The United States of America was built on immigration, the blending of cultures and creating something beautiful by overcoming systematic adversity. It is only fair that we continue to welcome migrants into our country with open arms as we did when our country was originally structured many years ago.
We as a informed citizens need to educate the people in our own country about migrants. The leaders of our country assume that the immigrants coming to America are “drug dealers, criminals, rapists and animals.” Although the migrants sneaking into the country should attempt to file legal documents for entry, the government and the American people need to realize that these are human beings who are either fearing for their lives or trying to make a better life for their families.
The Statue of Liberty is epitome of American culture. It is a monument of immigration in today’s society, so do we not find it ironic that we have created a culture of “US vs. Them?” We have stigmatized immigrants. There are black and brown people around the world are not trying to ruin America or create tension among our society. Countries like Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras and so on face these issues. People are not getting educated because they have to work in order to feed their families. The lack of food in these countries have started unbearable violence.
These people are vulnerable. We question “Why are they doing this?, Why are they doing it this way?, Why would they put themselves in that position if they know they will get attacked?” Although, we do need to accept those trying to enter into our country who are fleeing danger. We should also focus on strengthening our own economic system and creating financial opportunities for the people who are here now. That sense of fear is where this negativity is stemming from. People are afraid that if immigrants our coming for opportunities, what will be left for the people who are here now? However, to create an atmosphere of hatred and negativity around a group of human beings is not something America should be a part of. Immigrants and refugees are not coming over to the United States to take our jobs, to sell drugs or to kill anyone. They are migrating because they have to.
If they stay where they are they will be killed. Imagine the journey they have to go on with only the bare minimum of personal items that they can carry and set off to a place they have never been before. There are people fleeing from things that we can not even imagine and instead of helping them, we make it harder for them to seek refuge. We need to understand that their lives are in danger. They are not living they are just simply trying to survive. The average person in America does not understand the process of how long it takes for people to get a visa. Sometimes it can take months, maybe years to get their applications even looked at. We need to realize that they cannot sit in these situations for this long. They are going to do anything to get to a place where they know there is food, electricity and jobs. We need to do a lot to change the way we treat immigrants in the United States.
Immigrants are not always coming from the best situations in their home countries, and even though America is not much better, the U.S. is not as poor or violent as other countries. America is the best out of a bad situation. When it comes to migration, no one wants to uproot their whole entire life, move somewhere else, and be alone while resetting their whole existence. People have been migrating to the United States for hundreds of years searching for opportunity. The people who have risked their lives to make the journey to the U.S. are seeking safety and a better life. We should be embracing everyone who wants to come here, not tear-gassing those to turn them away. It is not illegal to seek asylum. According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration services, “You may apply for asylum status regardless of how you arrived in the United States or your current immigration status.”
