Dreamer Gratitudes

Friends,
The Seattle Times newspaper today featured a front page article with photos and a report on a recent naturalization ceremony here in Seattle during which immigrants became American citizens. Even more than the sense of hope in their faces, I was moved by what the story represented to me. These were people who are realizing a dream of a safer, more hopeful future. I could only imagine the many reasons they chose to come to the U.S., whether to escape poverty and violence or simply to fulfill their economic aspirations. In any case they are but the most recent generation of people who have immigrated, freely or forcibly, to the U.S. that include most of us reading this (except for First Nation people, of course.) And I want to honor the fact that our immigrant forebearers provided the infrastructures of our commercial and domestic society, many having dealt with extreme bigotry and hardship our generation has largely now overcome or forgotten. 

I say this within the context the current age-old resistance and resentment the existing populace has had for the arrival of immigrants over the years. And now we are facing yet again a demogogic effort to create fear and opposition against those seeking a new life here. We can certainly understand when large numbers of immigrants are suddenly present in our communities for whom we are unprepared to adequately meet their immediate personal needs, we are apprehensive and wary of what impact they will have on our housing, schools and social services. So we are likely to experience some level of resentment and want to take control of how many people we can serve. But we also have in our long history of at least relative success in accepting and incorporating immigrants into our social structures, unless the people are instigated to racism and xenophobia (fear of the foreigner) and prejudicially discriminate against them. We are essentially a nation, after all, for better or worse, populated and built by immigrants for whom we need to be deeply grateful.

Instead of resentment of immigrants we need to welcome them with the expectation they will continue to be the successful members of our workforce and communities like those who have preceded them. On a personal level the crucial importance of immigrant participation in our economy and personal welfare was so apparent to me during my recent hospitalizations. I observed time and again, whether it was my doctor, nurse, aide, mobility support and maintenance support that a very large percentage of the hospital workforce was an immigrant or first generation immigrant. The hospital simply would not function without them. I wonder if those who hold resentments against immigrants have ever been hospitalized? And this observation would apply to a good number of other professions as well. Perhaps there is some unresolved tension between feeling both so utterly dependent of our immigrant support systems and resenting them at the same time.

So I want to honor and celebrate the courage, sacrifices and dreams of those who have chosen - or have been forced - to leave their homelands to begin life anew in a challenging and perhaps unwelcoming foreign land. May we gratefully accept their presence and support their efforts to offer their gifts and talents into our workforces and the life of our communities. We can do this by clearing our own hearts and understanding of the sources of any resentment and be prepared to offer what many cultures believe to be the holy obligation to welcome the stranger. And I especially want to appreciate and honor the potential I see in the face of each immigrant child. May they have and realize a worthy dream of a fulfilling life in this new land. 

In peace and gratitude,
Tom