Mayor of New York, Eric Adams, is getting flak for comparing two scenarios and how they could help each other. Basically, the mayor said that illegal immigrants could work as lifeguards on beaches where there aren’t enough.
He was asked what he would do about the city’s lack of lifeguards at his weekly meeting. He replied, “How come there are so many great swimmers in our city and country but we need lifeguards?”
“There are qualified people waiting to work who have the skills we need, but we can’t let them because of red tape.” The only thing that’s stopping them is that they can’t work to become a lifeguard. “That doesn’t make sense at all,” he said.
He has gotten a lot of negative feedback for what he said. Some people have said it was insulting and racist. Andrea Gordillo, who is the chair of the Community Board in Manhattan’s East Village, had something to say about what the mayor said. “The mayor’s claim that immigrants are good swimmers is not only false and hurtful, but it also reinforces harmful stereotypes,” she said.
“Our city should uphold the values of respect and inclusion, and we need leaders who will stand up to the climate of racism and xenophobia that makes discrimination and hate crimes possible,” Gordillo said.
Many people have broken down the comments to say that these immigrants would make good lifeguards because they had to go on hard trips, like swimming, to get to the United States.
Some people have said that the mayor was making a point when he said that it’s hard for these foreigners to get real jobs and that they should make it easier for asylum seekers to find work.
