Educated Immigration is Good Immigration

Anonymous

Immigration- it is one of the hottest topics in the United States of America, and the world right now. It is discussed avidly and relentlessly in political and social circles, regarding its policies, and the consequences of those policies experienced by people here in the USA, and abroad. This is not a new topic of discussion in the USA but has been a part of American history since the founding of the nation in 1776, when the European immigrants declared themselves independent from Great Britain. Throughout the many complicated and controversial twists and turns of American history, the constant immigration of people from all across the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Asia contributed significantly to the diverse population of the United States of America, in addition to the Indigenous population who had been here on this land decades and decades earlier. So my question is, to put it frankly, why are we all hot and bothered about immigration now when it is arguably a fundamental part of American tradition? How do we go about in coming to a smart conclusion to the numerous debates about immigration? The first step towards tackling this issue (which determines the entire courses of people’s lives) is education.

With changing times come changes in political agenda, technology, and in social/cultural values and practices due to globalization, all factors which play a part in how Americans and people around the world view immigration. Another important factor contributing to the view of immigration is safety, and the concerns about it. People’s individual views on all these factors work together to form their opinions on immigration- is it good or bad, who should or shouldn’t be allowed to immigrate, etc. These opinions are then argued about, and pushed to be implemented, having a large impact on the American government. Which is why it is crucially important to form educated, well informed and well supplemented opinions on these factors. One of the key reasons that there is all this mess and frustration around immigration at the moment is the lack of education on the topic. As citizens it is our duty educate ourselves on specific topics and questions concerning immigration, such as the current policies of immigration our country, the political leaders and departments involved in monitoring immigration, the policies of immigration of the countries from where immigrants come from, the current political state of those countries, the economic impact, among many other topics. There is lots of information available to the public, however not all of it is accurate. This adds an additional responsibility to the shoulders of American citizens, not only do we need to research specific issues and topics of immigration, we need to find reliable, and unbiased sources. The only thing worse than being uneducated on an issue and being aware of your lack of understanding, is forming solid opinions based off of inaccurate information.

A final note to keep in mind when tackling the issue of immigration is to keep an open mind about different people and different cultures. We should think of this as simply returning the favor from when the Indigenous Americans welcomed us and all of our odd practices to their land. (Although the European settlers then went on to conquer the land by building large structures on tribal land, hunting animals close to extinction, among committing many other questionable acts- the many complicated and controversial twists and turns of American history). Just because someone looks and sounds different doesn’t label them as being a threat. But it is important to conduct research on the political situations of countries across the world and weigh that into forming an educated opinion. Immigration is a complicated issue with many faces, on one hand it is not the innocent citizens in war torn countries that seek refuge and safety to survive that cause the wars, but there may be leaders who may exploit their vulnerabilities. Again, the first step to approaching this issue is thorough and accurate research.

One of the great things about the democratic American government is that its politicians are dedicated solely to listening to all of it’s the citizens, and ensuring their safety and happiness. Thus in theory, one of the best ways to have an impact on immigration in America is to do research and gain unbiased information on the issue, and try relentlessly to reach out to the governing officials in charge. In the unlikely case that they do not, we are privileged again with the freedom of speech via media, and to conduct peaceful protests.

In conclusion, it is up to us to gain accurate education on Immigration and the many issues and topics it envelopes, and reach out to our governing officials. It is easy to get caught up in our lives and forget that there are those around the world whose lives depend on your government’s decisions.

Some informative sites:

https://www.uscis.gov/

https://www.ice.gov/

https://www.apnews.com/

https://www.wsj.com/