That's true, Julie. But I don't think Ukrainian refugees are being absorbed out of purely humanitarian concerns, as opposed to geopolitical reasons. As you know, if Russia can take Ukraine it would pose a threat to the increasinginly diverse citizens of the NATO alliance, as well as put vast reserves of natural resources into Putin's control. So freedom, democracy, the environment, and the world economy are very much involved and implicated in ways that do not apply to Haiti (although there are still over a million Haitians living in the US). Also, the hope is that the Ukrainian refugees will be able to return to their homes once the Russians are defeated, a prospect that now seems plausible, so their asylum will ultimately be temporary in many cases.
Add to that the fact that the US promised to protect Ukraine and its citizens when we persuaded them to relinquish their nuclear weapons, and I think the disparate treatment can be explained by factors other than skin color (though the paler hues of the Ukrainian people probably do factor in as well).
I completely agree, however, that the US ought to be far more welcoming of refugees from around the world, even when its security interests are less directly implicated. And I agree that your poem is well done and thought provoking.
|