IMMIGRATION: MY FAMILY'S STORY

 As I learn about the great migration of 2015 I have become less patient with political, verbal and thoughtless rhetoric that call immigrants a threat to me, my family or this country.

My maternal grandparents came to America in 1906 from Russia.  My grandfather came six months before my grandmother to assure that he could gain entrance to this country.  He did.

My grandmother came later in steerage with her seven children, The oldest child was in his teens and the youngest was still in diapers.

My grandfather met them at the boat and took them  to live on  a farm. The land was given to them by a philanthropic organization.  My grandmother gave birth to her eighth child in this country.

The children consisted of five boys and three girls, As the children grew they helped my grandparents manage the land. Additional farm workers were hired to harvest the bristles from bristle cone trees, to make brushes for bath houses. My grandparents did the same in "old country."

When the children were older, my grandparents left the farm and moved to the city.

The five sons married and had children of their own as did the girls, one of whom was my mother.
Three of the sons  moved away and two remained in the same city as did my mother and her sisters.

My uncles all married women who had come to this country from other nations like Latvian, Spain
Romania and Poland. My two aunts also married immigrants. My mother married an American and one of my uncles intermarried with an American Catholic.

These were my aunts and uncles. They had between them 24 children all born here who became my first cousins. This large family stayed close to each other providing support for each other and a mutual desire to contribute in meaningful ways to this county.

The grandchildren, my cousins became physicians and nurses, lawyers, accountants, teachers and educators, writers and publishers, and mechanics.  Some established businesses and hospitals, and were responsible for advancing technology by manufacturing the wiring that carried electricity to residential homes and businesses across this nation.

One cousin now lives in Denmark and has a health clinic. One has his photography hanging in the Smithsonian Portrait gallery and another achieved national and international note upon his death for developing a unique technique for coaching rowing athletes. Some cousins lived and still live
in rural areas while others live in cities.  One of my nieces lives in Paris with her husband and two children..

 Of my 24 cousins, all had children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, great, great grand children and great,great,great grandchildren. Eleven of my first cousins are still alive.  Their children live in States that are in the West, East, South and in the North .

Some are democrats, republicans, environmentalists, socialists, tea party proponents and libertarians. Many are  working for gun control, many are not.  Many are troubled by the lack of equitable educational and job opportunity for all, many don't care. Others are advocates for social causes while others feel government pampers people too much. Many believe that the injustices which exist toward people are overblown by the press while others work to understand the issues.

For me, I remember that my grandparents looked and dressed differently from other people so that people with differences don't trouble me.  I remember my grandparents as loving me, proud of their citizenship  in this country and eager to participate in it.

My grandparents were Jews who spoke different languages but brought with them the strong belief that each life is important and none is expandable.

Because of them, I believe the concept of erecting walls or gates or fences to deny others  entry to this country because of skin color or religion is wrong.  I am disturbed and horrified when people hold a callous disregard for the rule of reason and law and puzzled sometimes by the lack of respect for knowledge and science. All those things which were the very reasons my grandparents came to achieve for themselves and their heirs in this country.

My grandparents contributed much to this country through the accomplishment of their children, grandchildren, and a long list of heirs, as did other immigrants. They did so because of
the opportunity to live and contribute equally to their communities.

We deny whence we came when we forget these principles.