By Zachary Otte, Communications Intern

On April 29 the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the current level of influenza pandemic alert for the H1N1 flu virus from phase 4 to phase 5.  The alert is meant to warn the international community of the dangers of the disease and allow for preventative measures.  Unfortunately much of the media here in the U.S. (particularly those on the right side of the spectrum) has latched onto the flu.  Exploiting the fear disease can induce, they are promoting anti-immigrant sentiment across the airwaves.

The H1N1 flu virus (or swine flu as it is commonly referred to) reveals another virus that is unfortunately still rampant within in the U.S. – xenophobia, racism and a fear of the “other”.  Civil rights groups and immigrant advocates across the country and around the globe (organizations like IISTL) are working hard to combat the fictitious and malicious anti-immigrant rhetoric.

This anti-immigrant sentiment is not only unfounded, but it is also counterproductive.  According to Liany Arroyo, director of the Institute for Hispanic Health at the National Council of La Raza (an advocacy group based in Washington D.C.), “The risk of demonizing and stigmatizing a group of people is you risk alienating them and making them afraid to seek health services and that can continue the outbreak.” The few who manage to avoid the massive cracks of our healthcare system are only made reluctant to seek medical attention for fear of being deported, quarantined, stigmatized or harmed by the swine flu hysteria.

The sensational media coverage is designed to create a manufactured sense of fear—as xenophobia and racism operate under the guise of “national security”.  Someone seems to have taken cue from the Bush administrations plan for Iraq; if you scare people enough their open minds begin to close and one can get away with war mongering (be it the invasion and occupation of Iraq or a domestic ideological “war” on immigrants).

I am by no means attempting to diminish the severity of this flu, it is indeed a dangerous disease. It is important, however, to see through the political maneuvering and recognize the H1N1 flu as a public health issue—not an immigration issue.  After all, the virus knows no borders and has no nationality.

 

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 20th, 2009 at 2:44 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.