[encore] 531: anti-immigration by Evie Shockley - The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily

Episode Summary: [encore] 531: Anti-Immigration by Evie Shockley

Podcast Title: The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily
Host: Originally Ada Limón (Encore Episode Hosted by Micah)
Release Date: June 12, 2025

Introduction and Context

In this special encore episode of The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily, host Micah introduces a previously aired episode from Ada Limón's tenure. The episode features the poignant poem "Anti-Immigration" by Evie Shockley. Micah sets the stage by informing listeners about the upcoming relaunch of the podcast with a new host, ensuring continuity and excitement for returning and new audiences alike.

Host’s Personal Anecdote

Ada Limón begins the episode by sharing a personal experience that underscores the poem's themes of exclusion and prejudice:

"I was once sitting with my husband at a local bar in Kentucky and the woman next to him was chatty. Too chatty. I could sense a desperation that made me silent and withdrawn while he... put up with her non-stop jawing." (01:26)

Limon describes the tension that escalates when the woman confronts her with the racist question, "Does she even speak English?" This encounter illustrates the pervasive and hurtful nature of anti-immigration sentiments.

Exploration of Anti-Immigration by Evie Shockley

Transitioning from her personal story, Ada introduces Evie Shockley's "Anti-Immigration," a powerful poem that reimagines the hypothetical exodus of various ethnic groups from the United States. Shockley employs a satirical and critical tone to highlight the deep-seated prejudices and the tangible impacts of such biases on society.

The poem systematically details the consequences of different communities leaving the country:

Black Community's Departure:

"The black people left and took with them their furious hurricanes and their fire-breathing rap songs melting the polar ice caps." (02:15)

Shockley suggests that the absence of Black individuals would eradicate cultural vibrancy and exacerbate environmental issues.
Brown Community's Departure:

"The brown people left and took with them the pesticides collecting like a sheen on the skins of fruit." (03:00)

This line metaphorically references the removal of agricultural contributions and the ensuing challenges in public health and education.
White Community's Departure:

"Finally the white people left as serenely unburdened as when they arrived, sailing off from Plymouth Rock with nothing in their hands but a recipe for cranberry sauce..." (05:45)

Shockley criticizes the superficial and unfulfilled promises of white supremacy, highlighting the hollowness of exclusionary ideologies.

Themes and Insights

Shockley's poem serves as a satirical critique of anti-immigration rhetoric by exaggerating its detrimental effects. Through vivid imagery and stark contrasts, the poem emphasizes the integral roles that diverse communities play in the fabric of society. Key themes include:

Interdependence: The departure of any group results in significant societal and environmental losses, showcasing the interconnectedness of communities.
Cultural Erasure: The poem underscores how racism and exclusion lead to the loss of cultural richness and diversity.
Critique of Racism: By presenting an exaggerated scenario, Shockley challenges listeners to reflect on the irrationality and destructiveness of racist ideologies.

Conclusion and Reflection

Ada Limón concludes the episode by reflecting on the poem's message, encouraging listeners to contemplate the real-world implications of anti-immigration sentiments. She ties back to her initial anecdote, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and combating prejudice in everyday interactions.

"I wonder what people mean when they say, 'go back to where you came from. Where is that? Stars?" (01:50)

This rhetorical question invites listeners to question the baselessness of exclusionary demands and to consider the broader societal impacts of such attitudes.

Notable Quotes

Ada Limón: "There were only certain kinds of people here after the Exodus left to wander the underdeveloped wilderness..." (05:30)
Evie Shockley (as read by Ada Limón): "They took war and religious brow beating tucked under their robes." (04:10)

Final Thoughts

This episode of The Slowdown masterfully blends personal narrative with incisive poetry to address pressing social issues. By revisiting Ada Limón's insightful hosting and Evie Shockley's evocative poem, the episode offers listeners both emotional resonance and intellectual stimulation, encouraging a deeper understanding of the complexities surrounding immigration and racism.

For those who missed this episode, exploring the back catalog of The Slowdown can provide a wealth of similar reflections and poetic engagements, enriching your daily routine with moments of calm, inspiration, and thoughtful contemplation.

Related Information:

Producer: Micah, Lead Producer
Supporters: Greenlight, Hershey's, National Endowment for the Arts
Find Us: Visit slowdownshow.org to subscribe and explore more episodes.

Transcript

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Micah (1:04)

Hi there. It's major Today we're reaching into the archives to bring you an episode from Ada Limone's time as host. I'm thrilled to revisit one of her episodes with you. And don't worry, the team is hard at work on a relaunch with a new host.

Ada Limon (1:26)

I'm Ada Limon and this is the Slowdown. I was once sitting with my husband at a local bar in Kentucky and the woman next to him was chatty. Too chatty. I could sense a desperation that made me silent and withdrawn while he, ever the nicest human being on earth, put up with her non stop jawing. Finally, exasperated that I wasn't also engaging in the conversation, she yelled, does she even speak English? We left the bar soon after that. We laughed about it, made light of it. She wanted me to know that I didn't belong. She was the kind of woman who would have told me to go back to my country, which is, I guess, the country of California. I wonder what people mean when they say, go back to where you came from. Where is that? Stars? In today's complex poem, we see what those hateful stereotypes might do. Poet Evie Shockley reimagines what would happen if everyone packed up and left. This country took with them every stereotype, every oversimplified image, and left. In my mind, it's read in the voice of that spiteful woman at the bar. Anti Immigration by Evie Shockley. The black people left and took with them their furious hurricanes and their fire breathing rap songs melting the polar ice caps. They left behind the mining jobs but took that nasty black lung disease and the insurance regulations that loop around everything concerning health and care. Giant holes of text that all the coverage falls through. The brown people left and took with them the pesticides collecting like a sheen on the skins of fruit. They went packing and packed off. With them went all the miserable low paying gigs, the pre dawn commutes, the children with expensive special needs and the hard up public schools that tried to meet them. The brown people left railroaded into carting off those tests that keep your average bright young student outside the leagues of ivy lined classrooms and also hauled off their concentrated campuses, their great expectations, their invasive technology and the outrageous pay gap between a company's CEO and its not quite full time workers. They took their fragile endangered pandas and species extinction and got the hell out of Dodge. The black people left and took hiv, aids, the rest of their plagues and all that deviant sexuality with them. They took their beat down matriarchies and endless teen pregnancies too. Those monster sized extended families. The brown people took those. The brown people boxed up their turbans and suspicious sheet like coverings, their terrifying gun violence, cluster bombs and drones and took the whole bloody mess with them. They took war and religious brow beating tucked under their robes. They took theocracy and their cruel unusual punishments right back where they came from. Finally the white people left as serenely unburdened as when they arrived, sailing off from Plymouth Rock with nothing in their hands but a recipe for cranberry sauce, a bit of corn seed and the dream of a better life. There were only certain kinds of people here after the Exodus left to wander the underdeveloped wilderness in search of buffalo, tobacco and potable water, following old migratory patterns that would have been better left alone.