While we all may have different reasons to celebrate the end of summer and welcoming the fall season, I’ve noticed what seems like a new reason…neighborhood block parties! My neighborhood in Glens Falls has had several in recent weeks and they were a lot of fun. This last one was especially enjoyable because it gave me a chance to meet some of our new neighbors, many of whom had just recently moved to this area from other parts of the country and from Central America and Africa!
As a son of immigrants myself, I was especially interested in learning more about their backgrounds and why they came here. Their stories were heartwarming, especially those that came from distant lands. It made me once again appreciate the principles of why our American democracy is such a unique and magnificent experiment in the world…our diversity.
My family immigrated to the USA from Germany in 1950. I am a first generation American whose family left everything they knew in worn-torn Germany in search of a better life in America. Even though we were Germans–a recent and former foe of America–my family was welcomed and given an opportunity to succeed and become part of the national fabric.
Part of our national discourse this election season is focused on immigration and while we all agree that we need a comprehensive policy, we shouldn’t be vilifying immigrants that are seeking a better life in the USA. Let’s face it, unless you are a Native American, we all came here from distant lands. Some by choice, some by force. The one thing that we used to agree with was that it was our diversity that really created what we love to call “American Exceptionalism”.
Building walls, banning books and vilifying immigrants has never been a recipe for success. As business owners and employers, we know first-hand how hard working our immigrants are. Like all of us, they just want a better life for themselves and their families. Let’s stop the messages of hate and look for solutions that embrace our differences and build stronger communities that benefit all of us.
In the end, our neighborhood block party was a microcosm of what the American experiment should be. People from different background and beliefs working together to build a better future.
