Immigrants Attacking One Another

I recently read an article called "Bitches On All Sides" that at first glance appeared to me as a man going through a mid life crisis. The protagonist is losing his hair, always angry, and in a negative place overall. As the setting is centered on a small town, it was easy to connect to the loneliness felt by Ramjohn. Dealing with a massive flood of immigrants from the West Indies to smaller towns, there is a lessened chance of illegal immigrants being caught as well as being disadvanatged in other forms; such as employment. Several issues stood out to me. There appears to be more of an oppurtunity back home despite Canada's ideal of being a place for an immigrant to flourish. Certain migrants such as Ramjohn are excluded as their education isn't recognized by Canadian standards. The government sees race and culture before intellect. A huge contradiction happens seeing as how they are liberal with their want and acceptance of multiculturalism. There is an immediate profiling before an individual is given a chance. This only makes sense to the height of Ramjohn's anger. He is seen as a second class citizen by his peers. Furthermore, every group that does not fit the hegemonic model is ignored and discriminated against. There is a perpetuation of hate. Once this happens, it's not far off that immigrants will start to judge one another in matters of who is worth the oppurtunity. This article highlighted the steps towards "various types of brown" being critiqued. Ramjohn is angered that the women all around him are employed. He feels emasculated that he cannot find work while others can. This plays out in a weird dream sequence where is penis breaks off. Being a prime sign of "what makes a man a man", his maleness is dissapearing. All in all, it was an oddly interesting read. However, the fact that his problems are solved by uniting with a woman of equal nature doesnt exactly challenge the political/social rules that constrict him. Would have been nice to see some form of rebellion.