I’m sick and tired of hearing not only Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant rants, but also what appear to be widespread anti-immigrant attitudes in this country. Immigrants — including those brought here against their will — built this country. Most every American-by-birth has immigrants in their ancestry.
People come here to find a better life for themselves and their families, and for the most part, they’re hard-working and contribute to their communities in many ways. As The Plain Dealer reported Sept. 13, “[Haitian immigrants’] settlement in Springfield reversed decades of population decline and, according to some, contributed to an improving economy.”
Regarding immigrants and crime, recent studies show an inverse proportion of immigrants to crime: When immigration is up, crime is down and when immigration is down, crime is up. Those who are American by birth commit crimes at a higher rate than do immigrants, these studies suggest.
I just don’t get it: In New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty says, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” but at our Southwest border we have a big wall that says, “Keep Out!” Who are we? Immigrants enrich this country, and I welcome their presence.
Lynne Hansen,
Willoughby
