Immigration, a lexicon. You're a 'migrant' when you're very poor; 'immigrant' when you're not so poor; and 'expat' when you're rich.
Interpretation
This quote explores the disparity in perceptions of individuals based on their economic status within the context of migration.
Laila Lalami's quote highlights the arbitrary nature of labels assigned to people who move from one country to another based on their financial situation. It suggests that societal perceptions of migrants are heavily influenced by wealth, implying that one's economic status can define their identity—where poverty casts labels of 'migrant,' moderate wealth results in 'immigrant,' and affluence grants the status of 'expat.' This distinction underscores the biases that exist within the discourse surrounding migration.
In practice
During a speech about immigration reform, I referenced Laila Lalami's insight on economic labels.
At least five times, with the Arian and the Albigensian, with the Humanist skeptic, after Voltaire and after Darwin, the Christian Faith has to all appearance, gone to the dogs? But, in each of these five cases, it was the dog that died.
I say, let us think. Let each one express his thought. Let us become investigators, not followers, not cringers and crawlers. If there is in Heaven an infinite being, he never will be satisfied with the worship of cowards and hypocrites.
ZENITH, n. The point in the heavens directly overhead to a man standing or a growing cabbage. A man in bed or a cabbage in the pot is not considered as having a zenith, though Horizontalists hold that the posture of the body was immaterial.
To believe that God created a plurality of worlds, at least as numerous as what we call stars, renders the Christian faith at once little and ridiculous; and scatters it in the mind like feathers in the air.
The one thing that the racist can never manage is anything like discrimination: he is indiscriminate by definition.
Overcrowding in the cities is producing a collective madness in which irrational violence flourishes because man needs more space in which to be than the modern city allows.
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