying to preserve their way of life.
For many people, this article will be eye-opening. For others, it shows what we’ve been aware of all along—just a little more blatantly.
You have to scroll past 1,500+ words in this @NYTimes article before they quote a person who says something positive about African immigrants in Minnesota.
You have to scroll another 400+ words before they quote an African immigrant living in Minnesota.
“They were just —” she said, searching for the words to describe the offending behavior of the Somali-Americans. “They were just walking around.”
“They were just —” she said, searching for the words to describe the offending behavior of the Somali-Americans. “They were just walking around.”
1/ Read this excellent story from @AsteadWesley about the influence of anti-refugee/anti-Muslim activists on local, state, and even national politics. This is not a one-off example…
When your real crime is your existence... nytimes.com/2019/06/20/us/… pic.twitter.com/EX6D1iNk51
“The very word ‘Islamophobia’ is a false narrative,” Mr. Palmer, 70, said. “A phobia is an irrational fear.” Raising his voice, he added, “An irrational fear! There are many reasons we are not being irrational.”
Step 1) Minnesota grows to be United States' largest jihadist pipeline
Step 2) white people lose their minds (because why not?)
Step 3) NYT profiles a bunch of bizarre racist attitudes
Step 4) Go to step 1
‘These People Aren’t Coming From Norway’
Here’s a story about the worst people.
In my book I profile Lewiston and the Somali population. It isn't this bleak, it once was, and it feels it has turned a corner for the positive.
‘These People Aren’t Coming From Norway’: Refugees in a Minnesota City Face a Backlash
#Minnesota #Republicans are not racist. They are not anti-Norwegians, they are not anti-black, they are only anti-"visible" people, & refugees from #Somalia happen to be visible. #StCloud @GOP #racism nytimes.com/2019/06/20/us/… pic.twitter.com/5iNSxSEkgl
“opponents of the refugee program have taken the introduction of non-pork options in the local public schools as an attack on their way of life”
If allowing folks to not eat pork interferes with your way of life then... maybe take up a new way of life?
“These aren’t people coming from Norway, let’s put it that way. These people are very visible.”
‘These People Aren’t Coming From Norway’: Refugees in a Minnesota City Face a Backlash
The hats worn by racist #Republicans in #StCloud, #Minnesota proves that "great" (as in #MAGA) means "white." @GOP #BlackLivesMatter @realDonaldTrump
nyti.ms/2WVTQY0 pic.twitter.com/VcImFRXm71