 Departure
The option of last resort for Middle
Eastern Americans
Nader Habibi
July 7, 2004
iranian.com
America is the land of immigrants. Throughout its
existence people from all parts of the world have come to the shores
of this country and with very few exceptions,
those who have come in, have found a way to stay and eventually assimilate. Despite
being involved in many international conflicts and periodic ethnic/racial tensions,
the United States has rarely, if ever, engaged in mass deportation of any ethnic/immigrant
group.(1)
Most new immigrant groups have faced some degree
of prejudice and rejection before eventually being accepted by
others. Almost all newcomers have preferred
to endure the hardships of prejudice and discrimination rather than return
to their countries of origin. After slavery was abolished in nineteenth
century,
a small group of former slaves returned to Africa and settled in an area that
is now called Liberia. However, the majority of former slaves stayed in the
United States despite facing overt racism up until the civil rights
movement of 1960s. Unfortunately, the continuing and growing tensions
between the United States
and Middle Eastern countries might lead to voluntary departure or involuntary
deportation of many, first and second generation Middle Eastern immigrants.
For many people this concept might seem remote and unthinkable.
However, the September
11 attacks and U.S. military engagement in Iraq and Afghanistan have significantly
increased the social and political risk factors that confront Middle Eastern
Americans. These risk factors include higher likelihood of discrimination,
social alienation and falling victim to hate crimes.
These risk factors have intensified in recent years
but so far they have not reached such levels that would lead to
mass exodus. Some foreign students from
Arab countries and Pakistan have returned home after 9/11. The established
immigrants and their offspring, on the other hand, have stayed and are gradually
adopting
to their declining social status. The situation might, however, change for
the worse if al-Qaeda manages to carry out another major terrorist attack
on U.S.
soil. It might also change if U.S. military involvement in the Middle East
undergoes a significant escalation and results in a sharp increase in daily
U.S. casualties.
Any of these unexpected developments can increase the level of public anger
towards people of Middle Eastern origin.
Whether or not the Middle Eastern Americans should
be worried about leaving the U.S. for another country depends on
the likelihood of these unexpected
events
that could trigger a severe backlash. However, before discussing the likelihood
of each event lets think about how a typical immigrant might decide on
whether to stay or move to another country.
For majority of immigrants the most important motivation
for coming to the United States is the economic prosperity and
the relatively higher
standard
of living
that is available to them in the United States. An immigrant will choose
to leave the U.S. if the quality life that he can expect in the best
country that
is open
to him, will be better than what he can expect in the United States.
The most important factors that affect a person's quality of life
are, a: material
well
being (wealth, income, healthcare, job opportunities,...), b: spiritual
well being (dignity, honor, liberty, sense of belonging, social respect,
identification
with the objectives and moral values of the country and the community
of residence), and c: security and safety.
Often an individual makes a trade off between these
factors by giving up a little of one for sake of having more of
the others. For example,
a high
ranking
government
official who is considered part of the elite in his original homeland
will accept a low status ordinary job as an immigrant in another country
because
he prefers
the social environment of the second country. However, each individual
has a minimum threshold for each of these factors that he cannot do
without. If an
immigrant finds himself in a situation where his life is in danger
he might choose to leave regardless of the higher standard of material
well
being
that he can
enjoy in the United States. Similarly an immigrant who still loves
his motherland
might leave the United States if he feels that the United States is
exploiting and humiliating his country of birth. This feeling might
be so strong
that it might outweigh all the positive qualities of life that he enjoys
in
here.
The backlash from September 11 attacks and the rising
tensions between the U.S. and Middle Eastern countries ever since,
have had an adverse
effect on all three
aspects of the Middle Eastern Americans' quality of life. The incidents
of
economic discrimination have increased and Middle Easterners have
fewer opportunities for employment and promotion. The changing
attitude of
the society towards
Middle
Easterners has reduced their spiritual and emotional well being as
well. They feel more isolated than before. Many also find themselves
at odds
with U.S.
foreign policy towards Middle East. Safety became an issue for Middle
Easterners in the
weeks immediately after September 11 but the incidents of life threatening
hate crimes have diminished significantly ever since. Despite all
these negative factors,
a significant majority of Middle Eastern Americans are staying in
the United States because the quality of life in the U.S. is still
far
better than
most Middle Eastern countries.
The Risk Factors.
While we all hope for the best it is important to
think about undesirable developments and prepare some contingency
plans just in case. We
all hope that the tensions
between the U.S. and Middle East will gradually diminish over time
and the current negative attitudes towards Middle Eastern Americans
will
fade away.
Yet we must
all be aware that these tensions might get worse and lead to more
violence all over the world. Therefore, it is important for Middle
Eastern Americans
to think
about their safety and economic security in the event of another
major backlash. While our first priority must be to protect ourselves
without
leaving the
country that we have made our home, we must also think about temporary
or permanent
departure as the options of last resort.
Most political analysts
agree that, unfortunately, the current tensions between the U.S.
and the Middle Eastern countries
are
not going to
end anytime soon.
The Arab-Israeli conflict remains unresolved. The U.S. involvement
in Iraq might drag on for several years. The United States
is likely to
intervene
in Saudi
Arabia if that country sinks into a civil war. The U.S. troops
still face resistance in Afghanistan and anti-Americanism is
rampant in
Pakistan. And last but not
least, the U.S. and Israeli concerns about Iran's nuclear programs
might lead to a military confrontation. (2)
All of these factors increase the likelihood of
a major terrorist attack against the United States and the inevitable
backlash
against Middle
Eastern Americans.
