Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson defended referring to American slaves as immigrants Monday, saying “you can be an involuntary immigrant.”
While on the Armstrong Williams Show, a woman said her 12-year-old son took issue with Carson calling slaves “immigrants” when they were brought over in chains.
“Yes, you can. You can be an involuntary immigrant,” Carson interrupted.
Earlier Monday, Carson briefly spoke about immigration and slavery during a speech to department employees.
“That’s what America is about, a land of dreams and opportunity,” Carson said. “There were other immigrants who came here in the bottom of slave ships, worked even longer, even harder for less. But they too had a dream that one day their sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, great-grandsons, great-granddaughters, might pursue prosperity and happiness in this land.”
During Williams’ radio show, Carson urged his critics to look up the definition of the word “immigrant.”
“Whether you’re voluntary or involuntary. If you come from outside to the inside, you’re an immigrant. Whether you’re legal or illegal,” Carson continued. “Slaves came here as involuntary immigrants. But they still had the strength to hold on.”
Carson added that African Americans should be “proud” that they have ancestors who had the “mental strength” to survive what slaves did.
