This is the hypothetical story of a young, Black, South African man named K’sum Nolé.

K’sum (pronounced with a click consonant sound as used in the Xhosa language) was born and raised in Cape Town during the era of Apartheid but later obtained dual citizenship from Mexico, since it was his father’s birthplace. He studied hard and was accepted to a prestigious research university in the United States on a J-1 student visa.*

Once K’sum completed his undergraduate studies, he stayed in the US to pursue a graduate degree. However, he had a bright idea to launch a tech start-up, so he dropped out of grad school. Since he was no longer in school, he had violated the terms of his student visa, which means he remained in the country unlawfully and could have been deported.

Investors were interested in his start-up company, but they were concerned about his unauthorized immigration status. One of them pulled some strings to sponsor K’sum’s residency, and he eventually became a naturalized citizen of the US.

Over the years, K’sum bought and traded companies and became a very, very wealthy man. He was able to take advantage of corporate taxation loopholes to avoid paying any income tax on his multi-billion-dollar company. He also began contributing to political campaigns and gained more & more influence over policy matters that benefitted him financially (as well as legally, since he was able to sway decision-makers to help him avoid investigations and lawsuits).

What is your gut reaction to the story of K’sum Nolé?

Do you have any concerns about his ability to remain in the US as an “illegal alien” (aka, “undocumented” or “unauthorized” immigrant)? What about his self-serving political activity and ill-gotten financial gain? Does any aspect of the narrative give you pause?

What if … instead of being a Black South African, K’sum was white? Thus, instead of being a victim of Apartheid, he was a beneficiary? And rather than having a father from Mexico, he actually had a mother from Canada? And instead of having an “ethnic” sounding name like K’sum Nolé, his name was the semordnilap version: Elon Musk.

All better now? Does your perspective change because it was a white guy who overstayed his visa and became an “illegal” (because those folks are supposed to be brown)? Is it suddenly ok because it’s a white guy currently hacking away at the purse strings of the federal government? Because it’s a white billionaire to whom you feel like you can relate??

Did you know? As of 2017, individuals from nations besides Mexico & Central America account for roughly 90% of visa overstays (Pew Research). In fact, there are 30 overstays for every border apprehension of Mexicans and Central Americans.

Currently, over 40 percent of the undocumented/unauthorized population in the country are individuals who have overstayed their visas, not entered through the US-Mexico border (CMS).

As a naturalized citizen, Musk isn’t even eligible to serve in the highest federal offices like President. He lacks a security clearance. He has no relevant credentials as a policy analyst, much less as an auditor. If you would be concerned about K’sum, then you ought to be extremely worried about Elon.

If I had a billion dollars, there wouldn’t be a single hungry person on the planet. Infrastructure across the globe would include public transit. The climate would be protected; water would be clean. Anyone from any background would have access to an education that would open doors for them to earn a livable wage. Elon Musk, on the other hand, is the personification of Smaug in Erebor, hording his gold and seeking to destroy anyone who comes near to his stronghold.

References (for anyone who cares):

*Individuals on a J-1 visa are considered “Exchange Visitors,” which is generally limited to international students and visiting faculty on short-term appointments to the U.S. They are only permitted to work in a capacity related to and approved through their visa, which for students usually means on-campus. https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/students-and-exchange-visitors/exchange-visitors

Pew Research. Key facts about the changing U.S. unauthorized immigrant population. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/04/13/key-facts-about-the-changing-u-s-unauthorized-immigrant-population/

Center for Migration Studies. “Correcting the Record: False or Misleading Statements on Immigration.” July 24, 2024. Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS} Report. New York, NY: CMS.