The Mainer “from away” attitude invites native hostility toward domestic and foreign immigration, but demographic realities will relegate that mindset to a faded memory

“I have been here for 16 years, will be an American citizen in a few weeks, and run an organization with American employees,” emphasized African-born Claude Rwaganje. “Yet, Americans who look like me are viewed as immigrants dependent on government assistance. We cannot call ourselves Mainers because others do not see us as integrated in that society.”

Ricardo Cabezas, president of Centro Latino Maine, an American citizen born in Costa Rica, claimed that this view persists even while younger Latinos and other immigrants embrace English and American culture.

A former business executive from Chicago, Diane Denk described herself as an “Illinois immigrant” taken aback by Mainers quick to divide with those “from away.”

Being “from away” can have major negative connotations for a changing Pine Tree State. This is my take-away from 25 diverse civic, business and academic leaders who are members of the Maine Global Institute advisory board at a planning session on Sept. 22 at the University of Southern Maine.

The discussion is integral to MGI’s mission of public, civic and business leaders working to help Maine integrate the unavoidable reality of demographic change. That kind of candid talk among leaders of this most diverse state board in America’s least diverse state opened a Pandora’s box about underlying cultural hostilities toward domestic and foreign immigrants — baby boomers and young people alike.

There was an e pluribus unum (in many, we are one) consensus that private-public investments for high and low skilled immigrants — regardless of age — are needed to enhance individual motivation and opportunities for ambition to flourish. Denk, for example, is a business-savvy baby boomer seeking opportunities to foster economic development. This is equally true for Claudette Ndayininahaze, a charismatic Burundi asylee and former corporate sales executive. Yet, as Crispin Bolese, an American citizen from the Democratic Republic of Congo and college lecturer, pointed out, the expectation is that professionals like him must simply resign themselves to low-end, unskilled opportunities.

It is a skills-jobs gap beyond what plagues a diminishing Maine middle class in a changing national economy.

Our state is also in need of a more informed practical politics directly addressing its declining birth rate, which requires more people from away.

The good news is that the Mainer “from away” attitude is not historically unique. As a child during the 1950s in an almost 80 percent WASP Los Angeles, most residents expressed the then valid view that people, especially Hispanics like me, were not from my native California city. That mindset is now a faded memory in Los Angeles and America.

Such a demographic challenge will be key to Maine’s future creative economic growth.

As in California during the 1950s, today’s campaign election politics needed to address that challenge remains under the mainstream radar due to Maine’s existing voter demography.  Regardless, the “from away” perception often bubbles to the public surface in unexpectedly disturbing ways.

Exhibit A at MGI’s session, was a British Broadcasting Corporation news report showing Lewiston Mayor Robert Macdonald verbalizing an underlying public sensibility about his city’s growing Somali community. The strongest MGI reaction came from the Mayor’s statement that “you” (Somalis) accept our culture and leave your culture at the door.” The reaction was best summed up by University of Maine at Farmington administrator, Roberto Noya of Puerto Rican background: “I might as well leave myself at the door.”

One news reporter confidentially expressed astonishment at the lack of outright anger. One reason is that newly arrived immigrants feel reluctant to question Macdonald’s words. Others know that the mayor is simply manifesting a latent, but uninformed, Maine public fear.

But this will not detract new generation MGI board members, like Chomba Kaluba from Zambia, a recent Bates College graduate and college lecturer committed to resolving cultural conflicts to enhance Maine’s public image. Like many MGI members of immigrant background, Kaluba symbolizes a new narrative on civil rights and economic development.

The next MGI steps include statewide efforts to encourage those from away through a “Welcome Maine” campaign and a “Maine Immigrants Day” celebration next year. Initial educational outreach steps will be needed to prepare Maine for diversity already prevalent in Maine hospital birth certificates and public schools.

What better way to begin than to meet with elected officials such as Mayor Macdonald on why “from away” will soon become a faded Maine memory?

Ralph C. Carmona is executive director of the Maine Global Institute.