An opinion article by Liz Moore, Communications Committee Chair
In recent weeks, refugees have become a focal point of discussion in the U.S., both positive and negative. Media reports have shown the work of U.S. troops departing Afghanistan as thousands of Afghans desperately trying to flee with them. We watched helplessly as they struggled, with palpable fear, to get seats for themselves and their families on a plane flying to unknown destinations. Many were destined for states in America; some for California.
Central America is facing drought and the resulting crop failures. Children are showing signs of stunted physical and mental growth from lack of food. Desperate people are leaving their land, becoming indebted to gang warlords and walking for days/weeks in search of asylum in our country. What does asylum mean? Do we serve these people best by supporting their countries with financial aid? Does the aid reach them or become lost in governmental corruption? When they arrive at their destination, does their dream come true, and at what price?
How do we Californians meet our “humanitarian obligation” to assist refugees without exacerbating the problem with false hopes of a “perfect” new life in the U.S.? As Darrell Owens & Muhammad Alameldin point out in their recent Atlantic article, while we hopefully welcome those who come to our area, the reality of the housing shortage in California means “the Golden State is no longer the haven for refugees that it once was.”
A key problem is the inability to build multiple-unit housing on lots zoned for single-family housing. Senator Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) stated that her bill, SB 9, will “….open up opportunities for homeowners to help ease our state’s housing shortage, while still protecting tenants from displacement and helping our communities welcome new families to the neighborhood.” Governor Newsom signed SB9 into law September 16th.
Building more housing units is a long-range solution, so in the short term, let’s hope we meet our new arrivals with understanding and open minds. While our Republican neighbors seem afraid of “them,” regardless of their country of origin, let’s work to ensure that we make them feel welcome, remembering that, at one time in our history, every American was a refugee /immigrant to this experiment in democracy, the United States.