March 2, 2008

Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel, trusting that one of them would be chosen to be king of Israel.  Samuel thought surely God would chose from among these seven men, but God did not.  And God explained the decision: “Not as humans see does God see, because humans see the appearance but God looks into the heart.”  When Samuel asked Jesse if he had other sons, Jesse brought forth David, who indeed was chosen by God to be king.

The Word of God is very illuminating.  It is so easy for us to judge according to appearances.  No doubt we have all been mistaken for someone else during our lives because we looked like them on the outside.  Perhaps in a store, someone approached us and, thinking we were store employees, asked us for assistance.  We also have mistaken others and perhaps even judged them rashly by their clothes, their car, their weight, their color or their gender.  We easily accept stereotypes of people and classify them according to their race, color, creed, accent, dress, size or gender.

Imagine what it is like for immigrants in our country who have darker skin and speak with an accent.  They are frequently judged by their external appearances and by their manner of speaking.  In recent years, we have seen this kind of stereotyping in racial profiling.  This occurs when authorities, such as police, judge people simply because of their appearance.  This discriminatory practice is demonstrated in statistics in areas where police stop certain kinds of people more than others, simply because of the way they look.  African Americans and Hispanics are thus stopped and questioned more by police then Caucasian people.

Now that some cities have passed laws allowing or requiring police to ask people they stop about their legal documentation, we have seen a dramatic increase in racial profiling.  Police often stop Hispanics for minor infractions and in some cases for no good reason.  If they discover the persons lack proper identification, they turn them over to Homeland Security, with the result that the immigrants are often deported, sometimes leaving their spouses and children behind.  In this way the police do the work of federal agents but in the process they often abuse the rights of many Hispanics who are legal residents and even citizens of the United States by stopping them because of their appearances. 

Immigrants are often harshly characterized as opportunists and law-breakers, when in fact they are not. They are sometimes criticized for stealing jobs and invading our country, refusing to learn English and integrate into our cultural.  In fact, these caricatures are false.  Most immigrants come to our country in a desperate search for work in order to support their families.  They are honest, hard working people who study English and whose children soon prefer English and American customs to those of their country of origin.  Last fall, a young immigrant captured national attention when he rescued a young boy in the desert.  The man was crossing illegally into the United States when he discovered an American boy lost in the desert.  Instead of fleeing the scene and abandoning the boy, the man stayed with the child until help arrived.  When the authorities came, they arrested the man and eventually deported him.  When interviewed about his decision not leave the boy, the man explained that the boy’s life and safety were more important to him than his entering undetected into the United States.  This man demonstrated compassion, integrity and courage which are shared by many immigrants.  We have to read the hearts of people and not judge them by their appearances. 

When we review the ethnicity of soldiers who have given their lives or have been wounded in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we find a number of immigrant young men and women disproportionately higher than their percentage of the general population.  These young people are serving our country at great sacrifice and they are immigrants.  Perhaps if we saw them out of uniform on the street, we might judge them by their appearances and think them to be undocumented.  Perhaps, through racial profiling, the police would stop their cars to question them about their documentation.

Although immigrants are generally thankful for the opportunities to work, study and improve themselves in our country, most tell us they have been victims of discrimination and even abusive treatment. They have been judged by their appearances and not by what they carry in their hearts.  Immigrant students explain how they have been denied opportunities to join certain groups, participate in special projects, or enter advanced programs just because some people thought that as immigrants they were incapable or unsuited for the task.  They were judged by appearances.  One of the most beautiful experiences in the immigrant community is to attend a high school graduation where sons and daughters of families of barely literate parents graduate with honors and win scholarships to major universities. The strength and value of their families hidden in external appearances suddenly become visible for all to see. 

Today, let us commit ourselves to try to see as God sees.  To look into the hearts of others instead of judging them by their appearance.

Prayers of the Faithful

For all of us present, that we might not judge others by appearances but by what they carry in their hearts.

For all those born in the United States, that we might open accept and appreciate the gifts that immigrants bring to our communities.

For our political and church leaders, that they might work to eliminate racial discrimination of all kinds and implement comprehensive immigration reform.

For all immigrants who suffer discrimination in their work, their school, or their community, that they have the strength to continue to struggle for justice and respect.