Immygrants

I've heard a lot about people wanting to shut down borders, and complaining about pressing 1 for English.

We are a country of immigrants. Don't take my word for it, ask the Statue of Liberty.

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.
I lift my lamp beside the golden door."

True story.

-Emma Lazarus, “The New Colossus”

This was selected as THE greeting to people coming to our country. It was to represent what we all work for – a better future, and the freedom to change things for the better.

People don't seem to be able to respect the fact that there are other languages in the world, even worse if some of them make it into our country. For anyone semi-literate in history, it should be recognized as a possible turning point toward something dark. Look at what has happened to other countries when they've shut out others, or blamed people of another culture for their problems.

Americans are used to convenience rather than effort, especially if it means their horizons might be broadened, or something might make their life experience just a little more enriching.

But...but...but they get stuff!

There's a lot of posts on social media saying things like "In Korea they beat you with splintery wooden dildos but in America you get a golden unicorn that poops heroin that they can sell to neighborhood youths, and  benefits." - food stamps, social security, driver's licence... wait a second.

Anyone who has applied for anything knows that you need a social security number to get anything like this. To have a social security number, you must be a citizen. And if someone steals a social security number to get a job? They pay a third of their income into SS, and will never see a penny of it.

So, people have chosen to forgo common sense, especially when it means they can blame everything wrong in their lives on people with brown skin. Stay classy, America.

Beyond the common sense, there's a lot of actual facts about immigrants. They come here to work. They see opportunities we Americans wouldn't consider. Take a look at northeaster Ohio. Immigrants coming to work and start businesses have grown local economies by billions.

So, the history and facts aren't on your side. Maybe it's all about how hard it is to press a button for English when you're on the phone. It took me longer to type that sentence that it has ever taken me to press "1".

Speek thuh langooedge, leik i doo,

I do favor those within out borders learning English. Not for my own peace of mind, but because their stories and voices can be added to the rich tapestry of the America I grew up loving. Our country is made up of too many other cultures to think, even for a moment, that everyone should magically speak so we can understand them as soon as they are within our borders.

If someone comes here to work, they are doing something. They are, by nature, a part of society. They have a story, one which deserves to be told, and added to our own heritage. 

To people that have lived here all our lives, check your own lineage. A lot of you wouldn't be here if immigrants weren't allowed, especially if they didn't speak English.

To people coming here in search of a better tomorrow, I thank you. More people who grew up in America need to follow suit.

As problems arise in a society struggling with globalization, mass communication, and people being forced to recognize the reality of a bigger Earth than what they see outside their own windows, we need a richer, more varied society to work together to come up with unique and effective solutions.

We need you.