The Election and “the Other”.

The results of this week’s election are historic, and largely unexpected.  The negative tenor of the political cycle we have just witnessed, the very nature of Donald Trump’s candidacy, and his troubling statements about a range of issues and groups have left many of us anxious about what his victory could mean for the country and the world. My own reaction has been deeply informed by my experience as an immigrant to the United States, and as a father trying to explain an often distressing world to his children. With this in mind, my note today—coming a few days earlier than the usual cycle— takes the form of a personal reflection, speaking from this experience, with hope that this election may yet lead to better days, and a more welcoming, inclusive America.

As some of you may know, I was born in Malta, a small island in the Mediterranean. As a teenager I immigrated to Canada before coming to the United States in 1999 to pursue my master’s training.

Like many immigrants, I came to this country because I saw it as a beacon, a place for pursuing dreams, and, eventually, living them. To me, and to others like me, the US represented an opportunity to do this on a scale unparalleled anywhere in the world.

That is why it was such an extraordinary shock to the system to wake up to a country that has, seemingly, embraced the very opposite of these aspirations. In electing Donald Trump, we have chosen a leader who launched his campaign for higher office with an explicitly anti-immigrant appeal, an appeal that was quite clearly tinged with racism. This campaign was punctuated by moments demonizing “the other.” This theme emerged time and again, from Trump’s initial branding of Mexicans as “rapists,” to his calls to ban all Muslims from entering the country, to his unspeakable treatment of and comments about women. Trump’s success, despite his innumerable remarks demeaning large segments of the population, is a sad commentary on how far we as a society still have to go towards achieving equity and respect for all.

In light of his victory, I find myself asking: Do I and other “others” belong in a country that has just elected an anti-other candidate? I can only imagine how other immigrants and other too-often marginalized groups feel today.

Fear of “the other” is particularly familiar to us in public health. During outbreaks of disease, we have seen how certain groups can be unjustly blamed for spreading contagion. In the 14th century, Jews were blamed for the Black Death; more recently, Africans faced travel difficulties because of fears that they might spread Ebola. By playing to this anxiety, Trump made it clear that we have not yet moved beyond the temptation to scapegoat groups when times are hard.

I think about this, and I wonder how to explain today to my children. The only explanation that makes sense to me is that those who would demonize immigrants are not the majority in this country. They are, one hopes, a very small minority, who succeeded in influencing a much larger national phenomenon.  This is, after all, a nation built by immigrants, one that has historically celebrated their diversity of experience.

I have to believe that we are better than this. I have to believe that despite what has happened, we are still moving towards being a country that is ever-more inclusive, more accepting of the other. I am encouraged in this belief by the many examples of tolerance and respect I see around me every day, here at SPH.

The campaign of the last year has exposed hatred in our society, making it unignorable. Now that these forces have been so thoroughly brought to light, we must hope that we will be able to truly reckon with them, to build a better society. The election has made us acknowledge fear of the other and shown us just how widespread it is. May we hope, going forward, to move towards a country that does not reject the other.

I realize as I write this note that I am in many ways fortunate. I have the extraordinary privilege of serving as the dean of a prominent school of public health. I have resources that allow me to push for positive change, and to add my voice to the public debate. I wonder this day how others feel, those who do not have such advantages, who are more economically and socially vulnerable, lacking a voice in the broader conversation around the issues that affect them most. My hope is that they know there are millions of people who support them, respect them, and value them. It is incumbent on us, in the months and years ahead, to express this support in ways big and small. This means continuing, through our scholarship and our advocacy, to serve the disadvantaged; it also means reaching out, with empathy, on a person-by-person basis, never losing sight of the power of individual kindness in the face of hatred and intolerance.

Despite the negative and discomfiting moments of this election cycle, I continue to believe in this country. More than that, I continue to believe in our school, our community. While we cannot always control what our government does, or predict the moods of the electorate, the work of this school, and the academic culture that supports it, is emphatically ours to shape.

I can only hope that Donald Trump will govern differently than he campaigned, that he does not truly mean the things he has said, that he has the best interests of each member of the American family at heart, including immigrants like me.

In sharing these thoughts, I speak, of course, only for myself. In a coming note, I will discuss at greater length the broader question of healing the divides in this country, and how public health can, and must, play a role in this process. It strikes me today that our current politics have made it all the more necessary for us to maintain our focus on the fundamental determinants of well-being in our society—the social, economic, environmental, and, indeed, political drivers of health. We must continue to engage with these issues, with clarity and courage, as we face the uncertainties of the future.

Warm regards,

Sandro

Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH
Dean and Robert A. Knox Professor
Boston University School of Public Health
Twitter: @sandrogalea

Acknowledgement: I am grateful for the contributions of Eric DelGizzo and Catherine Ettman to this Dean’s Note.

Previous Dean’s Notes are archived at: https://www.bu.edu/sph/tag/deans-note/

Addendum. A recent #safetypin campaign in the UK is encouraging the wearing of a safety pin in solidarity with immigrants. Perhaps we should do the same here. I will be wearing a safety pin on Monday.