Developing awareness
It is noticeable in the nuanced choice of words used by folks who think they have access to the most valuable knowledge, that the term “immigrant” is used to describe migrants or their descendants who move from parts of the world that are described as “developing”, to the places that are regarded as “developed”.
There is an unspoken expectation that these “immigrants” and their descendants will be thankful for the access they have been given to the “developed” world and that they will keep their heads down, know their places on the food chain or totem pole and stay in their allocated enclaves.
Perhaps this is the reason that many folks who could be regarded as “immigrants” by larger communities in the “developed” world search for opportunities to gather enough resources to enable them to live comfortably in their lands of origin, or in other “developing” nations. These folks would prefer not to be patronised by those who believe they own the keys to the castle of validation.
But the age of social media is giving everyone access to information that is swiftly changing the terms of reference. It is becoming increasingly apparent that the prized validation sought by many “immigrants” could actually be a sham.
One only needs to look at the sequence of events unfolding about the new book written about the current US Presidency, to know that there isn’t very much to be gained from striving to fit in to the world of the rich and privileged of the “developed” world. This “development” could turn out to be a highly valuable gift from the American electorate to the rest of the world.
