"Beyond Welcome" (Karen González)

TITLE: Beyond Welcome: Centering Immigrants in Our Christian Response to Immigration
AUTHOR: Karen González
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2022, (176 pages).
 

With globalization, immigration and relocations are fast becoming a norm. Many immigrants uproot themselves because of commercial opportunities, jobs, family links, or simply a desire to start life afresh in a new land. Others flee for refuge because of wars and various forms of persecution. Emigrating from their original home countries is just the first part of the story. Immigrating to their new countries of choice is the second. How do they adjust to the new cultural climate? What are the expectations of them from people in their host country? Is adaptation by immigrants and acceptance by native citizens enough for cultural amalgamation? This book takes a critical look at our existing structures of welcoming new immigrants, probing the cultural challenges as well as the role of the Church. Author and professor Karen González deals with the issue of moving beyond superficial acts of welcome that often appears more as lip service. She offers a three-part approach to discuss this issue. Part One looks at "Words and Myths" that many people use, oblivious to any underlying sneaky or subconscious forms of micro-aggression. She asks questions that most people might not even think of. Are assimilation strategies just and fair? Is it right to tell immigrants to forsake their cultural background just for the sake of assimilation? How can words alone become a barrier to true welcome? What about the myth of the "good immigrant?" This book essentially challenges this deeply-held belief. In a passionate pushback against many such "norms," author Karen Gonzalez says that welcoming foreign immigrants needs to go beyond expectations of cultural conformance as well as the myths of the "good immigrant." She makes us ponder on biblical relevance, especially on the distinction between "good" and "bad" immigrants. We cannot depend only on immigrants to change. Hosts and natives need to learn the cross-cultural differences too! One of the key instruments is language. As the saying goes: "It takes two to tango," society will be a lot closer and friendlier if everyone can do their part to build bridges. Gonzalez gives a powerful example of how she connected with Russian speakers by trying to speak using her limited Russian knowledge. Words carry significant meaning, and the author shows us that words can heal as well as hurt. 

Part Two gives us a biblical perspective of welcoming the stranger. She reminds us that our backgrounds often inform our biblical interpretation. Like the parable of the prodigal son. While most people focus on the unconditional love demonstrated by the father, those who had experienced actual famine see it differently. This also prompts a re-examination of how we interpret the way we see immigrants. Are we trying to kill off another culture in the name of cultural assimilation? She points to a white superiority culture that is often the problem behind true immigrant acceptance. True welcoming is linked to biblical hospitality. We learn how the hospitality shown by Jesus can be a model for us to learn from. Ultimately, it is all about belonging and feeling belonged. 

Part Three offers a look at the history of immigration. It is also a desire to search for a home where one can belong. From the early beginnings of how Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden, people have been searching for a place that they can call home. Using her wide exposure to different countries and people groups, González senses the common desire to belong and to move to a place where one can live. Ireland for example has a history of emigration and immigration. One of the biggest emigrations from Ireland happens during the great potato famine in the 18th century. Many white people in the West have Irish roots. She was trying to tell us that all cultural groups have experienced people moving from one country to another. If that is so, it is a powerful reminder that many of us are directly or indirectly impacted by immigration movements in the past. 

My Thoughts
While this book looks at the way we should welcome immigrants entering our respective countries, author Karen González makes it clear that we all need to re-examine our preconceived notions of immigration, immigrants, and our sense of identity. I like the way she challenges us to forsake any old misconceptions and to put on new ways to see immigration matters. I like the way González debunks the myths surrounding the common perceptions of immigration. The first two chapters are powerful and ought to be must-reads. There are some words that I find the author's clarifications very helpful. For instance, a migrant (within one country) from an immigrant (moving across different countries); "refugee" (status applied for outside the country), and "asylee" (status applied for when inside the country). For the latter, it seems like a combination of the words "asylum: and "refugee." 

Some of the popularly held beliefs can be a bit difficult to eliminate. For instance, there is a popular saying that when one is in Rome, one is expected to do what the Romans do. It is a way to tell people to get on board with the culture, customs, and curriculum of the new country. Language is a key instrument in bridging cultural differences. González challenges immigrants to learn the language of the land as much as possible. At the same time, she urges hosts to refrain from telling immigrants to go back to their own countries. By reminding us that nearly every family has an immigrant link in the past, we should all be mindful to reject all forms of discrimination. We all need to be ready to extend our hands of welcome beyond handshakes, hugs, and humble words. Our actions need to support our words of welcome. Christians need to go back to the Bible to learn from the way Jesus welcomed people from all walks of life into his fellowship. After all, he died for the world right?

Finally, I have always believed that our humanness should be the lowest common denominator in the acceptance of relationships. This humanness transcends citizenship status, our levels of prosperity, or any ethnic distinctions that we have. It is dangerous to think of any one ethnic group being superior to others. This causes problems like what happened to Hitler's claim of Aryans being the superior race. Whether it is anti-semitism or racial discrimination. the moment we forget that we are all human, we easily belittle others. That is why it is important to ask: "What does it mean to be human?" Let the Bible inform us that we are all sinners in need of grace. In that light, let us approach all people with kindness and grace because we have all been given kindness and grace in Christ. We all need a home. Being human is about helping one another find that home as an act of human solidarity. Biblically, that means loving our neighbours. That implies accepting them no matter where they come from, and if they happen to move in next door, go beyond welcome to offer hospitality and goodwill. 

How do we make immigrants feel welcome in our countries? If in doubt, pick up and learn from this excellent book.

Karen González is a writer, speaker, and immigrant advocate who emigrated from Guatemala as a child. She attended Fuller Theological Seminary, where she studied theology and missiology, and she has worked in the nonprofit sector for thirteen years. In addition to her first book, The God Who Sees: Immigrants, The Bible, and the Journey to Belong, she has written for Christianity Today, Christian Century, Sojourners, and the Baltimore Sun. She lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

Rating: 5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of Brazos Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.