The hypocrisy of ‘good immigrants’
How the narrative on immigration dehumanizes people into economic commodities and champions success above humanity
The idea of the ‘good immigrant’ is certainly not something new, but it doesn’t make it any less relevant now than previously. Emma Raducanu becoming the first qualifier and first British woman in almost 50 years to win a grand slam singles tennis title is an astounding achievement that should not be reduced to narratives on immigration but, unfortunately, hypocrisy is hard to ignore.
As a half Canadian half Romanian Brit her story is one that mirrors the migratory richness of Britain. It is one of the greatly varied cultural heritages and worldly stories, ones that have made London the most diverse place in Europe. Emma Raducanu is certainly not the first high profile star to revive the ‘good immigrant’ narrative. Previous examples such as Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain and Mo Farah sparked similar discussions.
However, the hypocrisy lies not in championing these individuals' successes, but in overlooking ordinary citizens with equally rich and diverse backgrounds. Their stories are not viewed with the same adorning, halo projecting gaze but instead appear as headline grabbing scapegoating for the nation’s ills.
The great tragedy is all three individuals are incredibly humble, decent, and truly…
