Did France really win the World Cup?

If you’ve been living under a rock, let me dropkick it to the side for ya:

Congratulations are in order to France for winning the 2018 World Cup!!! With tweets and Instagram stories featuring the second win for the country, one in particular that caught my eye came as a repost from bae Trevor Noah.

via instagram

Artwork by M.Rifaï, the piece showcases a life raft of migrants rowing towards France with the World Cup trophy, while France reaches out to grab it. The message of the drawing is pretty clear. African and Middle Eastern migrants won France the World Cup; and France happily accepted the trophy. The migrants? Still up for debate.

via twitter

With the makeup of the French World Cup team being largely composed of African and Muslim immigrants, winning the World Cup brings the immigration conversation to the forefront. France, a country as diverse as the United States, are also experiencing immigration in large numbers due to civil unrest. While the FIFA games temporarily erased the immigration debate with displays of ethnically-diverse players and countries, the cleats have officially come off. So what now?

What M.Rifaï questions is whether migrants are only welcomed to foreign countries when it benefits the country in grandeur ways— or if they will still be welcomed for simply being human beings seeking help?

This conversation should hit home with us in the United States. Immigrants come from multiple ethnic countries, but minories are consistently targeted the harshest (see: “shithole countries,” “rapists,” the list unfortunately goes on). And with American athletes such as Kapernick, Lebron, Chris long and more being more vocal about the current political climate, is the well-being of “the other” only acceptable when they participate in entertainment industries, or are they just as valuable (and respected) beyond their athleticism?

The answer is yes. Or at least it should be. There is a responsibility for Western countries to protect those who are seeking shelter from the nations left corrupt. after all western countries have historically and presently participated in the exploitation of these countries in the first place. there is also the factor of EMPATHY and how the basic foundation of civil rights applies to all human beings, not just those born within country lines.

You do not deserve credit for immigrant accomplishments if you cannot support these groups daily. end of story.