Garth RattrayREGRETTABLY MY job sometimes entails imparting bad news to patients. Increasingly however, some patients give me what I consider to be some extremely bad news of their own. Many people, and especially young, bright, decent, disciplined, progressive, productive people tell me that I won't be seeing them anymore because they are migrating to North America. I often think to myself, "I lose more patients that way!"
The sad fact is that our entire country loses large numbers of individuals, needed to develop this nation, to an already developed region. There is no mistaking that our bright, young people are of benefit to North America. Jamaicans who migrate contribute to that culture and economy. Our loss is their gain. Too many of our current and potential income earners have left, are leaving and will leave our shores. If for no other reason but to keep our economy afloat, it makes perfect sense to do everything in our power to entice them to stay.
Just about everyone has to work very hard in North America and the income generated builds and drives that economy. One immigrant, circa 1890 I believe, quipped, "When I was coming to America I was told that the streets were paved with gold. Now that I'm here I find that the streets are not paved with gold, in fact they are not paved at all and they expect me to pave them!" Of course the words "streets" and "gold" are metaphors. You have to work incessantly just to pay the perpetual bills because it is unusual to actually own anything in North America. The economy is structured so that you owe everything. You lease a car, mortgage a home, and credit food, clothes and medical bills.
Quite a few Jamaicans are forced to work two and sometimes even three jobs just to exist in North America. They become trapped on the Ferris wheel of debts and debt payments and like the little gerbil they have to run for their lives. They run to the job through rain, sleet or snow, run on the job, sometimes run to another job and run home. They finally run themselves into the ground.
In spite of all this, every single family probably has more than just a few members who have migrated. The logical question is why. To my knowledge no one has ever conducted an "Exit Poll" to find out precisely why so many Jamaicans migrate. I would have thought that a simple, to the point, anonymous questionnaire could be handed out to everyone going into the Embassies or Consulates to pick up their Immigrant Visa. The questions would seek to enumerate and prioritise the reasons for migration. This would allow us to identify and rectify the problems that drive our people away from the very land of their birth.
My own queries to people who are migrating have yielded predictable results. People say that the prime reason is fear; fear for their safety and fear of poverty. They are under the impression that the country cannot stem the tide of crime and violence. They see too many killings going unsolved and feel totally unprotected. Other concerns are the state of the economy, creature comforts and concerns for a secure financial future. Also uppermost in the minds of our people is the plethora of indiscipline and corruption that impregnate our society. The slum/tenement yard style of behaviour has percolated over into our streets, and again no one seems brave enough, capable enough or interested enough to arrest it. People also perceive an inability to make any meaningful change or contribution.
I wonder if we are cognisant of the serious effects that this flight of ideas, culture, income-generating capacity and future stability will bring. No one in authority has made a serious attempt at securing the investment made in our young, productive people for the well-being of our nation. This apparent indifference, this "Take it or leave it" attitude will be our downfall.
As it is we are being rapidly depleted of honest, hard working citizens. Our tax base is diminishing because a fair amount of people are 'trying a thing' outside of the established (formal) economic system. The rest feel overburdened and harassed into supporting the ever-growing mass of non-contributors who, although earning 'informally', fail to fulfil their utility and tax responsibilities.
We need to address this problem of migration before most Jamaicans have an overseas address. We need to show some interest in those capable of migrating so that they in turn will show some interest in us. We need to make our people feel safe, secure, wanted and needed. Water can boil for just so long before it becomes steam and flies away.
Garth Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice.