It is fair to say that Middle Eastern Americans will have to
live in the shadow of such a backlash for a considerable period
of time.
In
addition to a sharp
increase in hate crimes, a second terror attack is likely to
cause a series
of legal measures against suspect ethnic groups. Some right
wing public commentators have even gone as far as advocating mass
expulsion of
Arab and Muslim immigrants
in the event of another terror attack.
Even in the absence of a second terror attack, the
social attitudes towards Middle Easterners might turn more negative
overtime
as a result of continuing
hostilities
in U.S. relations with Middle Eastern countries. The rising
prejudice and declining socioeconomic opportunities might
force some individuals
to think
about leaving
the United States. In those cases, when there is no immediate
threat, an individual has more time to choose a new country
and plan his
departure.
Practical Steps and Contingency Plans
Here are a few suggestions for departure planning. Obviously
departure is the last and the least desirable option on
any immigrant's list.
It is important,
however, to plan ahead if unexpected events force an individual
to choose this
option. Every Middle Easterner must ask himself the following
question: If I had to leave the United States suddenly
where will I go and
how will I
organize my relocation.
Where to go: So the first step is to decide about
where to go if and when relocation becomes inevitable. The country
of origin
is
one option
but
some people might
prefer to move to another advanced Western country such
as
Canada or Australia. Such individuals must learn about
the requirements
for migration
to their
country of choice in advance. All of these countries
have
strict requirements for age,
skill and minimum financial resources and they only
accept a limited number of new immigrants each year.
Even if
immigration to these
advanced countries
is
possible under normal conditions, it might become
more difficult during an international crisis. For example
if the backlash
from
a second
terror attack
forces thousands
of Middle Easterners to escape to Canada, Canadian
authorities are likely to close their borders to this flood of
would-be
immigrants. Even those
Middle Easterners who are Citizens of the United
States might be unable to cross
into
Canada under
extraordinary circumstances. Therefore it is essential
to plan ahead
and prepare the logistics of relocation. Another option is to identify the developing countries
that have reached a high stage of development and have
a strong
demand
for skilled labor.
Such countries
could be found in Latin America, Asia and the small
oil-exporting Sheikhdoms of Persian Gulf.
Financial precautions: Unexpected relocation to
another country could lead to a large financial loss. For most
households
the most important
financial
asset
is their house and selling a house over a short period
of time will often be to the seller's disadvantage.
If you happen
to
sell your
house when
many people
in a similar situation are also trying to sell, the
market price could drop below normal conditions.
During the
1979 Islamic revolution
of
Iran many
people were
trying to sell their properties and leave the country
as soon as possible. Consequently the property prices
in affluent
neighborhoods
fell and
forced many sellers to
accept large losses. It is important to think ahead
about what to do with your properties if you have
to leave
suddenly.
Preparation for any kind of disaster requires a
minimum amount of liquidity. If a severe backlash forces
you to leave the
country immediately
you
must have enough cash to pay for your move. I recommend
maintaining a liquidity
of at
least $5,000 per member of the household. This
means that a family of four must maintain
at least $20,000 dollars in cash or other liquid
assets such as interest paying deposits and bonds. This
should be enough
to
pay for transport
and day-to-day
expenses of the family for at least two-months
in most countries of the world.
After choosing a destination, individuals with
high levels of income and wealth can invest a
portion of their wealth
in the
selected
country and
even purchase
a rental property. These investments help smooth
the financial burden of relocation if it ever
becomes necessary.
They
also will make it
easier to obtain a residency
visa.
Long-term Career Planning: The risk of relocation
for Middle Eastern Americans is a long term
risk. It is
long-term because, as was
mentioned earlier,
the current conflicts between the United States
and Middle East might drag on
for one or
two decades. Therefore those individuals that
are currently in college or in early years
of their
careers, must
concentrate on kinds of
skills that
are
useful in both the United States and other
parts of the world. Based on this criterion,
technical fields such as engineering, information
technology and medicine are better options
than law and U.S. literature,
which
are not in demand
outside
the United States.
Emotional Preparation: Even when a natural
disaster, such as an earthquake, is totally
unpredictable,
awareness of
its likelihood
and educational
discussions about how one must cope with
the aftermath will help prepare the individuals
and increase their emotional resilience once
it happens. As a result
of this awareness, a person is better prepared
to protect himself and cope
with the
consequences.
In a similar manner, it will be helpful to
have discussions within each family and among
Middle
Eastern Americans
about coping with
an unexpected
backlash
and thinking about the process of relocation
as the option of last resort.  We must
be careful that such discussions do not lead to unnecessary anxiety. The first
and foremost advice to each immigrant is to fully integrate and be
an active member of his new community. The question of relocation must be raised
as a precautionary option that everyone hopes will never be necessary. Perhaps
the following sentence can best describe the notion of emotional preparation:
Live every day as if you are going to live in the United States forever, but
live every day with the awareness that you might have to leave the United States
unexpectedly and with a short notice.
Author
Nader Habibi is an economist and lives near
Philadelphia.
Notes
1) In 1920s concern about spread of communism and explosion of
a bomb in New York City led to the deportation of several European
artists and intellectuals.
The best-known figure to be deported was Charlie Chaplin.
2) An attack on Iran's nuclear facilities should
be of particular concern to Iranian-Americans. The attack itself
will not cause a backlash against Middle
Eastern Americans. However, such an attack will most likely lead to a series
of retaliatory strikes by Iranians against U.S. targets and might even cause
U.S. casualties. It is these retaliatory strikes that could generate a strong
backlash against Iranian-Americans.
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Departure
