It won’t just be Haitians who suffer from anti-immigrant lies

(OtherWords.org) – For weeks now, right-wing pundits and politicians have spread baseless claims about Haitian immigrants.These lies have caused immense fear among the community, leading to bomb threats, harassment, and vandalism. The Haitian community in Springfield, Ohio – the first but not the last to be targeted – reported being “scared for their lives.”I’m not Haitian. I’m an American-born citizen who’s never set foot in Ohio. But as the daughter of a Black immigrant family, these lies worry me, too.Related Stories I know personally how easily identifiable we are. Even though my Nigerian parents were both naturalized over 20 years ago, they still have strong accents. We have distinctive names. To someone who was radicalized by the hateful rhetoric flying around, my family and I are obvious targets.Just like how Donald Trump’s earlier comments targeting Mexican or Chinese people spawned a wave of hate against all Latin Americans, Asians or others thought to “look” Mexican or Chinese, the baseless accusations about Haitians will rebound to all Black immigrants – and the Black community as a whole.Growing up, I’ve seen firsthand how Black immigrants are some of our most vulnerable community members. For one, many of these immigrants come from largely...