WE'RE ALL FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE!
In 1607, the Pilgrim Fathers and Mothers, and probably even some LGBT pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. The Pilgrims were a persecuted religious minority, fleeing discrimination, imprisonment and even death in their homelands. They dreamed of a new start in a land free from oppression, hate and prejudice. 410 years later it’s amazing to see how much progress we have made on the beautiful foundations of our nation… in going backwards!
What separates the family history of our current President Donald Trump from a Syrian refugee trying to save the lives of their children or an Iranian doctor looking to start a placement in the USA? Only three generations! That’s how long the Donald’s immigrant family has been living in the US!
The history of the United States is the history of immigration. It is one of the finest examples of a vast kaleidoscope of people, colors, and cultures coming together under one proud banner of acceptance and tolerance.
Immigrants to the United States are in many ways the backbone of our country. They work in our health services, our industries; they serve in our military and risk their lives alongside US citizens to defend our brave ideals and make our land safer. As US citizens, it is easy to forget that we simply had the good fortune that our ancestors arrived slightly earlier than others. These immigrants, from Einstein to the Syrian roots of Steve Jobs, have shaped our culture and helped our sciences to create the most advanced nation the world has ever seen.
Where do we draw the line on who is welcome? If we were to consider one particular third generation immigrant, who wants to destroy free expression (the press), the justice system (“so called” Judges), and the very fabric of our nation it is then when we might want to withdraw the welcome mat, right? No, even then, we wouldn’t do it! The strength of the US is that immigrants and their descendants are all welcome, even Orange hued ones with dubious hair.