I wasn’t planning to rant today.
Honestly, I was just going about my day, sipping my coffee, minding my business. Then, I came across another immigration debate. And because I clearly can’t help myself, I started listening to Tim Wise break down the biggest scam in history… the idea that some people came to “the West” for “freedom” and “liberty,” while others are just coming to take stuff.
At that moment, I sighed, put my coffee down because, gosh, I have some things to say.
So, mind me, this is going to be a rant about the baloney in the immigration debate today.
Let’s Talk About Who Really Came for “Stuff”
You ever notice how the people most upset about immigration are the ones whose ancestors literally walked into someone else’s country uninvited?
But now? Oh no. Now, borders matter. Now, there are “rules” and “processes” and “national security concerns.”
How convenient.
One of my favourite things people say is, “I don’t mind immigrants, I just want them to come legally, like our ancestors did.”
Let me ask… what is the “right way”?
Because if we’re talking about history, most people who came to the West didn’t have a right way to come. They just… showed up.
Some came fleeing famine. Some came looking for work. And some just saw nice land, nice weather, and people already living there and thought, “Mine now.”
But of course, they were different. They were the “good” immigrants… brave, hardworking, full of noble intentions. Not like today’s migrants, right? Because apparently, when they migrated, it was destiny, but when others do it, it’s a crisis.
If someone from Africa, Latin America, or basically anywhere that doesn’t have a “special relationship” with the country they’re trying to enter dares to cross a border looking for work, suddenly, they’re “a burden on the system.”
Make it make sense.
The “Legal” Immigration Myth
Let’s be honest… immigration has never been about legality. It has always been about who is allowed in and who is kept out.
Back then, Europeans just showed up. No one was standing at Ellis Island asking them for their qualifications. No one was making them prove they had “valuable skills.”
Meanwhile, today:
If you’re from the “right” country… Welcome!
If you’re from anywhere else? Good luck with that 5 to 10-year visa process.
And let’s not forget, some people don’t even need visas. Some just show up, buy land, start businesses, and call themselves “expats.”
(Because, of course, “immigrants” are the poor ones. Rich foreigners get fancy words.)
Nobody Likes Moving. Nobody.
Here’s the thing people don’t get; nobody enjoys being an immigrant. Nobody wakes up thinking, “You know what would be fun? Leaving everything I know behind, learning a new language, dealing with discrimination, and starting from scratch in a place that doesn’t even want me!”
No one does this for fun.
People move because they have to; because war, poverty, corruption, or climate disasters push them out.
And sometimes? Because they fell in love with someone from another country. (Yes, immigration isn’t just about struggle… it’s also about romance. But I digress.)
The Real Double Standard
And here’s the part some really don’t like to hear: It wasn’t us taking from them. It was them taking from us.
They took land. Took resources. Took entire civilizations and repackaged them as their own. And now, they’re the ones saying, “There’s not enough to go around.”
Again, make it make sense.
They built wealth off Africa, Latin America, and Asia, and now that people from those places want a seat at the table, suddenly, there’s a shortage of chairs?
C’mon.
Look, I get it. People are protective of what they believe is theirs. But history tells us that migration has always existed. Borders are a man-made concept, but movement? That’s nature.
So the next time someone panics about “outsiders” taking what doesn’t belong to them, maybe remind them:
The world has never belonged to one group of people. It belongs to those willing to move, to build, and to contribute, just like it always has.
Because if history has proven anything, it’s that migration isn’t the problem… our refusal to see ourselves in others is.
