The collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in the Patapsco River after it was struck by a Dali container vessel in Baltimore, killing six workers. — Bloomberg
THE deaths of six immigrant workers in the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26 sparked the kind of collective empathy that usually follows tragic events. President Joe Biden was among the many who offered his prayers. In news reports, the men have been called “kindhearted,” “humble” and “heroes.”
We should ask ourselves, is it only the tragedy that made them deserving of such labels? The disparaging way immigration is framed in the United States any other time makes this outpouring of praise seem like a trope.
