Profile picture
Clint Smith @ClintSmithIII
, 3 tweets, 1 min read Read on Twitter
I understand the intentions of those saying “my family came from nothing in Ireland/England/Germany” in an effort to create empathetic parallels

But the truth is that this isn’t so much about immigration from poor countries as much as it’s about immigrants being black & brown
We can tell as many stories as we want about your great grandfather who came here from Ireland with nothing but the clothes on his back

But it doesn’t matter for some folks because they fundamentally see black & brown people as not being worthy of US citizenship or residence
Paul Ryan said that when the Irish came to the United States one of the only jobs they could get was being a police officer.

Guess who those police officers were beating on
Missing some Tweet in this thread?
You can try to force a refresh.

Like this thread? Get email updates or save it to PDF!

Subscribe to Clint Smith
Profile picture

Get real-time email alerts when new unrolls are available from this author!

This content may be removed anytime!

Twitter may remove this content at anytime, convert it as a PDF, save and print for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video

1) Follow Thread Reader App on Twitter so you can easily mention us!

2) Go to a Twitter thread (series of Tweets by the same owner) and mention us with a keyword "unroll" @threadreaderapp unroll

You can practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @ClintSmithIII see all

Profile picture
A reminder that responding to xenophobic rhetoric by saying things like "But Steve Jobs' dad was an immigrant!" or "Albert Einstein was an immigrant!" while well-intentioned, contribute to the idea that immigration should only be understood in transactional, capitalistic terms.
No one should have to justify seeking safety for their family by trying to convince us that they'll invent new technology or cure cancer or make people rich. Market-based ideologies have tried to tell us that these are the metrics we should use, rather than our sense of empathy.
I'm less interested in immigration policy that's trying to find the next Steve Jobs than I am in policies that treat people escaping violence & poverty with dignity & compassion.
Read 3 tweets
Profile picture
2019 marks the 400th year since enslaved Africans were brought here, before this was even a country. Black people have only had any semblance of full citizenship for about 50 yrs. I don't think the public always grasps the enormity of state-sanctioned oppression on that timeline.
If you kick someone for 350 years, and then stop kicking them (but really just kick them in a different way) for a *seventh* of the amount of time you spent kicking them, it would be completely disingenuous to look at the person and be like, "What's wrong with you? Just get up."
I just think it's worth reflecting on the incessant, intergenerational violence that black folks in this country have experienced, and the sheer amount of time they've experienced it for. All things considered, it's remarkable what our community has done in spite of this history.
Read 3 tweets
Profile picture
The Americans might be my favorite ever television series.
*ever actually means of the past few years but I was hype when I typed it
What I will say is that Philip Jennings should be considered one the great television characters of our time.
Read 3 tweets

Related threads

Profile picture
🔴 As we mark #HumanRightsDay, a devastating new @EURightsAgency Report on #Antisemitism in #Europe underscores how alarming situation has become.

You can read full report, most extensive in years, here: bit.ly/2Qovhjh

But thread below on some of these jarring figures:
@EURightsAgency @TimmermansEU @VeraJourova @kschnurbein @EUinIsrael @EGiaufretEU @IsraelinEU ➡️ 90% of Jews feel #Antisemitism has increased over past 5 years.

➡️ 89% of Jews think Antisemitism is most problematic on the internet & on social media.

➡️ 71% avoid Jewish symbols (e.g., kippah, Star of David, etc) in public things that could identify them as Jewish.

1/
@EURightsAgency @TimmermansEU @VeraJourova @kschnurbein @EUinIsrael @EGiaufretEU @IsraelinEU ➡️ 85% of Jews consider #Antisemitism to be the biggest social or political problem in their home country;

➡️ 28% of respondents have been harassed at least once in the past year, with those being visibly Jewish most effected;

2/
Read 16 tweets
Profile picture
Hello, I am Edna Matta. I was born in #Ibague, known as #Colombia’s #CityofMusic. A beautiful place near snow-covered volcanos (Ruiz, Santa Isabel and Tolima), large expanses of paramo forest, lakes and streams where a diverse array of animal and plant species coexist
My story starts with #powerful, #strong #women in my #family. I was the third of 4 children and my mom #firstMentor had to raise us practically alone, since my father had to work in a different city, 20h away by car
My mom is a very #strong #woman that taught me #values, to #workhard and to be #self-sufficient #StrongWomen #StrongFamily
@IWS_Network #VoicesIWS /1
Read 36 tweets
Profile picture
The Suffocation of Democracy

By: Christopher R. Browning

THREAD✔
1/
As a historian specializing in the #Holocaust, #Nazi Germany, and #Europe in the era of the world wars, I have been repeatedly asked about the degree to which the current situation in the United States resembles the interwar period and the rise of #fascism in Europe.
2/
I would note several troubling similarities and one important but equally troubling difference.

In the 1920s, the US pursued #isolationism in foreign #policy and rejected participation in international organizations like the League of Nations.
3/
Read 109 tweets
Profile picture
#Ireland @Pontifex
Catholic community still shamed by church authorities’ failure over #Ireland abuse, adds @Pontifex.
Read 4 tweets
Profile picture
1/5 🔥RECORDS OF AN ENORMOUS LOOP HOLE EXIST IN THE CONGRESSIONAL FOREIGN TRAVEL REPORTS FOUND IN THE OFFICE OF THE CLERK FOR THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES #QAnon #AprilShowers #IBOR
clerk.house.gov/public_disc/fo…
2/5 A lot of traveling just a couple of weeks before huge election.
3/5 What is up with all this traveling?
Read 12 tweets
Profile picture
This is why I want to #MAGA. #Family.

1. My mom and dad, married 61 years. Both raised in the coalfields of #WV. My dad is LTC-USA (RET), served in #Vietnam, and is 100% VA disabled. My mom raised 3 daughters pretty much by herself!

Where is the #America they loved?
2. My son, pictured here with his father. He served in the #USArmy, and due to his service, is 100% VA disabled. (He suffers from #PTSD and thus, #depression, and, sadly, #addiction.)

Will the #VA be there for him when he's old?
3. My daughter, here with me at her bridal shower. She's an elementary school #teacher, and works 12-hour days, making sure her students get the very best education possible.

Will she be forced to tell her students they can't say Merry Christmas?
Read 6 tweets

Trending hashtags

#resources #ByePhoenicia #Rockefeller #workhard #XrayCrystallography #networking #improved #justiceMinister #Obama #IBOR #cover #ClimateChange #WV #Important #shift #Sessions #Libya #abortion #Mueller #NoFrench #ScientificMeetings #conservatism #smoke #FollowYourInstints #Munster

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just three indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member and get exclusive features!

Premium member ($3.00/month or $30.00/year)

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!