Immigration Makes America Great
I am fiercely proud to be a citizen of a country that supports inclusiveness of all cultures. I am also proud that we, as a nation, have the capacity to be the home of so many other beautiful cultures and hardworking immigrants. However, it is disheartening to see politicians nowadays spouting forth vicious rhetoric in an attempt to scare the American people into turning against foreigners and immigrants.
The United States was founded by immigrants escaping religious and social persecution from all over Europe. It was formed on the backs of those original risk-takers, traveling across an ocean with nothing but hope to chisel out new lives for themselves. Even though most immigrants aren’t coming to America by boat anymore, most of them are filled with the same excitement and anticipation those early settlers had. It is of paramount importance that in this day and age, America still welcome and provide shelter for those seeking refuge.
However, they don’t realize that without so many different cultures and nationalities, America would not at all be where it is now.
The United States has been and will continue to be the fantastic “melting pot” of the world; it’s a place where cultures, languages and customs all intertwine and become the amalgam that is America. This country wasn’t founded on the idea that hearing another language or seeing someone do something different than yourself would be scary, unpleasant or threatening. Instead, other cultures and languages were meant to be admired, curiosity-inspiring and most importantly, respected. At an institution such as Exeter, we are all fortunate to be able to see this and use it to our benefit as we learn languages and take foreign history courses.
Yet, sadly to see, many Americans do not have this opportunity and do believe to some extent that other cultures and people shouldn’t mix with “true Americans.” However, they don’t realize that without so many different cultures and nationalities, America would not at all be where it is now. Immigrants have shaped the United States from its conception, and will undoubtedly continue to do so.
When a man like Donald Trump walks on a stage and preaches to crowds that immigrants are rapists and drug dealers, he is being more than xenophobic. He is going against the intrinsic American value of tolerance and kindheartedness. In the day-to-day lives of Americans, immigrants play a huge role, whether performing operations or cooking in the local diner. If 11 million immigrants were to be deported, it would do irreversible damage to this country’s image that would take years, if not generations, to fix.
The long and the short of it is that America is a country that was arguably conceived to provide a safe place for immigrants to express themselves. The United States has always been the top of its class when it comes to immigration, and if we stop opening our arms to everyone seeking refuge or a better life, this image of America will cease to be. Instead, the world will think of us as scared, unwelcoming and ungrateful.
Even aside from the cultural values that immigrants bring to our country, they also bring incredible economic power. A majority of immigrants are active members in the workforce, with recent statistics showing that seven in ten have stable jobs and three in four are active and contributing members to their communities. These numbers aren’t nothing—they prove that immigrants are willing and happy to work and contribute to the economy and well-being of the US.
America has always been the land of opportunity for all. This pertains to everyone, and applies just as much to a first generation immigrant as it does to a person who had ancestors who crossed the Atlantic on the Mayflower. Immigrants are the backbone of this country and without them the United States would be a very different place than it is today.