Rise Up
By: Maggie Laubscher
“America, you great unfinished symphony, you sent for me. You let me make a difference. A place where even orphan immigrants can leave their fingerprints and rise up.”
Today, as always, immigrants keep our country running. It’s why we have the melting pot cliché: because we are all immigrants. There are 41 million immigrants in the United States, according to the ACLU. But going back farther, we are all immigrants. My roots are in Ireland and Germany. Where are yours? Wherever they are, they extend farther than the U.S. With today being National Immigrants Day, it’s a good moment to remember that.
Immigrants Day started in 1987 as a way to formally recognize the importance of immigrants in our country. We are, after all, a country built entirely by immigrants. Many of those immigrants passed down citizenship to their families. Those of us who are citizens vote, serve on a jury when called, pay taxes, and obey laws. But we also must help those working to become citizens. We must ensure all people in our country have the basic human rights they deserve (see our recent story on U.S. farmworkers for more insight).
For many of us, our human rights are front of mind right now. While we vote, while we resist, while we protest our Black brothers and sisters being murdered. But for immigrants, human rights are always front of mind because they are being actively threatened. Immigrants bear a heavy burden of racism, stereotypes, and unequal footing. For instance, in 2013, 83 percent of people deported from the United States were not given a hearing before a judge, according to the ACLU.
Immigrant children have a whole other layer of burden to bear. As of 2019, nearly 70,000 children were labeled as, ‘Unaccompanied Alien Children’ and sent to the Office of Refugee Resettlement while their immigration cases are settled, according to CNN.com. Families continue to be torn apart. We need change. We need our government to help, not hurt, immigrants. We need to vote.
Below, four thoughts to leave you with:
An ICE Anecdote
This story is a gut punch and reminder of all that is wrong with ICE. Take a few minutes to read about a husband, dad, and human who ICE is currently trying to deport.
Statement Sweatshirt
This Phenomenal Woman sweatshirt bears the message, ‘I Am An American.’ The message comes from Tatsuro Matsuda, a California store owner who was forced to close his family’s store in 1941 simply because he was of Japanese descent. The day after Pearl Harbor, Matsuda commissioned and installed a giant ‘I Am An American’ sign on his storefront.
Take Action
Using an ACLU form, quickly send an email to congress asking to reduce funding to ICE and CBP. As the form states, since their inception, these agencies have been responsible for abuse, violence, and human rights violations against immigrants.
Pop Quiz
Click here to take a quick sample U.S. Citizenship test. It gives just a taste of the 100 civics questions that must be answered to become a U.S. citizen. It runs the gamut on history, the Constitution, the Supreme Court, and more.