Immigration

My parents are immigrants.  My father came her from Peru in 1955 and my mother from Argentina in 1960.  They met in Chicago.  But before they came, they got their papers in order and came here legally.  They went through the citizenship process and have paid their taxes all these years.  I don't remember once where my father ever had the idea or the inclination to take a hand out.  He knew that hard work was the only way he would ever get anywhere and the only way he would ever want to get anywhere.  I remember once he told me the story that he got into a car accident and the doctor got mad at him because he would not fake injuries.  I think the doctor called him stupid for not taking whatever money he could have from a claim.  But that was my dad and he wanted to be able to look at himself in the mirror every day.  He wasn't perfect but he had integrity. 

I am a first generation American and I was born here.  So that makes me an American citizen and I am proud of that.  I've never seen myself as anything but American, even though my heritage is not.  How would I feel if I were born here and was not given citizenship?  I think pretty bad.  I don't have a connection with South America because I didn't grow up there.  So would I feel like a person without country?  Maybe.  I don't think that's right.  Do I agree with what Donald Trump proposes about the "anchor" children?  No.  We do have a right as any other country to secure our boarders but there are so many issues involved that I think deserve careful consideration. 

Let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater.