A shameful letter
published: Monday | January 13, 2003
THE EDITOR, Sir:
Re: "Bring on the visas for the UK" - letter: What I find shameful is to open a newspaper and to read such rubbish being written about Jamaicans. No one is denying that a few Jamaicans have travelled overseas and have chosen to become involved in criminal activities. However, that is not the case for the majority of Jamaicans who chose to migrate to find better opportunities for themselves and their children.
Does the writer have statistics to support the outrageous statement that 80 per cent of the Jamaican population residing in England are involved in illegal activities? Like yourself, many other Jamaicans have also migrated and have educated themselves. They haven't all turned out to be doctors and lawyers, but there are still hard-working Jamaicans who are earning an honest living and helping to build up these first world nations. You might be rejoicing over Britain's new visa system because it does not directly affect you. However, the dominant groups in these First World countries typically use the same stereotypical statements that you have made in your letter to discriminate not only against Jamaicans, but other minority groups.
Equally, such statements are also used to make discriminatory policies. So the next time that the British government chooses to penalise a few rotten apples from Jamaica or other ethnic groups, you might just be included in that lot.
